I’m back riding on the road and, to be honest, am a bit unsure as to whether I was being stupid.

Group of 3 riders with me leading on a short stretch of an A road in a 30 mph limit. Car was waiting patiently to overtake (stream of traffic on opposite side) so when it was clear I waved him through and thanked him.

Car behind followed him despite not being able to see, cars appeared on opposite side of road so what did he do? Cut right back in, narrowly missing me. 😐

Should I or should I have not have waved the first car through?

Thanks. 🙂

I do on occasion, especially if I have a better view round a corner than a following driver (more so in groups) It’s still the drivers responsibility though, like reacting to someone flashing lights at a junction. Sounds like the second driver was just a bit of a dick/****.

If I can see its clear before the car can, and theyve been patient, I’ll wave to indicate its safe to pass and give em a thank-you if/as they pass.

You werent being stupid, you were trying to be considerate. The first driver was considerate, the second was a nob.

Not sure its covered by The Rules, so YMMV etc.

Whilst it seems the helpful thing to do I wouldn’t wave them through, instead let them make their own decision. Ultimately it is the driver’s decision to make the pass but if anything happened and you’d waved them through it could be seen as contributing.

For what it’s worth the person behind sounds like they were just being sheep like, following and not actually ensuring it was safe to pass.

what he said.

you did the right thing but the 2nd driver was a bit previous

Thanks scotroutes. Should have mentioned this was on a bend. I can’t believe that the second car thought it was OK for him to pass as well.

So there isn’t a hard and fast rule about waving a car through?

Second driver – dinlo

Simple rule for drivers if you cannot see your way through an overtake then you should not be doing it.

cg I am by no means a regular roadie but I tend to stay away from waving through but I do signal to hold back and wait. For all the bloody good it does sometimes!

I followed a car to a mini roundabout this afternoon. The roundabout was a slightly raised and painted white, traffic approaching it from our direction had to steer around it. The driver in front took a straight line anti clockwise bypassing it.

I never ceases to amaze me who we share our roads with.

I always ignore anyone who waves me through. I’m driving, therefore I make the decision (it’s my license I’ll loose if I hit something). I know people who wave are trying to help, but it’s too easy to mistake what it means (like the 2nd driver here.)

BC say dont

Depends, I’ve waved people through on many occasions but equally if I feel someone is trying to do something daft, I’ll hold them back too.

Had a similar one to you a few years ago, group of 3 of us on a narrow-ish road, I waved the first driver through (loads of space), the second one thought it was fine to follow in spite of me, then the others indicating that no, she should wait. She got mid-way past us when she saw the oncoming tractor although fortunately she had the presence of mind to just stand on the brakes rather than attempt to cut in on us. Funnily enough she was much more patient after that…

It’s a considerate thing to do but, like all indications, it’s to be used with caution – if there’s any chance it could be misunderstood it’s usually safer to let the driver make up their own mind. That said, while I am as considerate and helpful towards others as possible on the roads, my safety comes first so occasionally a driver needs me to think for them.

Not cut and dried then!

BC say dont

Do you have a link please?

The ‘second car’ syndrome is horrible.

1st car overtakes with lots of room, lots of time, pulls in some distance in front.

2nd car follows them but oncoming traffic means they have to give the cyclist inches to spare, pull in almost knocking cyclist off the bike, and cyclist has to brake to avoid collision.

It is just really really bad driving, poor skills and judgment, careless and inconsiderate, and lack of experience overtaking cyclists / being a cyclist.

The only hand signals I give to cars are the ones not in the highway code. %*#~*$!

my safety comes first so occasionally a driver needs me to think for them.

Yes, that really makes sense and a good way of looking at it.

if only one car / vehicle and clear, then usually yes. TBH I usually only ‘wave through’ to indicate I know they’re there, and if traffic was oncoming, them probably not — so a “yes, I know you’re there”..

When blame comes to a claim theses days wave no one through let the driver make his/ her own decision, I would just pull into single file to make life easier for them to make a safe pass. But that’s me!

I wouldn’t ever wave anyone through. The driver should make their own decisions and they are the ones in the best position to judge a safe pass. Scary I know! 😀 When driving I’d ignore anyone waving me through and use my own judgement. The example of why not to wave cars through is the second blindly following the first (although they may well have just followed the first had you not waved too!)

