This question from seven years ago asks about turn signal lights for bicycles, but the consensus seemed to be that it's better to just use arm signals. What if it's not possible to safely do this? My kickscooter is way too twitchy to steer with one hand, but I would like to be able to signal properly.
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2Try slowing down, to decrease the twitchiness and improve the handling. You're about to turn anyway.– Criggie ♦Commented Aug 24, 2021 at 8:30
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Looking over you shoulder then where you want to go, while sticking an elbow out, will be as obvious to a driver who will see a hand signal, as a hand signal. If a driver misses those clues, you better not turn in front of him no matter what signal you use.– mattnzCommented Aug 24, 2021 at 8:46
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The left hand behind your back pointing right when you're using the right brake lever. Or the other way round.– CarelCommented Aug 24, 2021 at 9:02
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1Hate to be a killjoy, but I'm not sure this scooter sounds road-safe. Is this normal for scooters? Do people normally learn to indicate with hand signals on them? It can take a bit of time to get the hang of it on a bike.– Clumsy catCommented Aug 24, 2021 at 9:20
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@Clumsycat Yes, it's normal for scooters because of physics. A lot of what keeps a bike stable is the angular momentum of the wheels. Smaller diameter = much less angular momentum. This is also part of why scooters have much faster acceleration than bikes from a stop.– Elizabeth HenningCommented Aug 24, 2021 at 15:46
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2 Answers
Electronic turn signals seem to be commercially available, I found some listed by searching for "bicycle turn signal light". Still, I think folks are rarely going to regard an electronic signal since it's not common enough for them to be in the habit of looking, bright sunlight would probably reduce its effectiveness, etc. I suggest not to rely on signaling being observed or understood to keep out of danger; it's nice to have, but more fundamental traffic participation behavior should be used to establish safety boundaries depending on the rider's comfort level, risk/danger evaluation of a given physical environment and dynamic traffic situation, etc.
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I'm inclined to agree, and I am very attentive to what's going on. But it would be nice to signal, plus I'm a little concerned about getting a ticket in this municipality if I don't. Commented Aug 24, 2021 at 15:56
The only alternative I see are turn signals, but it doesn't look like there are 'established' products. A search in a online shop would give you plenty of references, (online) bike shops seem to ignore them though.
Some are small lights that you can install on your seat tube, helmet or bag pack, some are integrated to jackets and display big arrows on the jacket or lights that you install on end of the handle bar. All feature a remote that you install on the handle bar.
The only ones that stand out for me are the ones showing arrows in the jackets ...if they can be visible in day light (I'm not posting link as I don't have any personal reference, and it seems that most are same products sold from unknown/ephemeral brands). The rest is too small to be able to clearly show a direction and/or may not clearly distinguished from other lights that can exist in an urban environment. As a driver, I would not think to look at biker's helmets to see if there are turn indicators, so I'd rule out also the ones on helmets.
