Waving to oncoming traffic

I have one hand on the top of the wheel and raise a finger or to so do not commit this dangerous manoeuvre of taking my hand off the wheel - unless it is really important to do so like answering my mobile or changing maps on my laptop.

Andrew

What is so dangerous about waving to anyone.
You have to remove one hand from the wheel to do many tasks required while driving. Are these also dangerous ?
Changing gear,
Winding down the window,
Changing the radio / CD
Changing the settings on heater / AC
Just to mention a few.
To wave to oncomming traffic need not require removing your hand from the wheel, but just lifting a few fingers to let others know that you have seen there greeting.
If you don't want to, then don't, the world will still turn, but some of us will continue to greet our fellow man. Some of us may even smile every now and again
IMHO
Vince

how are you meant to change gears in a manual then?

Go the wave I say, every little bit of good cheer we can spread to a like minded soul has got to be a good thing........

I dont believe this thread...

"How does an impact of 220 kmh sound to you?"
Waving is no different to changing gears. Split second on either.

How do you Open/Close a window?
How do you drop/raise the sunvisor?
How do you call or answer the UHF?
How do you change the radio station?
How do you turn the demister on/off?
and about 50 other things.
ESP?

Gawd...

yeah right!!!!

Hey Fellas' I think Equinox means the whole family shouldn't do a mexican wave as cars go past, Yeah that could be a problem, But if he thinks just a movement of the hand is a problem, maybe he could find an old truck with one of those metal hand they used to use on trucks for indicating turns 40 years ago, bolt it to the door... hey that might be the go... Hhhmmm , how does he change the cd?????

"Now though, as I'm getting a bit older and place a bit more value on my life..."

It's interesting that as people get older, they get a different perspective on a lot of things and thought patterns do change. I know that there's a lot of stuff I did when I was 21 that I wouldn't do now that I'm 41. I think it was about 1985 when I hired a V8 Calais in Melbourne and tore up the Hume Highway, at over 170km/h, to get to Sydney in record time. Lucky the cops stopped me when I was doing a leisurely 130km/h in a 110 zone. I think of that now and shudder at what could have been.

I know what you mean though. The issue you raise is taking a hand off the wheel when there is oncoming traffic, usually at a very high closing speed, is not an ideal situation.

Waving to oncoming traffic I don't see as a big problem. Just a little wave is fine IF the circumstances and road conditions are appropriate.

It's not as though you half jump out of the driver's window with both arms and greet the oncoming vehicle like it was a childhood sweetheart.

Cheers,
Savvas

I don't mind waving when traffic is very infrequent, but there are some roads where there are hundreds of oncoming vehicles extending the greeting (French Line, CSR etc). I was recently overwhelmed with oncoming cars waving at me and I realised I had the GPS stuck to the windscreen in a position where it looked a very enthusiastic wave from me to them (I fixed that pretty fast).
Just a few points of etiquette - don't bother waving to road trains (you are too busy steering around roadside obstacles for this nicety, and they don't wave back anyway), don't bother waving to conventional vehicles (I don't know why, but I just don't), don't wave at vehicles approaching on gravel roads at high speed (you need to have a hand on the glass to absorb the shock of stone impact), and finally, don't wave if you have lost control of the vehicle (the oncoming driver is usually too shocked to return the gesture).
We recently drove from near Marla to 80 mile Beach via GBH, SBJT and Desert Rd and Wapet Rd. We hadn't seen another vehicle for several thousand kms and when we finally passed another car I waved quite enthusiastically. He ignored us :-(

equinox! as has been asked above....How do you pick your nose while driving...or more politely...what about that itch ?
you dont really expect us to believe that you pull over and stop the car...
come now.....spill the beans
is it 1/4/2005?

what about the smokers of this world - don't tell me that doesn't take differing levels of effort whilst driving.
Anyone ever knocked the end off a ciggie and had it fall between their legs ?

I live in the NW of WA and often travel an extraordinary amount of km's before another vehicle approaches. Most people wave which is a wonderful thing, but I rarely reciprocate as by then I've found the most comfortable driving position that I can (which doesn't usually require 2 hands on the wheel either I'll admit) and it's just too much of an inconvenience (yeah I know) to move just for a wave. The cheese, if awake, usually slaps me and I end up moving anyway so it's probably a bit pointless. Of course I'll wave should I be in a proper driving position though and
I'll always try CH 40 just in case they're on that but otherwise they're forgotten until the next wagon comes along.

