Turn Signals

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Parnelli Bone

Parnelli Bone

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Parnelli_Bones
Who uses them and who wonders what that stalk coming out of their steering column is for? :dunce:

The other day i was getting a ride with a friend. As much as i like the guy, i also realize he's one of those folks i love to hate because he never uses turn signals as he drives. :yuck:

Where i live (Maryland, United States, right between Washington and Baltimore) most people tend to tolerate others who cut in front of them (judging by the way they behave on the beltway here) but it GETS ON MY NERVES. 👎

I mean, yeah...if someone cuts ahead of me but they're a few car lengths ahead, i could care less. What i HATE is when someone cuts over and almost removes my bumper! I am never complacent. I always flash my lights and/or honk my horn. Even if it's just to lodge a complaint. I wish more people would complain.

....so i'll try and not be biased...if you don't use turn signals, you can say why not? I just want to see what goes thru your head when you don't. :confused:
 
I am a hardcore believer that blinkers should be on before the brakes are pressed when making a turn. When changing lanes, I look to see if anyone is coming and then you get 4 blinks, no more, no less.

If everyone was like us, there would be far fewer accidents.
 
Always use them and always have, more than that I also ensure that I indicate a good distance before the turn, so as to be sure I have shown my intention.

In addition to not indicating, late indicating is almost as bad, after all what use is it trying to let me know the direction you want to go in after you have started to turn.

Grrrrr

Scaff
 
It gets worse when you're on a bicycle and such a fool swings into a corner and almost squashing you onto the road :scared:. It happened more then once I nearly got hit by a car because I didn't know wether they'd turn in a corner or not when I came to an intersection.

Lazy Norwegians :grumpy:
 
It's happened to me a few times (people not indicating at roundabouts) and it's really annoying, being a learner driver with little experience you need as much help from the other road users, not signalling is idiotic. It could be called Driving without due care and attention.

I wonder if anyones ever done it say in the vicinity of a police car and has been charged with the above offence?
 
allot of people here don't use Indicators for some reason and I hate but with 5 years of driving experince now , I now know where a car in front of me is going without it using indicators , you just can tell what other will do . I try to use my indicator as much as possible and as early as possible :)
 
I always use my indicators unless I'm on a literally deserted road. There's simply no excuse for not doing it.
BMW318ciC
allot of people here don't use Indicators for some reason and I hate but with 5 years of driving experince now , I now know where a car in front of me is going without it using indicators , you just can tell what other will do .
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Don't bet the ranch on that. I once went postal on a woman for not using her turn signals. I was following her on a suburban road, when she braked and moved over toward the side of the road; no signals. So I swung halfway into the oncoming lane to ease around her, only to have her slam the door on me by making a LEFT directly across the road in front of me, still with no signals.

So not only did she fail to indicate her turn, but she's one of those inexplicable people who swing way out opposite before starting their turn-in. She was driving a regular car, too; it's not like she was towing a trailer.
 
I always use my signals for turning, even if there are no cars around (because even pedestrians appreciate it). But I've had to adjust my technique for lane changing now that I live in LA.

I used to live in Texas, where a turn signal is a polite request for the people in the lane next to you to make a little space so you can come over. Back then, I used my turn signal for lane changing early and often - and it saved me quite a bit of headache.

In LA, using your turn signal to change lanes is a sign of weakness. It means "please for the love of god someone let me in", and nobody will. If you use your turn signal to change lanes you'd better be half way into the lane, because the guy in the lane next to you WILL cut you off if he sees the blink.

I can't count the number of times I've seen a car speed up to prevent me from changing lanes as soon as they saw my blinker go. As a result, I signal only after starting my lane change. I give it two blinks and I'm in the lane. It isn't a request for lane change, it's a warning. It's an acknowledgement that I'm not randomly swerving and that I'm awake at the wheel, but that's all it is.

I wish I didn't have to drive that way, but there is no other way to drive in LA. I can guarantee that any of you who were to move here would drive that way within a year - just out of frustration.
 
Official advanced police driving advice:

"Indicators tell you just one thing. That the car's indicators are working."
 
Scaff
In addition to not indicating, late indicating is almost as bad, after all what use is it trying to let me know the direction you want to go in after you have started to turn.
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It seems to me that the "mirror, signal, manoeuvre" "rule" is miss-interpreted as signal just before you turn. People don't seem to realise that braking is a manoeuvre. Indicate before you do anything! I just always seem to be yelling at the car in front, as it brakes without indicating, "Where ur ye goin'!"