When blame comes to a claim theses days wave no one through let the driver make his/ her own decision, I would just pull into single file to make life easier for them to make a safe pass. But that’s me!

In the majority of instances, a single line of riders is no easier to pass safely. In my experience of people who think they’re being helpful by singling up, you’re probably creating a more dangerous situation by tempting idiots to pass too closely rather than wait for an overtaking opportunity.

Of course, you might be blessed with riding on roads wide enough to allow a car to pass a single rider a safe distance from the kerb, leaving a 1.5m gap and without crossing the centre line of the road, but around here all those roads are too busy with speeding traffic to ride on safely at all.

I don’t wave through. I’ve occasionally had to convince a following driver to abandon a poorly-timed misjudged blind overtaking manoeuvre with a wild “get thee behind me” arm wave though… Those days I might as well be wearing AG2R replica shorts.

I always ignore anyone who waves me through. I’m driving, therefore I make the decision

When driving I’d ignore anyone waving me through and use my own judgement

and traffic laws would agree. On my police advanced course, which was all about ‘making progress’, the mantra was “don’t take off until you can see youve got somewhere to land”. My thoughts are that if nothing else waving through alerts the driver to the fact that the road is going to clear in their favour so they can be ready to pass, and that you know theyre there and appreciate their patience.

Round my parts the vast majority of drivers on rural roads are patient and conscientious and in many instances I am comfortable “waving through”.

I wouldn’t wave through, I think the driver should make his/her own mind up about the safety of the pass without additional information. I’m not all that comfortable getting waved through as a driver (perhaps I just don’t trust the waver to be competent!) 🙂

Having said that, I imagine the second car would have pushed through regardless, whether you waved or not.

On a local club ride (not ours) exactly the same thing happened.Only there was bollard/lampost in the middle of the road.Which the 2nd car hit,head on doing about 35mph.He had quite a few choice words right up until the 3 members of her majesty’s constabulary who ride for the club announced their presence.I believe he got 3 points and a fine for driving without due care and attention. 😀

I think you are better off letting the driver make the decision, I’ve never waved a driver through and can’t really think of a reason why I would.
I think it’s all part of the risk/probability do risk attitude I take on the road. I’m not keen on a driver berating me for waving them through and then an accident occurring, then them blaming me. Selfish attitude this but it’s been good for me over the years.

The only hand signals I give to cars are the ones not in the highway code. %*#~*$!

I find myself increasingly giving little thanks gestures with my hands to patient drivers who have been behind be for a wee bit, or those who have waited at a junction for me when they could have got out etc.

Feels like I’m giving my dog a little treat…. Good boy, good boy.

I’ve waved cars through in the past, but TBH I tend not to anymore, I’ve misjudged it a couple of times and effectively put cars on the wrong side of the road with enthusiastic oncoming vehicles or worse yet assumed people can get their foot down in a timely fashion… You don’t know who’s following, or indeed who’s following them and what degree of risk they think they can take.

No driver should really take it on trust that a cyclist in front will judge their overtaking options for them and get it right every time…

If they can’t see a clear path for themselves, then they shouldn’t pass…

I don’t wave anyone through unless they are being overly cautious and getting close to me. I was told by my driving instructor 20 years ago that if you wave anyone through you should be prepared to accept part of the responsibility for any incident that directly occurs from it. Since then I’ve been VERY circumspect about doing it.

I think the last time I did it was when a car was so nervous about the overtake he was almost buzzing my rear wheel so I moved over the white line into the gravel edge of the road and waved him past so he barely had to move off the normal path road position for a car. I moved back into the right part of the road as soon as he was past (no other cars).

I’d rather have a happy driver in front of me than an impatient one revving away behind me, so quite often I’ll either pull over into the first available space or wave them through, if it’s a long, clear, straight-ish stretch of road that I am able to see before they can.

Having said that, on the Isle of Wight, the roads don’t lend themselves much to overtaking of any description, and I find most drivers pretty laid-back and courteous about being stuck behind horses, tractors, cyclists, or whatever.

