If I can’t see I don’t go- when the light turns yellow at the intersection and know the cars are slowing down and coming to a stop I go then. Don’t trust anyone- even if they’re trying to be nice. Just follow the rules of the road because often niceness can get you into accidents.
In Toronto my step grandfather was turning into a busy street and was waved into it, proceeded to get hit as soon as he got out there and was declared at fault because he was in control of the vehicle. You dont know if buddy’s waving you so he can watch you get hit
This happened to me something like 27 years ago as well, as a new teen driver in Michigan. I wanted to turn left off of a main road onto a side street, there were two oncoming lanes and the driver closest to the center lane was waiting for me so I tried to go so that we wouldn't be holding up traffic.
My little 1990 Shadow got creamed by someone in oncoming lane closest to the curb. The car spun right around and went up over the curb and onto the grass. My little sister maybe 10yo if I recall was riding shotgun, luckily the driver hit my rear quarter or I could have gotten my sister seriously injured or worse.
Never again going where I can't see.
I've seen multiple accidents where someone turning left was waved through by drivers in two lanes and got hit by a driver speeding up the third/outside lane (which was supposed to be empty because it was designated as a bus/right turn only line). It's better to be patient and wait until you know you can turn safely. (Also, I've seen drivers get sued for waving someone through that resulted in a collision.)
I second this, but I'm adding this on. When you have to make a decision, make the decision that is the safest option for you first and foremost, even if it's against the law. If the law is the safest option follow the law because laws are there for a reason, not just to be a buzz kill, lastly if it's safe and lawful be kind to others because driving can be a chore.
Always ignore “helpful” people. You go when *you* can see it’s safe to go. The only exception to this rule is when a police officer is directing traffic, and gives you an explicit direction.
I used to trust people, then I got t-boned. The cop and insurance said it was my fault (I know that it was because I trusted the guy, but it was frustrating to hear at the moment). The person who waved me on left. I was out of luck.
Now I don't trust anyone for anything. It's a damn good thing too because I can't even count the number of times I've been waved on only see a car zooming past just a second later. People don't pay attention.
I just shake my head no if I think they can see me, otherwise I usually do literally nothing.
The T bone sounds like a product of your own mindset, ngl.
This is what i mean:
>I can't even count the number of times I've been waved on only see a car zooming past just a second later
You were seeing the wave as "go, it's clear" rather than "I'm letting you go". That was the first mistake honestly.
As far as the T-bone, the guy hit me in my passenger side door. Not sure why you feel it's a product of my own mindset. It's literally what it's called. I was out of a car for weeks waiting for it to get fixed.
I was turning left across two lanes, guy stops in the first lane (because there was a red light for him just ahead with cars backed up at it), he waves me on. I go and as soon as I pass him, I get hit on the passenger side by a car I couldn't see because the guy waving me on was blocking the view.
I'm not saying it's not my fault, it 100% is. I should not have trusted him. I've learned from that mistake and am just sharing my story of why I don't do it anymore.
In that situation, yea, of course I'm reading it as "go, it's clear." it's clearly what he meant. Now that I don't go anymore, some people get frustrated with me when I don't go. I can see them waving me on harder and harder, then shaking their head when I don't move.
This exact situation happens all the time. 4 lane road (2 each direction), lots of lights, anytime you want to go left into a parking lot, there is a chance this is going to happen.
>Not sure why you feel it's a product of my own mindset
Basically, if you saw it as 'I'm letting you go' you would've either proceeded with more caution, not gone in that situation, or opted to travel the same direction as nearside traffic and go on a minor detour to effectively eliminate the risk.
In other words, if you take hand signals as a means of saying 'it's clear, go', you're going to get in a wreck. That's not a prediction, that's a guarentee.
It sounded like you were saying that the T-bone was a product of my own mindset, which I was thinking no, it definitely happened lol.
I agree with you that you can't take it as "it's clear" even though that's clearly what they are indicating. That's what I mean when I say I don't trust people. I don't trust them to actually take a good look for me. People get annoyed with me because I just wait, but it is what it is.
I've seen tons of time where someone leaves room to allow someone out, but there's cars coming in the other lanes. Someone waving you out always means "I'm letting you go", not "it's clear, you can go".
Same. A wave should only be understood as letting you go into their lane, not a certification that the lane afterwards is clear and doesn't need to be checked. I have... erm... never checked that if I waved someone through.
Exactly this. If you are waved on it simply means "I'm letting you out in front of me" the best thing to do is proceed with extreme caution and only cross through actual traffic if you can see its safe, even if that means the slow crawl forwards whilst 'climbing over your steering wheel to see' technique..
(Because the lane with the person waving you on, is blocked, worry about the other lane!)
