New study shows Aussies don't speak the same road language
Drivers are divided on everything from thank-you waves to headlight flashesThe News
A national study by Continental Tyres has revealed Australians are anything but fluent in the unspoken language of the road, with hand waves, headlight flashes and polite beeps all open to wildly different interpretations.
The Key Details
- 56% of Aussies regularly use signals while driving
- High beam flashing is the most confusing gesture
- A quarter of drivers wouldn’t warn someone if their tyre was flat
- Continental Tyres has launched a ‘Code of the Road Dictionary’ to clear things up
The Finer Details
The research, which asked 2000 Australian drivers over 18 years old about their own road behaviours highlights just how messy on-road manners can be. More than half of Aussies are keen signallers – waving, honking or flashing – but how these signals are interpreted by other road users isn’t always clear.
Take the humble headlight flash: two-thirds of drivers say it’s a warning for police or speed cameras, while 9% reckon it means “after you”.
Others use it to say “your lights are off” or simply to vent. The horn is no better, with most drivers using it for nudging someone at the lights, but more than a quarter admit it’s their go-to frustration button.
When it comes to warning others of a flat tyre, 46% would point it out with a hand gesture, 19% would flash their lights, and nearly a quarter would just drive on by without saying a word.
Generational divides also came through in the findings.
Gen X are the most likely to point at a tyre to flag a problem, while Gen Z drivers tend to rely on flashing headlights. Millennials and Boomers still favour hand gestures – proof that not all signals are universal.
The classic thank-you wave isn’t so classic after all. Six in 10 prefer to wave in the mirror, while 18% stick their arm out the window, and a cheeky 12% use their indicators as a “cheers mate” sign.
When saying “sorry”, most Aussies (73%) simply raise a hand, but nearly one in five will mouth the word instead, a move that likely goes unseen. And when someone doesn’t move at the lights, 71% favour a single quick beep, with only 2% opting for the dreaded long honk.
The Road Ahead
Continental’s new dictionary aims to bring some order to the chaos of Aussie road etiquette. From thank-you waves to “my bad” hand raises, the guide translates the most common signals into something closer to a shared language – and hopefully a safer, less frustrating driving experience.
Related: Just give me a courtesy wave, please
Related: Have unforgiving drivers killed off the courtesy wave?
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