Great info for great riding

Watch for these "police radar ahead" warning signals

With his left arm outstretched forward at about a 45-degree angle to his body and parallel to the road, he was pushing the palm of his hand down.

He could have been patting a big dog on the head…

Sure enough, within about a quarter of a mile just over the crest of a hill, a trooper was zeroing-in on approaching vehicles with a radar gun.

Luckily, I'd dropped my speed well below the posted limit and rode by unscathed…this time.

I use the same palm-down slow-down/danger-ahead gesture myself. And I believe it is a familiar signal among riders in the Northeast where I ride most.

On open freeways, I might flash my high beams at vehicles traveling in the opposite direction if I know they're approaching a speed trap. And I've seen other drivers do it.

But be aware, some troopers can get touchy when they see drivers blinking their headlights to alert others of police using radar.

A new "slow-down" signal for me…

Recently, an approaching rider gave me a "slow down, police ahead" warning I'd never seen before. But I've since learned lots of riders use it.

While heading toward me, the rider was patting the top of his helmet with his flattened left hand.

Just to be on the safe side, I slowed down. And within a mile I found myself in the crosshairs of a trooper's radar gun.

Shortly after I'd passed that trooper, I used the same helmet-patting gesture to warn an approaching rider that he was heading toward a radar trap.

His passenger thought I was waving "hello" and she waved back.

The driver didn't react at all; which leads me to believe some riders don't recognize the helmet-patting gesture as a warning to slow down.

Other "police ahead" signals you might see…

In addition to arm waving, helmet patting and high-beam flashing, here are a few other "slow-down, police ahead" warning signals you might see motorcycle riders using…

• A circling "whirlybird" finger simulating a police car's spinning, roof-mounted "gumball machine" strobe light…

• Pointing a finger at you like a pistol to simulate a radar gun…

• Turning their motorcycle's headlight on and off…

And in some areas, riders flash a "thumbs up" on twisty roads to indicate all is clear ahead.

Other than an obvious "hello" wave, I assume any other gesture from an oncoming rider is a warning of some sort.

And for the next mile or two I slow down and watch for trouble.

And while we're on the subject of warning signals, check out this article in the Campbell Law Observer. It cites individual cases in which motorists were cited for violating the law when they flashed their headlights to warn other drivers of a speed trap ahead.

Subsequently, different courts dismissed these cases primarily on the grounds that each driver was exercising his/her First Amendment right to free speech/expression when they flashed their lights.

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