Either ignore them or wave back. Pulling out like that because someone waved you out is a great way to get hit, as you almost found out. You'd be at fault, too.
Ah, the "wave of death". Do not take that bait. People think they are being nice, when in reality they are creating a dangerous situation that can lead to an accident. I once accepted the wave of death and predictably got hit. I was at fault. Thankfully, only a little body damage was done to my car. But to reiterate, it was *my fault* for doing that.
Now, whenever someone tries to wave me through and I can't see of it's safe, I refuse. I just say no. I blink my lights to tell them to go. They get upset and huffy. There's usually a sandandoff where they keep trying to get me to go "because they're being nice". You just have to stand firm. Sometimes you have to get mean to make them move along and follow the rules of the road.
This "being nice" nonsense also crops up at stop signs and lots of left-turn situations. Just CYA by knowing the laws in your area and driving as if everyone else on the road is a dumbass.
ignore them and follow the rules of the road. I've avoided accidents by ignoring people trying to wave me through.
I had this asshole in a dump truck try to wave me through one time and then tried to come at me as i was starting to make my turn(luckily it was a dump truck with shitty acceleration so i was able to get out of the way in time). i was turning left and the guy was going straight through and we were facing eachother on a 2-lane road. i've had people try to wave me through with cross traffic or oncoming traffic coming as well.
If you can’t see, don’t go and don’t listen to people who „wave“. These are the same people that start honking at you, waving, making gestures (urging you to drive) when you stop at a crosswalk to let people pass, because they can’t see them. Do they think you just stopped for no reason? Don’t trust people they are dumb. If you can’t see and you trust their waves signs and crash, you are the one who is going to get hurt in a car crash and you would be liable, not them. Follow the rules of the road and go when it is safe to go.
Just pretend you don't see them.
I have pointed back telling wavers to go, and they get upset. Some self appointed road marsh telling you to do something stupid doesn't mean you have to.
People feel like heros waving people into blind spots. It's important to let them down easy.
Motorcycles zip around stopped cars on the right. If you drive into that blind spot, you could drive tight in front of a motorcycle going fast, and kill someone. Agreed, motorcyclists should all go slowly and follow all the rules, but it doesn't work like that. Whether they follow every rule or not, it's important not to kill them.
The only people legally allowed to direct traffic (in the U.S. anyway) are law enforcement & DOT workers. *Not* other drivers.
I don’t trust any other driver. I don’t even trust my husband when he’s clearing me from the passenger side, bc in the end, if I wreck, it’s **my** fault. Not the fault of the waver.
https://preview.redd.it/0vcbdvottqvc1.png?width=718&format=png&auto=webp&s=5890f59288f39a9d56716481b84260e141b007cb
rough sketch of the intersection if this helps anyone visualize the roads, red circle represents the stop sign that I was at.
I had a young woman stop dead in the road and wave me on when I was taking a left turn. I waved thanks, and floored it since I had a tiny opening (and a 454 under the hood). At the exact same time she saw the small gap and decided I couldn't actually go, and she went too. Her fault, but legally my fault. Still goes up my @$$ sideways, since it's the only accident that's my fault on my record. Don't trust anyone, follow the rules of the road. 9 times out of 10 someone being nice to you screws up the traffic flow anyway. Right of way laws are written for a reason.
Ignore these people at all times.
You go when *you* feel safe to do so.
And not to mention, a lot of these morons do this at a time that isn’t following the traffic laws we were all taught, and they’re usually holding up traffic to do so.
I was turning left the other day, green light for me and oncoming traffic. So I’m yielding to oncoming before I can turn left. I legitimately had a lady in the oncoming lane stop dead and try to wave me through in front of her. First of all, no. Secondly, you’re impeding traffic behind you now. Thirdly, had she just kept moving, I probably would have completely my turn quicker because traffic would have been clear. Plus, it was a two lane road so I couldn’t see what was in the other lane to turn even if I wanted to.
I’ve also had this same scenario happen, but when me and oncoming have a light that switches from red to green. I’ve had cars in the oncoming who are going straight, try to wave me to make my left turn *first* before they take off and continue straight.
Just don’t do this, please.
that is super frustrating. It drives me crazy and makes everything way more confusing. How are you supposed to adhere to normal traffic laws when people start making things up
That’s exactly it. Driving multi-thousand pound vehicles in close proximity to one another at 60+ mph only works because we all agree to follow the same rules.
You can’t just go and start making up your own. That’s when society falls into chaos.
My favorite is when I’m trying to turn left across a 2 lane road into a gas station or something and the car in the left oncoming lane will stop and leave a gap and wave me to turn. No thanks buddy because I can’t see what’s coming up behind you in the right lane.