BMW drivers are the worst.... :scared:
 
Danoff
In LA, using your turn signal to change lanes is a sign of weakness. It means "please for the love of god someone let me in", and nobody will. If you use your turn signal to change lanes you'd better be half way into the lane, because the guy in the lane next to you WILL cut you off if he sees the blink.

I can't count the number of times I've seen a car speed up to prevent me from changing lanes as soon as they saw my blinker go. As a result, I signal only after starting my lane change. I give it two blinks and I'm in the lane. It isn't a request for lane change, it's a warning. It's an acknowledgement that I'm not randomly swerving and that I'm awake at the wheel, but that's all it is.

I wish I didn't have to drive that way, but there is no other way to drive in LA. I can guarantee that any of you who were to move here would drive that way within a year - just out of frustration.
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It's like that here as well. I'm usually about 1/4 of the way in the lane before I start signaling.

Although, on surface streets, I always signal, unless I am navigating the 5 or six deserted residential streets leading to my house, where I don't signal at all (or stop at the stop signs), but I'm not going more than 20 mph anyways.
 
My dad goes crazy when someone fails to indicate on a round-about. Especially when he could have pulled out if they'd only indicated.

How many of you actually indicate at the 300 yard mark for motorway slip roads? It seems to differ from person to person :odd:
 
ExigeExcel
My dad goes crazy when someone fails to indicate on a round-about. Especially when he could have pulled out if they'd only indicated.

How many of you actually indicate at the 300 yard mark for motorway slip roads? It seems to differ from person to person :odd:
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I can share that feeling with your dad, and I certainly indicate from at least the 300 yard mark, after ensuring I'm in the inside lane from around the half mile sign.

I would also have to agree with Famine on the subject of indicators, it fits in with the golden rule of driving, that every driver on the road is a halfwit intent on killing you. At best indicators tell you what the other car may do, but don't take it as fact; I've had people indicate and then go the opposite way and I once followed an old lady in a Fiesta that indicated right for a good 6 miles (and past at least a dozen right turns).

Regards

Scaff
 
ExigeExcel
How many of you actually indicate at the 300 yard mark for motorway slip roads? It seems to differ from person to person :odd:
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Who's actually in the left-hand lane at the 300 yard mark? Certainly not BMW drivers - they're in lane 3 until the sliproad appears... :D

I usually indicate at the 200 yard marker. At 70mph that's around 6 seconds of indication.
 
Turn signals just let your stalker know which way he should turn to keep following you.

I never used them in the past, chalk it up to "young and stupid", but within the past couple of years, I've finally learned to use them again.

I have been talked too by my significant other though about not using them in turning lanes at stop lights. As far as I know, the law here (Canada) states that you don't have to indicate your turn when you're in a left/right turn only lane since that is the only way you are allowed to go. Anyone able to clarify that?
 
And in a slightly off topic sense, in the channel four ident where they are on what appears to be on an American road, do you think the car that cut them up was a set up?
 
I had to break my son of catching the stalk while steering. He'd brake, start the turn, and whack the stalk as his hand passed it turning the wheel. It took a while, but I got him to understand that by then, people already knew he was turning, it didn't help.

In the above left turn unsignalled post, my dad hit a woman in a similar incident, with the difference being she was actually indicating a right turn!! Not a forgotten steady blinker, but turned on the right, slowed for the curve, he went around her, and she turned left right into his path. If I hadn't been in the car with his to witness, he'd probably have been hauled off to jail, he was so mad.

I signal all turns, lane changes, roundabouts. I actually WANT people to understand my intentions. I think it's better that way.

A common setup here is a four-lane street with a center lane used for left turns shared by both directions. Another thing people use it for is to move onto the road from the side when turning left (right for Limeys, Aussies, et al.) You pull out of Wendy's when the near lanes are clear, move into the center lane and wait for the far lane to clear so you can merge. Problem is, if you're not signalling, people don't know if you want to turn left, move right, cross over to Wal-Mart, what? You're just sitting there in the way.
 
I try to be one of the "smart" ones that signals at all the turns. I might not signal 300 yards in advance (never took the time to measure it), but I do make sure I'm giving some type of indication before the turn actually comes up. In the situation that there's actually more than one possible turn-off along the route, I tend to wait until I'm past the turn-off just before mine to signal, so as not to confuse drivers.

I've also gotten into the habit of lightly tapping the brakes coming up to the turn so I don't get nailed by the people doing 45mph in the 30mph zone :scared: (sad thing is that you're doing good to hold 30mph in the 45mph zones :crazy: WTF is up with that, anyway?)
 
