Ray S

Does anyone have a set of simple hand signals they utilize in car when instructing a student?

If so I'd love to hear the signals some of the other instructors on RL use.

Thanks in advance.

mark kibort

Always been a point of frustration with new instruction based driving events. Lead follow for example. Something as basic as tapping the hood for the guy behind you to get a little closer "follow me" is what it means. When the lead follow group gets spread out, it becomes nothing more than a site survey lap. The problem, everyone is so excited, no one is paying attention, they all should have, but dont have instructors with them.

Are you talking in the car hand signals like pointing to/for the turn in points? Both hand push indicating braking timing, duration and release. Straight ahead arm direction for full throttle.

Ritter v4.0

Chatterbox.

mark kibort

Its really the best way!

Ritter v4.0

Look at me; I'm an expert after instructing exactly once.

But I have been a student on more than one occasion and remember. We all agree the idea is to keep the head up and look ahead beyond the immediate corner, so how can a drover also follow hand signals at the same time? Not easily I'd say.

Tom W

I'd say about half my students prefer a visual of my hand 'telling' them to move right or left instead of verbal direction. Some students like verbal and don't like visual and some are the other way. Your job is to figure out what they need/like and use it.

I've not found the need for anything fancy, just a hand up near the windshield in their field of view and move it right or left to gently remind them to move to that side of the track. I try and keep it simple as you are not trying to remote control drive for them, just to remind them what they should be doing.

sparks259

i make a fist for braking along with verbal instruction.

Bob Rouleau

Flat palm towards the front of the car for brake - gentle push for easy braking, faster movement for harder braking, i.e., emulates how you want the drivers foot to press the brake pedal and in the reverse direction how to ease off the brakes.

For acceleration finger revolves in a rolling motion, faster means accelerate harder. Reverse direction means decelerate.

Knife hand points direction for turn-in or track out hand moves in a smooth arc as opposed to a simple point.

Signals are made where the driver can see them easily, about in line with his/her left shoulder and near the instrument panel. Used for 15 years now with success.

Student is briefed on these signals before we leave the pits. I also use an intercom.

DarkSideDE

Ray, if you take PCA National's Instructor's Course - it goes over the "universal" hand signals needed from the right hand seat.

From the powerpoint:
"Make sure your student knows what your expectations are for the session. A review of hand signals to be used is important, especially if the Chatterbox or communication device should fail.
"Commonly, a raised fist is used for Brake, the hand extended and pointed forward is used for Throttle On, and a pointed finger left or right is used for Turn Left or Turn Right. The key feature to hand signals is to make sure your hand is raised, and far forward in the center of the dashboard, so the student can see it without taking their focus from the track."

Highly recommend the instructor's Course - a lot of hard work went into it - and the PCA National DE team deserves a big round of applause for putting it altogether.

4porsh

I like to tap my pointed hand on the students rear view mirror at the appropriate time so they know to look and see the car behind them. This also lets the car behind that wants to pass know that the instructor and now the student know they are back there and to be prepared for the next passing zone.

kurt M

Eye-brain-react is faster than ear-brain-react too. Some see better then they hear so i tend to do both hands and verbal until a best method for that student is figured out. I use the balled fist for brake, open flag hand pointing foward for power and open flag hand pointing in the direction I want to driver to point the car. I have had drivers get their right and left backwards and I have too. Hand pointing is hard to invert.

Veloce Raptor

Oh yeah...I definitely have a hand signal for some students.







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

RedlineMan

Hey;

I don't normally use them, but I have had some students that appreciated them. Your cue to use them is if you are finding yourself getting blue-faced from unrequited repetition! You've likely then found yourself with a visual learner, eh?

The signals disucssed here will work fine, as long as you brief them pre-session. I particularly like the tapping on the rear view mirror idea. As Kimi would say, Prilliant.

Ray S

I like these.....thanks!!

I took the course a year ago and I agree it is very good. I was just looking for signals that were a little more detailed. I think Bob R hit the nail on the head.

Our region also uses thoses but I also use hand signals to augment verbal instruction. (Plus sometimes they don't work well, or cut out).

Larry Herman

I've only had to use this hand signal a few times, but it is universally understood!