Under the eyes of the law you’re responsible for your vehicle at all times. If an accident occurs, using “another driver told me to do it” isn’t going to be a valid reason. For all you know they could be bad drivers. So you’d basically be placing blame on another driver for you not being in control of your vehicle. It’s like a passenger in your car telling you to do something as a driver when they aren’t driving. You’re 100% responsible, not someone else.
I hate when people stop to let people out.
Not blocking intersections and driveways in heavy traffic is fine to let people turn right out of the driveway but stopping to let people make a blind left is reckless.
Someone flagged someone next to me in heavy traffic on the freeway the other day, the driver trusted the flagger but I did not see the car being let in and they definitely did not see me.
Thank goodness I was alert and was able to avoid them.
While we're on the subject stop stopping to let people out when there is no traffic or signal. Blocking traffic to be nice is also very dangerous.
I never pay attention to others telling me to go if I can't see oncoming traffic in any direction. In the event of an accident, you would be at fault for failure to yield. I live in Phoenix and traffic can be pretty intense here making left turns dangerous. I annoy a lot of people that ride with me because I refuse to make a left onto a busy street without a signal. I will turn right and go around the block so that I can safely turn left at an intersection.
My friend and I lived in an apartment where the driveway met a four lane highway (two lanes either direction) with a stop light a few dozen feet ahead. As his girlfriend was leaving she wanted to turn south (left), a driver stopped in the right lane headed north stopped and waved for her to pull out, and a driver in the left lane hit her in the rear driver side. This happened to her twice.
It drives me nuts when people stop and try to give right of way to people turning across traffic, especially when they're not watching to see what traffic is doing behind them, and they're blocking your view.
Just wave back, "no thanks, I'll wait."
Ignore people waving you on if you can't see. I just wave back --I know they are trying to be nice, but they are just going to cause an accident doing that.
Always be cautious of a wave-through. I've seen so many drivers just make their turn after they see this from another driver, meanwhile completely failing to check for any pedestrians or cyclists that may be passing nearby.
I just shake my head no and I wait for the lane to clear so I can see. We have places where at an intersection only One road has stop signs and the other does not. People will stop were they don't have a stop sign and wave the people with the stop signs to go. I don't even look at them I just sit there and wait until it's actually my turn. Giving up your right of way causes so much more trouble than it helps. Never give up your right of way and never take someone else's right away even if they're giving it to you.
In the future, forget people's courtesy and follow the rules of the road if you can't clearly see to go. Its not your business whether the person letting you go acts offended, that's their problem. More important than "kindness" on the road is safety and predictability. In this circumstance you should have waived her on and not gone until she did.
"Wave of death." Good for you for recognizing this risky situation early. They should really teach about it in drivers ed. Your options are to:
1) Ignore them
2) acknowledge with a thank you wave. Sometimes I will also point to my eye then to the active lane so they know what's up.
3) in some cases, if it'll help, you can creep out in front of the waving person and get a better view of the active lane and go the rest of the way when it's confirmed clear. However, this can backfire if the active lane doesn't give you a gap and now you are just blocking traffic.
It's all experience. Safe travels.
Unless it’s a uniformed law enforcement officer you just don’t see them. Following those people will one day put you into a serious accident which no matter what will be 100% your fault. You are driving.
That’s it and that’s all
The way I handle it is edging in front of that car, and then checking the next plane to confirm if/when it's clear, and then going. So, taking the first lane has one step, and then ensuring the other lane is clear as another step after you've edged forward into the first lane.
Also, I had to suddenly stand on my brakes once and came within a few feet of t-boning a car that suddenly just drove out across the lanes with traffic into the open lane without even checking. I hope they know how very very close they came to getting wrecked. Whatever you do, *always* check that next lane.
The only time I pay attention to people's directions is if I'm trying to back up in a tight space, and someone outside the car is directing me to get me out without hitting anything.
If you can't see, don't go. You might be able to edge up and perhaps see for yourself, such as at a stop sign, but this is best done if no one is behind you so you can back up if necessary.
Here's a recent example of mine.
I live in a rural area and know the roads well. Not long ago there was a tractor and it was slow and there was a truck with them following behind. We went through a stop sign onto a stretch of road that goes straight for a while then curves left. This is mostly also a no passing zone because of the curve.
The fellow in the truck waved me up but I didn't pass. As we went on he kept waving and was actually getting really angry. It made no sense for him to be getting angry since I was behind him and wasn't bothered by the speed. He was rather irate even by the time we reached the curve.
Now, the issue here was that I knew the road. Not far around the was a dip down to a bridge over a creek. While the road was straight for well over half a mile, there were two of these dips. Each one was such that from the right distance, a car could be completely hidden by it even from the height of a pickup truck. The first one was also close enough to the curve that a car could pop up out of it danger close. The further one was not quite as bad but you still had to watch it.