I tend to use them most of the time.
In town if you're behind me, you'll get at least 100 feet of blinker.
On the highway, I pass in the approved "sports cars" driver's manner.
1. check mirror
2. hit blinker (3-6 blinks)
3. speed up
4. complete lane change.
Pretty much the same for exiting. But if I know where the exit is, I try to get in the proper lane a mile or more before getting off.
I absolutely hate when sone asshat jumps from the far left lane getting almost perpendicular on a 3-4 lane highway for a right exit.
 
I too live in Maryland in the 495 area and I've noticed an overabundance of the "dive over 4 lanes while giving maybe 1 blink while you're halfway across the entire four lanes" maneuver... I always signal before doing whatever I'm going to do (usually before hitting the brakes or moving into the turn lane). I had the unfortunate experience of getting the stalk caught on my jacket one morning and ripping it off :ouch: one week without turn signal, high beams, or wipers (except for washer so by just barely pushing in on the broken stalk I could get a few wipes without wasting washer fluid). Talk about feeling rather exposed on the beltway!!!
 
Danoff
I wish I didn't have to drive that way, but there is no other way to drive in LA. I can guarantee that any of you who were to move here would drive that way within a year - just out of frustration.
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I used to live in LA back when the riots happened. I can't say i ever remember any "road rage" incidents, but one time this crackhead driver made a right turn onto an exit. He was actually behind me. He manuvered so fast he actually clipped my rear bumper! By the time i got a glimpse, he was on the exit & i couldn't see his damn plate! :mad:

Famine
Official advanced police driving advice:

"Indicators tell you just one thing. That the car's indicators are working."
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I think the main reason people should use signals is to let other people know they're aware of what they're doing. If someone cuts over without a signal, what they're saying is "i'm the only one on the road who matters. Yall don't exist." Will this person slam over 4 lanes of traffic??? i don't know!

Signalling is just a way to say "i know what the hell i'm doing!"

Diablomonkey
umm I would have to challenge that I think that Lexus drivers are even worse than BMW drivers.
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Out here..it's everyone but mostly the giant SUV's: the Denalis, Yukons, Land Rovers, Expeditions...it's like: don't yall pay car insurnace??? Grrrr

SRV2LOW4ME
Turn signals just let your stalker know which way he should turn to keep following you.

I never used them in the past, chalk it up to "young and stupid", but within the past couple of years, I've finally learned to use them again.

I have been talked too by my significant other though about not using them in turning lanes at stop lights. As far as I know, the law here (Canada) states that you don't have to indicate your turn when you're in a left/right turn only lane since that is the only way you are allowed to go. Anyone able to clarify that?
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I apreciate your honesty. 👍 Not sure about Canadian law, though.

I was hoping some "boy racer" types would respond or anyone who wants to tell us a different view. Don't be shy!
 
Oh yeah, while we're on the subject.
Why doesn't every car manufactured have a loud, obnoxious sounder to let you know that your blinker has been on for the last 1/4 to 1/2 mile?
That's almost as annoying as not using the damn thing at all.
 
Gil
Oh yeah, while we're on the subject.
Why doesn't every car manufactured have a loud, obnoxious sounder to let you know that your blinker has been on for the last 1/4 to 1/2 mile?
That's almost as annoying as not using the damn thing at all.
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I think some newer cars actually have a dashboard voice that can warn you if you forget to turn the signal off. I mean, it wouldn't surprise me in this world of iDrive, GPS, and other gadgets.
 
My 1992 Plymouth Voyager had a bell that started "bonging" when you went too far with the signal on.

If it was possible in that ****-box. Why don't more cars have it?
I truly despise being behind someone who isn't aware that the signal also turns off.
You're afraid to pass, you definitely are wary of staying behind this asshat, because you'll witness the accident, which will be a 26 car pile-up. You'll not only be the only one undamaged, you'll be shown on the local news 50 times describing the noise the crash made.
 
Gil
If it was possible in that ****-box. Why don't more cars have it?
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:lol: Tell us how you really feel. That and you bringing back the underappreciated term asshat, totally made my day.
 
In honor of RumpleForeskin, I bring back the term "asshat".
Besides, it just seems to "fit".👍

Also, my Voyager, truly sucked. I was almost happy the day my third son totalled the thing.
For the record, if in the market for a mini-van. Buy it with the biggest engine available, especially if you will be carrying anything or anyone larger than your iPod.
Or be a slave to style, and buy the SUV you wanted in the first place. Then you can get the V-8, V10, or Turbo-diesel of your choice.👍

The old 2.2L four that worked so well in some of the smaller Mopar cars, was way out of its league in a minivan, especially one that routinely carried 7-8 people.
 

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