Stopped waving drivers through for all the reasons above. Their decision not mine. I do most of my riding on reasonably quiet country lanes, and most drivers round here are a. Reasonably alert to the dangers of narrow lanes, and b. getting more used to dealing with cyclists. Not had half the issues I used to have even a year ago TBH.

I find myself increasingly giving little thanks gestures with my hands to patient drivers who have been behind be for a wee bit…

Feels like I’m giving my dog a little treat…. Good boy, good boy.

🙂

Likewise. Their reaction changes from a glare of annoyance to a smiling face, sometimes accompanied by a wave back. Acknowledgement of an act of courtesy helps balance the negative image cyclist have, IMO, and it makes you feel all warm inside, too.

OT – I used to wave drivers through but refrain nowadays due to too many close shaves when it, inevitably, goes wrong. It’s a few seconds at most before they can see what you can so why bother – it’s not worth the risk.

I wouldnt wave anyone through, in fact I recall it being specifically in the rules of a local club that riders shouldnt do it.

Also as a driver I would ignore any rider attempting to direct me.

Sounds like youve learnt the lesson though.

Never waive anyone through: you could be seen as taking responsibility. It is up to the driver to pass when it is safe to do so.

I tend not too, although still do occasionally on windy roads when there is limited chance to pass and I’d rather have them in front than behind.

Although, recently, and thinking there was only 1 van behind me, waved it through, only for another 3 cars, hidden by the van then passed. A quick ‘lifesaver’ look stopped me from pulling out into the path of them luckily. Lesson learnt again…..

I work in the highway.. waving traffic is a no no.

let them make their minds up because when you start directing traffic you take responsibility.

‘But officer, she waved me past..i have witnesses..etc’

Pull over, slow down, even block them if its in an unsafe spot.. make it easy for them to decide but dont direct.

Likewise. Their reaction changes from a glare of annoyance to a smiling face, sometimes accompanied by a wave back. Acknowledgement of an act of courtesy helps balance the negative image cyclist have, IMO, and it makes you feel all warm inside, too.

Totally agree! I’m not a waver, have done it a couple of times previously, but for all the reasons mentioned previously wouldn’t do it now.

Do you flash drivers on with your headlights? No, not if you’ve read the Highway Code.

So why would you wave them on with your hands?

The decision should be theirs not yours.

Their licence, their decision to overtake, their responsibility.

No harm in acknowledging a motorist’s patience as they pass but I wouldn’t wave anyone through as I don’t know the competence of driver No 1, or if drivers 2-6 will blindly follow on the assumption that they too are being waved through.

I do it, if I feel it’s safe as far as I can see, but they might not have time to make a safe pass by the time they can see up the road. Might reconsider, based on what’s been posted above, though.

I find myself increasingly giving little thanks gestures with my hands to patient drivers who have been behind be for a wee bit, or those who have waited at a junction for me when they could have got out etc.

Feels like I’m giving my dog a little treat…. Good boy, good boy.

I do that, too! 🙂 My thinking is, it’s good PR and people who are receptive to being thanked for their courtesy will go on a little cheerier. And people who just hate cyclists won’t get much sympathy if they complain about being thanked. 🙂

I’ve put a palm up to indicate that it’s NOT safe to pass, by implication when I take that away you could read that it is. And I’ve wave people through.

I find myself increasingly giving little thanks gestures with my hands to patient drivers who have been behind be for a wee bit, or those who have waited at a junction for me when they could have got out etc.

Feels like I’m giving my dog a little treat…. Good boy, good boy.

On the other hand, I say thanks to people who let me out etc even when I’m in my car. A bit of courtesy from one road user to another is always appropriate IMO.

I wave to acknowledge people who’ve given me a thank you gesture when I’ve waited to allow them past on narrow roads. It’s really not all that hard to be nice and friendly on the roads and it makes for a better experience for everybody.

On a related point, my normal reaction to being hooted whilst riding the bike is a friendly wave – disconcerting to aggressive drivers (and at least once it has turned out that I was being hooted because the driver knew me).

Back to the OP: I used to wave cars past, but not so much any more for all the reasons mentioned above. That is totally irrelevant to the behaviour of the second driver though – they were an idiot and would most likely have been an idiot whether or not you waved.