What does the lane change signal mean?
3 Answers
The lane change signal is one of the traffic police hand signals, indicating that vehicles should vacate the designated lane and slow down. The right arm is extended forward with the palm facing left; the right arm swings horizontally to the left. The new eight types of traffic police hand signals are: stop signal, go straight signal, left turn signal, left turn waiting signal, right turn signal, lane change and slow down signal, deceleration and slow down signal, and signal for vehicles to pull over. Additional information: 1. Deceleration and slow down: The right arm is extended forward to the right with the palm facing downward; the right arm and hand 2. Deceleration and slow down signal: The palm swings straight downward, and vehicles should slow down. 3. Signal to pull over: The left arm is extended forward and upward with the palm facing forward; the right arm is extended forward and downward with the palm facing left; the right arm swings horizontally to the left, and vehicles should pull over. 4. Assistance: When traffic police are on duty at night without streetlights, under poor lighting conditions, or during low visibility weather such as rain, snow, fog, dust, or hail, they can use a baton in their right hand to direct traffic according to the above hand signals.
The lane change signal is the signal used when you want to change to the adjacent lane while driving. The most common one is turning on the turn signal to let others know your intention, which can greatly reduce the risk of accidents. I think this is very important because there are many cars on the road. If you suddenly change lanes without signaling, the car behind may rear-end you, or the adjacent car may not have time to avoid. Normally, I turn on the signal a few seconds in advance when driving, check that there are no cars in the rearview mirror, and then change lanes. Especially on the highway, you need to be more careful. In fact, signals are not just lights. Sometimes if the lights are broken, you can also use hand gestures. But from a safety perspective, developing the habit of always using turn signals is the most reliable. I often see some drivers who are too lazy to signal before changing lanes, which can easily cause accidents. I suggest everyone pay more attention to this detail during practice and make it a natural reaction.
When it comes to lane-changing signals, the core lies in that flashing light action before turning the steering wheel - simply put, it's activating your turn signal to inform surrounding vehicles of your intention to change lanes. This may sound trivial but plays a significant role in preventing collisions, such as giving trailing drivers sufficient time to slow down or maintain distance. During my long-haul driving days, this very practice helped me avoid several minor accidents - a simple light flick alerts others to your impending move. Developing this habit requires constant mental reminders: signal before changing lanes, check mirrors, then scan blind spots. On busy urban roads with heavy traffic, this signal becomes particularly crucial - never neglect it out of laziness. Ultimately, treat it as an essential step in daily driving - safety always comes first.