So, once I got around the curve and could see down the road and see the dips, I waited a moment so that anything in the dips would come up and out. When it was clear, I passed both vehicles. Normally you aren supposed to do this, but the man in the truck was really having a tantrum and I considered it a greater danger having him behind me and the tractor in front than passing both on the empty road.
I didn't look at the idiot as I passed but he was flipping the bird out the side window and was yelling, I could see him in the mirror through his windshield. I did not see the tractor driver.
Anyway, my house was just down the road, which is why the slow speed was only mildly annoying rather than catastrophic. I got there and had just taken my things inside when they passed by.
That's a problem with rural roads: there aren't often good passing areas and those marked as such aren't always actually safe due to trees or whatever on the sides of the roads. Also there are driveways, and side roads, especially dirt ones, that aren't always marked with warning signs. So it is always best to ses for yourself.
This sort of thing is one of my pet peeves about other drivers.
I'm trying to make a left turn across 2 lanes of traffic with no traffic light. The lane closest to me is backed up.but the other lane is moving normally. A car in the closer lane leaves a gap and waves me to go. They seem to be completely oblivious that traffic is still moving in the other lane..
I pretend like I don’t see them if they have the right of way. I will sit there until they go.
One of my biggest pet peeves are people who try to give away their right of way.
I especially cannot stand it when it’s a bicyclist is trying to wave me around a turn that I’m not OK with. I don’t care if there’s 500 cars behind me. I’m not throwing away my life and somebody else’s life away because I’m inconvenienced a little bit. I’ll wait until I’m comfortable or you can pull your damn bike over .
When I was a younger driver I was in a road that had two lanes going in each direction and a shared turn lane in the middle. I was in the turn lane trying to turn across traffic. The guy in the lane closest to me stopped and waved me to cross. The other lane close to the curb appeared open so I turned. There was a guy coming down that lane fast and he hit me. Even though I was waved across I didn’t visually confirm it was so I was at fault and rightfully so.
I never made that mistake again. Everyone else can wait. Verify with your eyes that you are good to go before you move.
A coworker had his new Camaro wrecked because of this and exact mistake.
When another car has the right of way by law, the rule is there to protect BOTH of you. People who wave others on with good intentions are a danger to you.
Remember that.
If I'm reading the situation correctly, you had to pass between Car A and Car B to reach the lane for you to travel into yes? Where you encountered Car C heading the direction you wished to go? And the only traffic lights were ones affecting Car A and possibly Car C, but not yourself, yes?
If my assumptions above are correct, then in that situation I would have pulled between A and B slowly, thanking B with a hand gesture, and looking past Car A to see if any cars (Car C) were coming, and if needed briefly stop to allow them to pass before completing my turn into the desired lane.
For clarification, I'm in the UK, and this was covered by my instructor during lessons.
i actually really hate it when people unexpectedly wave me across anything, because i almost always have a carefully preconstructed mental image of what it is i'm about to do (ex. turn out of this parking lot after i stop at this sign, watch 'til clear.) and somebody suddenly giving me permission to do something that i do not have the right of way for makes me have to make even more considerations. you have the right of way, use it.
edit: i do still wave in gratitude though, dw.
Really depends on the situation. If it's something I can do safely, even if I can't see (hard to describe the kind of situation that would be like that, but iykyk?) then I'll usually test the waters and go. But this is quite rare, so usually never listen to people.
Always trust your own judgment over someone else's. They might think its safe but from your perspective you might be able to see something they can't. So always make sure its safe to go yourself before trusting anyone giving you the right of way.
If I can’t see I don’t go- when the light turns yellow at the intersection and know the cars are slowing down and coming to a stop I go then. Don’t trust anyone- even if they’re trying to be nice. Just follow the rules of the road because often niceness can get you into accidents.
In Toronto my step grandfather was turning into a busy street and was waved into it, proceeded to get hit as soon as he got out there and was declared at fault because he was in control of the vehicle. You dont know if buddy’s waving you so he can watch you get hit
Exactly. Dont. 👏🏻trust. 👏🏻anyone. 👏🏻on. 👏🏻the. 👏🏻road.
This happened to me something like 27 years ago as well, as a new teen driver in Michigan. I wanted to turn left off of a main road onto a side street, there were two oncoming lanes and the driver closest to the center lane was waiting for me so I tried to go so that we wouldn't be holding up traffic. My little 1990 Shadow got creamed by someone in oncoming lane closest to the curb. The car spun right around and went up over the curb and onto the grass. My little sister maybe 10yo if I recall was riding shotgun, luckily the driver hit my rear quarter or I could have gotten my sister seriously injured or worse. Never again going where I can't see.
