A white cloth or T-shirt hanging from a car window is the kind of detail drivers notice without knowing what to make of it. Depending on the country, it can mean very different things. In the U.S., it usually sends one clear message, and with winter storms on the way, it’s worth knowing when to use it and what to do if you see one.
In short
- There’s no single meaning: El Cronista notes it can signal peace, a celebration or a call for help, depending on where you are.
- In the U.S., a white cloth on a stopped car usually means the driver needs help.
- North Carolina’s driver handbook says to tie “a white cloth on the radio aerial or left-door handle and raise the hood.”
- If you see one, call highway patrol with the car’s description and location.
What it means
According to El Cronista, there is “no single interpretation.” The best-known meaning is peace, borrowed from the white flag of truce. In some regions, especially far from cities, a white cloth on a moving car can be a request for help, such as a breakdown or a health problem. It can also show up at celebrations or peaceful demonstrations, as a sign of unity or solidarity.
What it means in the U.S.
On American roads, the message is more practical. A white towel, T-shirt or plastic bag tied to a car, often on the driver’s mirror, signals that the driver needs help, Mental Floss explains. The habit is more common among older drivers, who may not have a phone handy.
Explore.com quotes the North Carolina Driver Handbook, which advises drivers to “tie a white cloth on the radio aerial or left-door handle and raise the hood.” The cloth also shows the car hasn’t been abandoned. Not every state manual includes this advice, and AAA suggests a brightly colored handkerchief or scarf instead.
In a winter storm
Massachusetts gives the same advice to drivers stranded by snow: “Tie a bright cloth to your antenna or door handle.” Its winter guidance adds a few rules:
- Call 911 first if you can, and follow the dispatcher’s instructions.
- Stay in your vehicle rather than walking in the storm.
- Clear the tailpipe of snow before running the engine, to keep carbon monoxide out of the car.
- Run the engine only in short bursts.
The limit
A cloth is not an official emergency signal, and its meaning depends on where you are. It doesn’t protect a car from being towed either: Mental Floss notes it won’t stop law enforcement from moving a vehicle. Explore.com recommends adding hazard lights at night or in bad weather, and keeping warning triangles in the trunk. If you pass a car with a white cloth, call highway patrol with its make, color, approximate location and license plate.
A plastic bag on a mirror can mean something else entirely: here’s what that one really means. Before winter driving, see what spraying vinegar on the windshield is for, and the reflex to avoid if a deer runs in front of your car.
A white cloth, the hood up, hazard lights on. That’s the signal.
