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General Knowledge · Communicating

Why should a driver never signal to another driver, such as with a wave or a flash of the lights, that it is safe for them to pass or proceed?

1.The signaling driver cannot see everything the other driver needs to know, and could share the blame if something goes wrong after the signalCorrect answer
2.Federal motor carrier safety regulation imposes a specific monetary fine on any commercial driver who signals another vehicle to pass or proceed this way
3.It drains the vehicle's battery noticeably faster than using a normal turn signal for an ordinary everyday lane change on the highway
4.It causes the vehicle's turn signals to permanently stop self-canceling after the very next full turn the driver ever completes

Explanation

A driver should never signal another driver that it is safe to pass or proceed, because the signaling driver cannot see everything the other driver needs to know, such as oncoming traffic or a hidden hazard, and if a crash follows, the driver who gave the go-ahead can end up sharing the blame. Misuse of communications is part of the required knowledge CDL applicants must have under 49 CFR 383.111(a)(8)(iii), but that paragraph only names it as a required knowledge topic; it does not itself describe this specific misuse, which is standard driver-training guidance rather than a codified federal rule. There is no federal fine specific to this act, and it has no effect on battery drain or turn-signal self-cancellation, which are unrelated vehicle functions.

Source: 49 CFR 383.111(a)(8)(iii)

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