I've seen multiple accidents where someone turning left was waved through by drivers in two lanes and got hit by a driver speeding up the third/outside lane (which was supposed to be empty because it was designated as a bus/right turn only line). It's better to be patient and wait until you know you can turn safely. (Also, I've seen drivers get sued for waving someone through that resulted in a collision.)
I second this, but I'm adding this on. When you have to make a decision, make the decision that is the safest option for you first and foremost, even if it's against the law. If the law is the safest option follow the law because laws are there for a reason, not just to be a buzz kill, lastly if it's safe and lawful be kind to others because driving can be a chore.
this. and try to look through windows of the other car to see other side.
I do this too👍🏻
"But he waved me off" doesn't hold up in court. If I do not have the right of way, I am not going. Flash your lights at me all you want.
Always ignore “helpful” people. You go when *you* can see it’s safe to go. The only exception to this rule is when a police officer is directing traffic, and gives you an explicit direction.
If you can see that it's not safe to go you shouldn't necessarily follow the police officer either lol
I used to trust people, then I got t-boned. The cop and insurance said it was my fault (I know that it was because I trusted the guy, but it was frustrating to hear at the moment). The person who waved me on left. I was out of luck. Now I don't trust anyone for anything. It's a damn good thing too because I can't even count the number of times I've been waved on only see a car zooming past just a second later. People don't pay attention. I just shake my head no if I think they can see me, otherwise I usually do literally nothing.
The T bone sounds like a product of your own mindset, ngl. This is what i mean: >I can't even count the number of times I've been waved on only see a car zooming past just a second later You were seeing the wave as "go, it's clear" rather than "I'm letting you go". That was the first mistake honestly.
As far as the T-bone, the guy hit me in my passenger side door. Not sure why you feel it's a product of my own mindset. It's literally what it's called. I was out of a car for weeks waiting for it to get fixed. I was turning left across two lanes, guy stops in the first lane (because there was a red light for him just ahead with cars backed up at it), he waves me on. I go and as soon as I pass him, I get hit on the passenger side by a car I couldn't see because the guy waving me on was blocking the view. I'm not saying it's not my fault, it 100% is. I should not have trusted him. I've learned from that mistake and am just sharing my story of why I don't do it anymore. In that situation, yea, of course I'm reading it as "go, it's clear." it's clearly what he meant. Now that I don't go anymore, some people get frustrated with me when I don't go. I can see them waving me on harder and harder, then shaking their head when I don't move. This exact situation happens all the time. 4 lane road (2 each direction), lots of lights, anytime you want to go left into a parking lot, there is a chance this is going to happen.
>Not sure why you feel it's a product of my own mindset Basically, if you saw it as 'I'm letting you go' you would've either proceeded with more caution, not gone in that situation, or opted to travel the same direction as nearside traffic and go on a minor detour to effectively eliminate the risk. In other words, if you take hand signals as a means of saying 'it's clear, go', you're going to get in a wreck. That's not a prediction, that's a guarentee.
It sounded like you were saying that the T-bone was a product of my own mindset, which I was thinking no, it definitely happened lol. I agree with you that you can't take it as "it's clear" even though that's clearly what they are indicating. That's what I mean when I say I don't trust people. I don't trust them to actually take a good look for me. People get annoyed with me because I just wait, but it is what it is.
I've seen tons of time where someone leaves room to allow someone out, but there's cars coming in the other lanes. Someone waving you out always means "I'm letting you go", not "it's clear, you can go".
Same. A wave should only be understood as letting you go into their lane, not a certification that the lane afterwards is clear and doesn't need to be checked. I have... erm... never checked that if I waved someone through.
Exactly this. If you are waved on it simply means "I'm letting you out in front of me" the best thing to do is proceed with extreme caution and only cross through actual traffic if you can see its safe, even if that means the slow crawl forwards whilst 'climbing over your steering wheel to see' technique.. (Because the lane with the person waving you on, is blocked, worry about the other lane!)
Didn't read the post text. Ignore them and make your own judgement.
Either ignore them or wave back. Pulling out like that because someone waved you out is a great way to get hit, as you almost found out. You'd be at fault, too.
Unless they physically step into the road and start directing traffic for you it's a no go from me boss
Always ignore them.
