A strange local traffic signal...(indicator for overtaking)

[Samurai]

This Friday I was driving down the beautiful winding road between Madikeri and Virajpet in Coorg district. There was this minitruck driving in front of me at a slow pace. I gunned my Baleno and wanted to overtake him. As I honked him to let him know my intention, he puts on the his right turn signal. I naturally backed off to allow him to take his turn. But I didn't see any turns available to him. It was just me and him and miles of coffee estates on both sides.

I tried again and he again puts his right turn signal, I again backed off. However, he didn't make any attempt to turn right anywhere. By this time I was quite pissed. I waited for a straight stretch without any visible turns. Then I passed him from the right completely ignoring his right turn signal. After some time I end up repeating the same with some other vehicle. I was quite puzzled by this behavior.

Later I discussed this strange behavior with my host who is a coffee estate manager in Coorg. He told me that is supposed to be a yield signal. By putting on the right signal the minitruck was asking me to pass him :***:

My friend said it gets very confusing because you don't know whether to interpret it as right turn or yield signal, one has to purely go by context and gut feel. He has often had close calls because somebody mistook his right turn signal as yield signal. Also he has done the same mistake couple of times.

[z klasse]

Yea its very different. On my way to gujrat, the TN registration trucks had a different signal, the Mh had dfiferent and the GJ had different methods. YOu had to judge by looking at the name plate on what to do.

[Rover]

Hey Samurai

I had similar experiences often. I now realize it is a yield signal whenever it is a reaction to my honk or light signal and no visible right turns.

But what took the cake was hazard lights on at a cross road to indicate going straight.....

[amitoj]

I also noticed something similar when i had taken a bus from Chandigarh to Delhi couple of weeks back. On the four lane divided highway, he was sticking to the right lane most of the time and would turn his left indicator on when overtaking anything, and after overtaking, he would just turn the indicator off. He did this every time he overtook a vehicle. And never moved to the left lane!!

[v12]

Ya these kind oh signals are mostly used on the highways. They normally turn the indicators "on" for almost 3 seconds to let you know that you can pass.

[lamborghini]

Really confusing.
Happened quite a few time on the expressway when we would be overtaking.
At times mistook it that the person in front was going to overtake the person in front of him.
Normally it is 3 blinks and off if i am not mistaken.

[GTO]

Samurai, I have wondered about the stupidity behind this on each and every one of my highway drives.

I dont know the history behind this practice, but would it not be more sensible to use the "left signal"? The problem with the right turn signal is just what you stated - You dont know whether its a "yield" or whether the trucker is going to turn right.

With the left indicator on, you could overtake in both scenarios i.e. whether he wants to turn or is letting you overtake.

GTO

[cheatingdeath]

ya dude its like "overtake me" kindaa signal...used on highways..if the indicator is turned on then usually they will cut the lane as soon as possible...if he maintains his lane its a pass signal

[vivaid]

Guys.. This is a very important Highway Signal and is practised across India on all major highways...generally on the 2-laned w/o divider highways-- the signals and the logic is as follows:

1) You wanna overtake: You honk (generally at day time) - Blink the headlights (High beam - low beam/Upper-dipper - or wotever u may call it) at night

2) Vehicle being overtaken - Starts his Right indicator for a brief moment- say 3-4 blinks - Indicating that he allows you to overtake

3) As you steer to the right to overtake - You are expected to have your left indicator on through out the overtaking manouveur - This is very essentially from the perspective of:
the vehicles being overtaken by you - Indicating to them that you will "Come-in Left" into the lane before them once you have overtaken them

the oncoming vehicles- Indicating that this is an overtaking manouver and that you will be moving to your left i.e The oncoming vehicles right after the overtaking manouver.

I hope i was able to clarify this unwrittenrule of the highways....

cheers

[man23ish]

Yeah, the signalling on the highways is quite different from that in the cities.

While driving or overtaking if a vehicle is approaching you from the front, you turn the high-beams on to signal him to stop until you finish the overtaking process.

If you want him to proceed normally, you blink your lights from high-beam to the low-beam.

[sivadas]

Thanks vivaid, Good explanation.
And normally truck drivers wave their hands to show 'don't overtake' sign.

[lamborghini]

And guys,
Just so you do not confuse the guy in front,
Put the left indicator just before you pass him not before moving into the left lane.

[amitoj]

Ideally, before overtaking, u should turn ur right indicator on as u will be moving right to overtake (assuming u are not overtaking from left) and as u complete passing the vehicle, turn ur left indicator on ONLY if you intend to move into the left lane after overtaking. Most of the times on 4 lane divided highways, one just sticks to the right most lane. No point in turning ur left indicator then.
Basically, an indicator is meant to indicate wot direction u gonna move in in the near future. Thats all.

Amitoj

[Revvhead]

Dude, this is part of the crazy but by now widely used truckers & Buses system

Basic origins are from the standard old india highways which were all 2 lane, incl the Grand Trunk road.
You then had to indulge in the great sport of rulling out quickly to the right to check if there in oncoming traffic, and then floor it and pass before you have a head on

So, now what these guys do (on the HIGHWAY) only , is usde it to tell you the road is all clear ahead for you to make a pass from his left!! even if you cant see what's ahead there.

Usually all the Big trucks and buses use this, sont trust anyone else (and dont trust these guys fully either!!!!), and oddly it does work quite well, and prevents you from making the standard kamikaze moves that you usually might have to employ!!
BAsically take care as indian highways are always waiting to catch you for the slightest drop in concentration!!!
Cheers.

[v_s_natarajan]

Originally Posted by vivaid

Guys.. This is a very important Highway Signal and is practised across India on all major highways...generally on the 2-laned w/o divider highways-- the signals and the logic is as follows:

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I spent the four days travelingin the inreriors of tamil nadu

what Vivuiad says is what is practiced