Laws for use of car indicators?

art_for_arts_sake

esmerobbo wrote: »

I have a BMW do these have indicators?

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

wealdroam

samwich1979 wrote: »

...what im saying is it would be good practice to use them and use them CORRECTLY to aid driver and pedestrians alike.

...and the highway code agrees with you... see post#5.

There... glad that's now resolved.

Lum

Honeydog wrote: »

In my experience you can't actually trust that even if someone IS indicating that they are actually going to do what it suggests. People are hopeless.

It's actually getting worse with these modern clever indicators they're putting on cars these days.

A number of times I've gone to cancel the indicator in a Vauxhall and during the delay between my brain issuing the signal to poke the indicator lever and my finger actually doing this, the car has finally decided to cancel itself. What then happens is the car interprets this poke as "she wants to give 3 flashes in the opposite direction", and there is no way to cancel those flashes.

The Mondeo has latching switches but it still does the 3 flash thing if you tap the lever lightly, so poke it wrong when trying to flash your lights, you still end up giving a misleading signal.

Give me a good old fashioned latching switch and this doesn't happen.

Had a really embarrassing one in the Mondeo last night. went to signal right to do a motorway lane change, but didn't realise that I hadn't fully latched it and for some reason this time it didn't do the 3 flash thing. Then when I went to cancel I ended up doing 3 flashes left while continuing my movement to the right.

Luckily there wasn't many people around to see my screwup.

davidlizard

A couple of years back, my employer sent us all on a "Business Driving Awareness Course". Whilst it was mostly good stuff - lots of useful advice (leave a gap in front when joining stationary traffic, do not turn your wheel when waiting to turn right, etc etc) and a go on a skidpan, one thing most of us disagreed on was what we were told on use of indicators.

We were told - do not use indicators at any time.

The reason - if we give a misleading signal and cause an accident, we could deemed either fully or partially liable. On the other hand, there is no offence to not give signals, and you cannot be held liable for anything that happened as a result of not signalling. I found this hard to believe but could not find anything contrary on the internet - please someone post a link if they can prove this wrong - I have had a major argument with my employers about this.

SteveJW

DaveF327 wrote: »

The other way to avoid the potential for conflicts is to cross the road in a safe place, ideally on a stretch of single road with only two directions to consider, or - if it's necessary to cross at a crossroads - to use the crossing facility at lights.

Doesn't really help when the highway authorities place dropped kerbs etc within yards of road junctions
From my house I can see a set of double mini roundabouts within yards of each entrance / exits are dropped kerbs with no pedestrian controlled lights.
Further on is a busy A road a cycle track crosses it within five yards of a roundabout

Lum

From a point of view where your only concern is liability, as opposed to not being a selfish arrogant !!!!, your employer is correct.

I take a half way approach. If a signal has the potential to be misleading then I will not signal at all. For example if there are two left turns, immediately after one another, I intend to take the second and someone is waiting to pull out of the first one, I will ignore the 300 yard signal advice and not signal until the last moment, though I will flash my brake lights at the car behind.

prowla

Lum wrote: »

From a point of view where your only concern is liability, as opposed to not being a selfish arrogant !!!!, your employer is correct.

I take a half way approach. If a signal has the potential to be misleading then I will not signal at all. For example if there are two left turns, immediately after one another, I intend to take the second and someone is waiting to pull out of the first one, I will ignore the 300 yard signal advice and not signal until the last moment, though I will flash my brake lights at the car behind.

I was once in a car with someone waiting to pull out of a car park, and a car coming along the road indicated left; the driver of the car I was in took that to mean that they were turning into the car park, but actually they were pulling in to the edge of the road just after. There was nearly a bump, but they missed each other.

esmerobbo wrote: »

I have a BMW do these have indicators?

I have two BMWs and they both have indicators which work very well!

Yorkie1

DaveF327 wrote: »

Although there is no law that specifically creates an offence of failing to use indicators, such a failure could fall foul of section 3 of the Road Traffic Act: driving without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration of other persons.

The other way to avoid the potential for conflicts is to cross the road in a safe place, ideally on a stretch of single road with only two directions to consider, or - if it's necessary to cross at a crossroads - to use the crossing facility at lights.

There's certainly case-law that if you indicate to do one thing, and do something else, a s.3 conviction was found.

Stephen_Leak

Honeydog wrote: »

In my experience you can't actually trust that even if someone IS indicating that they are actually going to do what it suggests. People are hopeless.

I recall an incident of this. I'm stopped on side road, waiting (and indicating) to turn right onto a main road. All clear to the left. But a car approaching from right, indicating left, as if to turn into the side road. "Come on, he's indicating", says my (now ex-)wife, in that way that only (now ex-)wives know how. "Yes, he is", I reply, as he continued along the main road in front of us.

Norman_Castle

one thing most of us disagreed on was what we were told on use of indicators.

We were told - do not use indicators at any time.

The reason - if we give a misleading signal and cause an accident, we could deemed either fully or partially liable. On the other hand, there is no offence to not give signals, and you cannot be held liable for anything that happened as a result of not signalling.

The course should be renamed "Liability avoidance for businesses". This callous advice should be ignored which is what I expect you and the other drivers do.