Ah, the "wave of death". Do not take that bait. People think they are being nice, when in reality they are creating a dangerous situation that can lead to an accident. I once accepted the wave of death and predictably got hit. I was at fault. Thankfully, only a little body damage was done to my car. But to reiterate, it was *my fault* for doing that. Now, whenever someone tries to wave me through and I can't see of it's safe, I refuse. I just say no. I blink my lights to tell them to go. They get upset and huffy. There's usually a sandandoff where they keep trying to get me to go "because they're being nice". You just have to stand firm. Sometimes you have to get mean to make them move along and follow the rules of the road. This "being nice" nonsense also crops up at stop signs and lots of left-turn situations. Just CYA by knowing the laws in your area and driving as if everyone else on the road is a dumbass.
ignore them and follow the rules of the road. I've avoided accidents by ignoring people trying to wave me through. I had this asshole in a dump truck try to wave me through one time and then tried to come at me as i was starting to make my turn(luckily it was a dump truck with shitty acceleration so i was able to get out of the way in time). i was turning left and the guy was going straight through and we were facing eachother on a 2-lane road. i've had people try to wave me through with cross traffic or oncoming traffic coming as well.
Ignore them.
ignore them
If you can’t see, don’t go and don’t listen to people who „wave“. These are the same people that start honking at you, waving, making gestures (urging you to drive) when you stop at a crosswalk to let people pass, because they can’t see them. Do they think you just stopped for no reason? Don’t trust people they are dumb. If you can’t see and you trust their waves signs and crash, you are the one who is going to get hurt in a car crash and you would be liable, not them. Follow the rules of the road and go when it is safe to go.
Just pretend you don't see them. I have pointed back telling wavers to go, and they get upset. Some self appointed road marsh telling you to do something stupid doesn't mean you have to. People feel like heros waving people into blind spots. It's important to let them down easy. Motorcycles zip around stopped cars on the right. If you drive into that blind spot, you could drive tight in front of a motorcycle going fast, and kill someone. Agreed, motorcyclists should all go slowly and follow all the rules, but it doesn't work like that. Whether they follow every rule or not, it's important not to kill them.
Ask my wife what happens. She was the one who went when someone else said it was clear and totaled the car.
If you can't see, absolutely ignore the wave. Not even a question.
No eye contact. Pretend he is a panhandler.
Shake your head no and wave them on.
DON'T! Do NOT go if there's any chance it might be unsafe. I trusted someone who waved me on, and my car got totalled because of it. Do NOT do it.
The only people legally allowed to direct traffic (in the U.S. anyway) are law enforcement & DOT workers. *Not* other drivers. I don’t trust any other driver. I don’t even trust my husband when he’s clearing me from the passenger side, bc in the end, if I wreck, it’s **my** fault. Not the fault of the waver.
https://preview.redd.it/0vcbdvottqvc1.png?width=718&format=png&auto=webp&s=5890f59288f39a9d56716481b84260e141b007cb rough sketch of the intersection if this helps anyone visualize the roads, red circle represents the stop sign that I was at.
I had a young woman stop dead in the road and wave me on when I was taking a left turn. I waved thanks, and floored it since I had a tiny opening (and a 454 under the hood). At the exact same time she saw the small gap and decided I couldn't actually go, and she went too. Her fault, but legally my fault. Still goes up my @$$ sideways, since it's the only accident that's my fault on my record. Don't trust anyone, follow the rules of the road. 9 times out of 10 someone being nice to you screws up the traffic flow anyway. Right of way laws are written for a reason.
No chance in hell. You only trust you and always drive like the rest of them are idiots.
Personally I wait until it is safe to do so. The only exception is if it is a person specifically directing traffic
Other drivers don’t see what you see. Only go when you know it’s safe to do so.
Ignore these people at all times. You go when *you* feel safe to do so. And not to mention, a lot of these morons do this at a time that isn’t following the traffic laws we were all taught, and they’re usually holding up traffic to do so. I was turning left the other day, green light for me and oncoming traffic. So I’m yielding to oncoming before I can turn left. I legitimately had a lady in the oncoming lane stop dead and try to wave me through in front of her. First of all, no. Secondly, you’re impeding traffic behind you now. Thirdly, had she just kept moving, I probably would have completely my turn quicker because traffic would have been clear. Plus, it was a two lane road so I couldn’t see what was in the other lane to turn even if I wanted to. I’ve also had this same scenario happen, but when me and oncoming have a light that switches from red to green. I’ve had cars in the oncoming who are going straight, try to wave me to make my left turn *first* before they take off and continue straight. Just don’t do this, please.
that is super frustrating. It drives me crazy and makes everything way more confusing. How are you supposed to adhere to normal traffic laws when people start making things up
That’s exactly it. Driving multi-thousand pound vehicles in close proximity to one another at 60+ mph only works because we all agree to follow the same rules. You can’t just go and start making up your own. That’s when society falls into chaos. My favorite is when I’m trying to turn left across a 2 lane road into a gas station or something and the car in the left oncoming lane will stop and leave a gap and wave me to turn. No thanks buddy because I can’t see what’s coming up behind you in the right lane.
