"In short: The ABC [Oz] travelled more than 550km across regional Victoria and South Australia to see if drivers were still giving out courtesy waves.
"Locals and truck drivers say the friendly gesture is declining along highways, but is more common on smaller back roads.
"What's next? A road safety advocate is hoping to introduce a National Wave Day in 2026."
...
"Speed [a town named in the article] local Meredith Rowney said the wave had decreased in regularity over time, but the type of road a person was travelling on mattered.
"'If you're in a small country town where you know people, you are more likely to wave than in the bigger centres where you don't know people,' Ms Rowney said.
"'I think living locally, we see our friends driving past us, or our neighbours, so we wave to many people that pass us, as well as those that give way to us or do something kind.'"
I grew up in the same country town as my Dad and he taught me to drive. The country back roads were an excellent place to start learning. My Dad used to give the wave to oncoming drivers out there because there were not many cars on the road. It was a way of saying G'Day to neighbours, even people we didn't know.
I used to give the wave out there too and a couple of months ago I was in a small local village where there is only one lane across the bridge over the river. Drivers waited patiently to allow each other to cross, and I gave the wave to the driver who did that for me. He waved back. It took me back 50 years to my young driving days.
The locals in my city suburb also give the wave in a narrow street near the school. Lots of cars are usually there at drop-off and pick-up time and it is a narrow street to navigate. I can tell who is local and who isn't by the wave or absence of it. Hubby & I also give the wave if a driver lets us into the lane in front of them.
I also noticed when we used to go for walks in a nearby suburb and some people would smile or nod and say hello, and others would look away. I always used to mutter "Sydney people" under my breath. ;-D
If I was walking around in Sydney I used to make the mistake of looking at people and smiling. My bad!! LOL