Done the ciggy between the legs a few times. And what about getting the hot tip stuck between your fingers trying to pull the fag out of your cakehole when it has stuck to your lips. Now that takes serious concentration.
Bros.

What about those smokers who roll their own - you need to become quite adept at steering with your knees!

Not for a minute suggesting that I'd do such a thing...;-)

My next door neighbour has similar views to Equinox..We argue all the time about his padantic ways....
When he mows the front lawn he wears safty shoes, safety glasses, hard hat, ear muffs, overalls, gloves and a dust mask and his mower is a powerless push along style with a lawn the size of a standard loungeroom...

Sometimes people go way overboard with their ideas but i believe they actually think they are doing the right thing....

I dont think taking one hand of the wheel for a split second is going to cause the car to go out of control but everyone has to drive to their "ability"....

This practice of acknowledgement is a well established one in the bush and is basically a courtesy extended to fellow road users. Subject to you remaining inside the confines of the vehicle and not getting too excited by the prospect of an approaching vehicle you should not have any problems....if you do then that raises another issue regarding capacity and I'm not goin' there! That's my 2 bob's worth.

Sorry Mate I can't reply as if I take my hands off the edge of my office chair I may have a head on with my desk. You never should take your hands off your office chair As it is extremely dangerous. I cannot answer the phone, scratch my ear, move the coffee cup or have a dig of the old haemmeroids. I just cannot let go of the chair. It is just too dangerous. May wipe out

I do one of two types of waves:

1. Polite way - one finger up from the steering wheel,

2. P*****d Off way - the full 'Bird' hand completely extended out through the drivers side window so that the on coming idiot can not miss it.

Mate, If you can't wave to an oncoming driver out on the road as a gesture to another great Aussie then I strongly suggest you go to the nearest Traffic Authority Office of whichever State you live in and hand in your licence.
Really, get a life mate.

This post is crap and should be moderated! What has it got to do with 4wdriving?

: )

I have power steering on my 4WD, and it's not prone to sudden swerves onto the wrong side of the road, so I don't have a problem waving to other vehicles. But if you don't want to do it, that's OK - I'll still wave to you (and mutter "bl##dy city slicker" as you go past without waving back LOL)
Cheers
John

Richard Butler must have found it dangerous to bank taxpayer's money and be Governor of Tasmania at the same time. He too thought that doing 2 things at once could put his life at risk so he hopped off his high horse and stuck with banking the money. I agree with you Equinox don't do two things simultaneously or fate will raise it's angry head.

Cheers Think Safety

Waving with one hand off the road and you look like an idiot and it is dangerous particularly on dirt roads, that is why everyone especially country people do the one raised finger wave from the steering wheel. But once you get too close to civilization the wave zone stops when you get too many people. I myself always do the finger wave and get annoyed by those un-Australian unfriendly travellers that don't. Also from living out in NW NSW if you do not wave you are a tourist (what an insult). Another reason for the wave is to acknowledge the other driver for doing the right thing like slowing down to stop rock damage etc.

How'd ya feel about an automatic exploroz waving hand? Should I patent it??

Safe Greetings

Carolyn

Anyone got any stats on how many accidents have been caused by waving...

I'll bet its a big fat 0

Just my 2c worth.

Hi equinox
i don't think waving is an issue at all. We can tell the city folk out here as they are usually dont bother to respond to our wave. I generally wave to all the cars on our back roads and I havent had a safety issue or driving safety issue in nearly 30 years. Thank God its Friday
Foxer

I think I may have seen equinox walking down the road the other day. One step, two step, three step, four step, STOP, breath in, and now breath out. Then he repeated the process. One step, two step, three step, four step, STOP, breath in, and now breath out. Bl00dy hard concentrating on two things at once - like walking AND breathing. It's these stupid platitudes by the thought police that are ruining this great country.

YMMV. Getting down from my elevated equine now.

i can totally agree with what your saying.
its very hard to spend a day at the pub drinking and trying to drive home you cant even walk never mind taking one hand off the wheel to wave to the coppers.
yes ban the wave infact ban every thing