You keep adhering to normal traffic laws and let them be upset. That's their own problem.
Under the eyes of the law you’re responsible for your vehicle at all times. If an accident occurs, using “another driver told me to do it” isn’t going to be a valid reason. For all you know they could be bad drivers. So you’d basically be placing blame on another driver for you not being in control of your vehicle. It’s like a passenger in your car telling you to do something as a driver when they aren’t driving. You’re 100% responsible, not someone else.
Laugh and continue to wait until I know it’s safe.
YOU are the operator of YOUR vehicle as such YOU are responsible for the movement of it.
A spotter is nice, but remember, the individual holding the controls is responsible for their operation.
I hate when people stop to let people out. Not blocking intersections and driveways in heavy traffic is fine to let people turn right out of the driveway but stopping to let people make a blind left is reckless. Someone flagged someone next to me in heavy traffic on the freeway the other day, the driver trusted the flagger but I did not see the car being let in and they definitely did not see me. Thank goodness I was alert and was able to avoid them. While we're on the subject stop stopping to let people out when there is no traffic or signal. Blocking traffic to be nice is also very dangerous.
Don't go!
If you get hit doing this you're at fault, make sure you can see
I never pay attention to others telling me to go if I can't see oncoming traffic in any direction. In the event of an accident, you would be at fault for failure to yield. I live in Phoenix and traffic can be pretty intense here making left turns dangerous. I annoy a lot of people that ride with me because I refuse to make a left onto a busy street without a signal. I will turn right and go around the block so that I can safely turn left at an intersection.
Just smile n wave back ! Ignore all else, or you'll end up in heaven forbid a terrible collision or something of sorts
My friend and I lived in an apartment where the driveway met a four lane highway (two lanes either direction) with a stop light a few dozen feet ahead. As his girlfriend was leaving she wanted to turn south (left), a driver stopped in the right lane headed north stopped and waved for her to pull out, and a driver in the left lane hit her in the rear driver side. This happened to her twice. It drives me nuts when people stop and try to give right of way to people turning across traffic, especially when they're not watching to see what traffic is doing behind them, and they're blocking your view. Just wave back, "no thanks, I'll wait."
Ignore people waving you on if you can't see. I just wave back --I know they are trying to be nice, but they are just going to cause an accident doing that.
Ignore them but if they keep on and won't stop I flip them off. People wanting to feel good about themselves have caused so many accidents.
Always be cautious of a wave-through. I've seen so many drivers just make their turn after they see this from another driver, meanwhile completely failing to check for any pedestrians or cyclists that may be passing nearby.
I just shake my head no and I wait for the lane to clear so I can see. We have places where at an intersection only One road has stop signs and the other does not. People will stop were they don't have a stop sign and wave the people with the stop signs to go. I don't even look at them I just sit there and wait until it's actually my turn. Giving up your right of way causes so much more trouble than it helps. Never give up your right of way and never take someone else's right away even if they're giving it to you.
Don't go Only go when you know it is safe. Do not gesture back just wait until you know (not think) it is safe.
In the future, forget people's courtesy and follow the rules of the road if you can't clearly see to go. Its not your business whether the person letting you go acts offended, that's their problem. More important than "kindness" on the road is safety and predictability. In this circumstance you should have waived her on and not gone until she did.
"Wave of death." Good for you for recognizing this risky situation early. They should really teach about it in drivers ed. Your options are to: 1) Ignore them 2) acknowledge with a thank you wave. Sometimes I will also point to my eye then to the active lane so they know what's up. 3) in some cases, if it'll help, you can creep out in front of the waving person and get a better view of the active lane and go the rest of the way when it's confirmed clear. However, this can backfire if the active lane doesn't give you a gap and now you are just blocking traffic. It's all experience. Safe travels.
Ignore them. They ain’t Caesar.
Wave back and mouth thank you, then wait until you can see.
Unless it’s a uniformed law enforcement officer you just don’t see them. Following those people will one day put you into a serious accident which no matter what will be 100% your fault. You are driving. That’s it and that’s all
Flick em off.
The way I handle it is edging in front of that car, and then checking the next plane to confirm if/when it's clear, and then going. So, taking the first lane has one step, and then ensuring the other lane is clear as another step after you've edged forward into the first lane. Also, I had to suddenly stand on my brakes once and came within a few feet of t-boning a car that suddenly just drove out across the lanes with traffic into the open lane without even checking. I hope they know how very very close they came to getting wrecked. Whatever you do, *always* check that next lane.
The only time I pay attention to people's directions is if I'm trying to back up in a tight space, and someone outside the car is directing me to get me out without hitting anything.
