If you don’t understand what a cyclist means when they stick out their left arm and point toward the sky, don’t worry—some biking hand signals aren’t the most intuitive. Here’s a quick primer on what all that waving means.
LEFT TURN
Left arm pointing straight left
![A man wearing a helmet with his arm outstretched.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2F8x7sonz8wgp8%2F6MkGVKKAso2yQQ2h73bzjz%2F05d87187fcfba3d5783abc2903d85100%2Fleft_signal-article.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
RIGHT TURN
Left arm bent at 90 degrees, fingers pointing skyward
![A man wearing a helmet is waving his hand.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2F8x7sonz8wgp8%2FNvOAAu9OwzZdweyU2737N%2Fdd5fd4c4ad6f41ac2a30391f635f7474%2Fright_signal-article.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
RIGHT TURN (ALTERNATE)
Right arm pointing straight right
![A man wearing a helmet with his arms outstretched.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2F8x7sonz8wgp8%2F3d5JpVjZwBSLOp9v0MtfNE%2Fb0e83f9953992582d85ee1b4c23d8168%2Fright2_signal-article.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
STOP
Left arm bent at 90 degrees, fingers pointing at the ground
![The back of a man wearing a helmet.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2F8x7sonz8wgp8%2F4uGOskB1H4iO4zFdpBELD6%2F4f10c10ce605453ce98ab3723e8b0295%2Fstop_signal-article.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
Passionate about cycling safety?
Read about CAA’s Watch For Bikes program and why you should be adopting the Dutch Reach.
Image credit: Arthur Mount
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