Laws for use of car indicators?

samwich1979

I have been looking for any laws for the use of car indicators but it seems there are not any.

I can understand that it is objectionable as to whether they are being used correctly or if they need to be used in certain situations but i have unfortunately been on the wrong side of numerous drivers who have failed to indicate to me as a pedestrian what their intentions are and i have nearly been run over.

I dont think that many car drivers see pedestrians as important or that we need to know what they are doing, but when i am out pushing my son in his pushchair and i am trying to cross the road i really get annoyed at the lack of use of indicators.

Yes it would be hard to enforce anything in relation to this but it seems that people do not use common sense any more when driving.

Quiet_Spark

samwich1979 wrote: »

but i have unfortunately been on the wrong side of numerous drivers who have failed to indicate to me as a pedestrian what their intentions are and i have nearly been run over.

Regardless of whether the driver is indicating or not, if people were to stop assuming what others intentions are then I expect there would be far less accidents than what we have now.

Ultrasonic

I can't help re. the law, but I will say that car drivers who do not inticate for pedestrians make me angry.

colino

While we should all use indicators properly for their intended purpose and as a courtesy for all road users, when you go on a defensive driving course they instruct you to treat every other road user as an incompetent nutter. Their indications are either wrong (don't know how to use them or left them on from the last junction) so while adorning their car nicely, shouldn't be acted on solely.

Norman_Castle

Not sure about laws, but drivers are expected to use their indicators to inform other road users, including pedestrians. Their are drivers who only view the world as seen through a windscreen.

The Highway Code



Signals (103-112)


103

Signals warn and inform other road users, including pedestrians (see 'Signals to other road users'), of your intended actions. You should always

• give clear signals in plenty of time, having checked it is not misleading to signal at that time
• use them to advise other road users before changing course or direction, stopping or moving off
• cancel them after use
• make sure your signals will not confuse others. If, for instance, you want to stop after a side road, do not signal until you are passing the road. If you signal earlier it may give the impression that you intend to turn into the road. Your brake lights will warn traffic behind you that you are slowing down
• use an arm signal to emphasise or reinforce your signal if necessary. Remember that signalling does not give you priority

samwich1979

Quiet_Spark wrote: »

Regardless of whether the driver is indicating or not, if people were to stop assuming what others intentions are then I expect there would be far less accidents than what we have now.

How do you figure that out?

If you are at a 4 road junction like i was on Thursday and as you are half way across an empty road some lunatic flies round the corner with no indicators on and you presume they are driving straight ahead what do you do?

As a pedestrian i am having to try and second guess what car drivers are going to do before i cross a road or i would die and would certainly be dead now with the experiences i have had recently.

The problem is i am having to think about what drivers may do instead of them simply indicating and being able to use roads safely.

gnus

Quiet_Spark wrote: »

Regardless of whether the driver is indicating or not, if people were to stop assuming what others intentions are then I expect there would be far less INcidents than what we have now.

accidents should be incidents. I assume every road user is out to kill me.

Joe_Horner

There are no laws except that a car must be fitted with them. Use of them is "good practive" and failing to use them might indicate increased fault in an accident but their use isn't compulsory.

In any case, it's a really bad idea for other road users (including pedestrians) to assume anything based on whether a car is indicating or not. Apart from the chance of the driver "not bothering", bulbs and fuses blow, flasher units and switches fail, and they tend to do so suddenly as you turn the indicator on.

Lack of indication only means that the indicator isn't working. That might be because the driver didn't switch it on, or it might be because something's just failed. Either way, relying on it to avoid getting squashed is a bit of a risk!

If you want to pre-empt what a car's about to do it's much safer to do so on the basis of its speed, whether it's slowing down, and it's position on the road / where the wheels are pointing etc. Best is to not make a decision until it's absolutely clear whether it's turning or not from the way it's moving!

samwich1979

Joe_Horner wrote: »

There are no laws except that a car must be fitted with them. Use of them is "good practive" and failing to use them might indicate increased fault in an accident but their use isn't compulsory.

In any case, it's a really bad idea for other road users (including pedestrians) to assume anything based on whether a car is indicating or not. Apart from the chance of the driver "not bothering", bulbs and fuses blow, flasher units and switches fail, and they tend to do so suddenly as you turn the indicator on.

Lack of indication only means that the indicator isn't working. That might be because the driver didn't switch it on, or it might be because something's just failed. Either way, relying on it to avoid getting squashed is a bit of a risk!

If you want to pre-empt what a car's about to do it's much safer to do so on the basis of its speed, whether it's slowing down, and it's position on the road / where the wheels are pointing etc. Best is to not make a decision until it's absolutely clear whether it's turning or not from the way it's moving!

So everyone who cant be a***d to indicate has non-working indicators? I think not! Biggest load of tosh ive ever heard.

On the incident i talked about in a previous post the driver looked like he was driving straight ahead but actually flew round the corner at me as i was crossing and ALSO didnt not indicate either. So i had NO chance at all of pre-empting what he was going to do even by just looking at his position on the road.

I dont rely on indicators, what im saying is it would be good practice to use them and use them CORRECTLY to aid driver and pedestrians alike.

Johnmcl7

samwich1979 wrote: »

How do you figure that out?

If you are at a 4 road junction like i was on Thursday and as you are half way across an empty road some lunatic flies round the corner with no indicators on and you presume they are driving straight ahead what do you do?

As a pedestrian i am having to try and second guess what car drivers are going to do before i cross a road or i would die and would certainly be dead now with the experiences i have had recently.

The problem is i am having to think about what drivers may do instead of them simply indicating and being able to use roads safely.

In an ideal world, everyone should use indicators correctly but I do agree with the seemingly negative view that you should largely ignore what drivers are indicating and be cautious particularly when cycling or walking. If I see someone indicating to go on an exit to a roundabout or junction I'm waiting to pull out of, I wait until they have actually moved off the road before I pull out as too often I see people with indicators stuck on or used incorrectly which would mean if I assumed the indicators were correct I would have had a crash.

It is the same problem whether I am walking, cycling or driving and unfortunately one I can't see ever changing. Just through habit I always indicate whether there's people around or not, no harm in doing so.

John

samwich1979

Johnmcl7 wrote: »

In an ideal world, everyone should use indicators correctly but I do agree with the seemingly negative view that you should largely ignore what drivers are indicating and be cautious particularly when cycling or walking. If I see someone indicating to go on an exit to a roundabout or junction I'm waiting to pull out of, I wait until they have actually moved off the road before I pull out as too often I see people with indicators stuck on or used incorrectly which would mean if I assumed the indicators were correct I would have had a crash.

It is the same problem whether I am walking, cycling or driving and unfortunately one I can't see ever changing. Just through habit I always indicate whether there's people around or not, no harm in doing so.

John

Well i wish all people thought like you and used their indicators at all times.
Its just using your common sense and the knowledge you were given when learning to drive. I dont know how people can pass a test knowing how to use them and suddenly forget.

Its just sheer laziness.