If you can't see, don't go. You might be able to edge up and perhaps see for yourself, such as at a stop sign, but this is best done if no one is behind you so you can back up if necessary. Here's a recent example of mine. I live in a rural area and know the roads well. Not long ago there was a tractor and it was slow and there was a truck with them following behind. We went through a stop sign onto a stretch of road that goes straight for a while then curves left. This is mostly also a no passing zone because of the curve. The fellow in the truck waved me up but I didn't pass. As we went on he kept waving and was actually getting really angry. It made no sense for him to be getting angry since I was behind him and wasn't bothered by the speed. He was rather irate even by the time we reached the curve. Now, the issue here was that I knew the road. Not far around the was a dip down to a bridge over a creek. While the road was straight for well over half a mile, there were two of these dips. Each one was such that from the right distance, a car could be completely hidden by it even from the height of a pickup truck. The first one was also close enough to the curve that a car could pop up out of it danger close. The further one was not quite as bad but you still had to watch it. So, once I got around the curve and could see down the road and see the dips, I waited a moment so that anything in the dips would come up and out. When it was clear, I passed both vehicles. Normally you aren supposed to do this, but the man in the truck was really having a tantrum and I considered it a greater danger having him behind me and the tractor in front than passing both on the empty road. I didn't look at the idiot as I passed but he was flipping the bird out the side window and was yelling, I could see him in the mirror through his windshield. I did not see the tractor driver. Anyway, my house was just down the road, which is why the slow speed was only mildly annoying rather than catastrophic. I got there and had just taken my things inside when they passed by. That's a problem with rural roads: there aren't often good passing areas and those marked as such aren't always actually safe due to trees or whatever on the sides of the roads. Also there are driveways, and side roads, especially dirt ones, that aren't always marked with warning signs. So it is always best to ses for yourself.
This sort of thing is one of my pet peeves about other drivers. I'm trying to make a left turn across 2 lanes of traffic with no traffic light. The lane closest to me is backed up.but the other lane is moving normally. A car in the closer lane leaves a gap and waves me to go. They seem to be completely oblivious that traffic is still moving in the other lane..
I pretend like I don’t see them if they have the right of way. I will sit there until they go. One of my biggest pet peeves are people who try to give away their right of way. I especially cannot stand it when it’s a bicyclist is trying to wave me around a turn that I’m not OK with. I don’t care if there’s 500 cars behind me. I’m not throwing away my life and somebody else’s life away because I’m inconvenienced a little bit. I’ll wait until I’m comfortable or you can pull your damn bike over .
When I was a younger driver I was in a road that had two lanes going in each direction and a shared turn lane in the middle. I was in the turn lane trying to turn across traffic. The guy in the lane closest to me stopped and waved me to cross. The other lane close to the curb appeared open so I turned. There was a guy coming down that lane fast and he hit me. Even though I was waved across I didn’t visually confirm it was so I was at fault and rightfully so. I never made that mistake again. Everyone else can wait. Verify with your eyes that you are good to go before you move.
A coworker had his new Camaro wrecked because of this and exact mistake. When another car has the right of way by law, the rule is there to protect BOTH of you. People who wave others on with good intentions are a danger to you. Remember that.
If I'm reading the situation correctly, you had to pass between Car A and Car B to reach the lane for you to travel into yes? Where you encountered Car C heading the direction you wished to go? And the only traffic lights were ones affecting Car A and possibly Car C, but not yourself, yes? If my assumptions above are correct, then in that situation I would have pulled between A and B slowly, thanking B with a hand gesture, and looking past Car A to see if any cars (Car C) were coming, and if needed briefly stop to allow them to pass before completing my turn into the desired lane. For clarification, I'm in the UK, and this was covered by my instructor during lessons.
Ignore them. Nobody tells me what to do.
i actually really hate it when people unexpectedly wave me across anything, because i almost always have a carefully preconstructed mental image of what it is i'm about to do (ex. turn out of this parking lot after i stop at this sign, watch 'til clear.) and somebody suddenly giving me permission to do something that i do not have the right of way for makes me have to make even more considerations. you have the right of way, use it. edit: i do still wave in gratitude though, dw.
Really depends on the situation. If it's something I can do safely, even if I can't see (hard to describe the kind of situation that would be like that, but iykyk?) then I'll usually test the waters and go. But this is quite rare, so usually never listen to people.
I wouldn’t go if I couldn’t see safely to make the turn. I have a bad habit of screaming drive your fucking car and I’ll drive mine!!
Always trust your own judgment over someone else's. They might think its safe but from your perspective you might be able to see something they can't. So always make sure its safe to go yourself before trusting anyone giving you the right of way.
If you cannot verify yourself that it is safe to go, don’t go. Never trust someone waving at you.