Why do so few drivers indicate these days?

RichardD1970

Iceweasel wrote: »

So - No - I will not use indicators unless I have a reason for doing so - to indicate every time simply shows a lack of awareness of one's surroundings.

This, totally.

I don't claim to be a faultless driver, but the lack of attention shown by a fair number of drivers is downright scary.

prowla

Shimrod wrote: »

That's a setting in the car you can change to make it back to 'old car' style. I can't find my manual at the moment, but if you have an idrive vehicle have a look under settings.

Thanks - I'll check that out!

(I did find the one to change the internal lighting to the old orange glow, which was almost as useful!)

Rosemary7391

Iceweasel wrote: »

The purpose of signals is to ‘...inform other road users of your presence and intentions. Think before you signal; indiscriminate signalling is not helpful to anyone.' Roadcraft page 100.

So - No - I will not use indicators unless I have a reason for doing so - to indicate every time simply shows a lack of awareness of one's surroundings.

I have no magical gift - only many years of experience and a high level of training.

I try to drive to at least the standards that are advocated in the police drivers' manual Roadcraft - but I have been trained well in excess of most UK police drivers.

I therefore only indicate if it will increase safety - both for me and other road users.

I suggest you read this:

http://www.drivingtesttips.biz/when-to-signal-when-driving.html

and this for those hoping to sit an advanced driving test - from eleven years ago:

http://www.advanced-driving.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?
f=2&t=17

and again here:

http://www.iam-bristol.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=245&Itemid=58

If you were to sit an advanced driving test and simply indicate every time for every manoeuvre without considering why - you will get adverse comments.

'Mirror, signal, manoueuvre' is a good mantra - but there may be no advantage or additional safety factor to be gained from signalling.

If there isn't anyone around, what is the harm in signalling? If there is someone around and you miss them, then decide not to signal, that seems more likely to cause harm. Your first link does not outright say you ought not signal if no one is around, just that it isn't required when pulling out. It states clearly at the bottom it is required for junctions, roundabouts etc.

DragonQ

EdGasket wrote: »

I tried to tell my daughter she should always indicate but she says her instructor told her she doesn't need to if no-one is about! rolleyes

The problem with that is you can't always see who might benefit from your indication. Especially pedestrians waiting to cross a nearby road.

Iceweasel

DragonQ wrote: »

The problem with that is you can't always see who might benefit from your indication. Especially pedestrians waiting to cross a nearby road.

So you think that she should tell her driving instructor that he/she is wrong?

And then he/she would need to tell the people running the ADI course that they attended that they are wrong too.

Then they would need to contact the Department for Transport who authorise the courses and their content to change the recommendations about when there is/isn't a need to give a signal.

jimjames

neilmcl wrote: »

One of my biggest peeves on the road, particularly on roundabouts. I wouldn't have said it was a recent trend though.

Also a fairly big reason for causing traffic jams. So frustrating to be waiting and find the driver ahead was turning off so you could have pulled out if they had indicated correctly and would have kept traffic flowing more.

Car_54

EdGasket wrote: »

I tried to tell my daughter she should always indicate but she says her instructor told her she doesn't need to if no-one is about! rolleyes

I suspect that's not exactly what her instructor told her.

The key questions are - would anyone benefit? and could it cause confusion?

Learners are usually taught:

- On moving off and stopping, take careful obs and only signal if someone would benefit.

- On passing parked vehicles, normally no need to signal. High risk of confusion, and no-one really expects you to drive through or over the parked car.

- At junctions, always signal. A learner is unlikely to have the observational skills to be confident that no-one would benefit.

Someone else questioned signalling in left-only lanes. The point here is that you signal for all other road-users, not just drivers. You can't expect pedestrians to appreciate signs and lane markings. (or indeed many drivers ...). Judgement required.

Iceweasel

Car_54 wrote: »

I suspect that's not exactly what her instructor told her.

The key questions are - would anyone benefit? and could it cause confusion?

Learners are usually taught:

- On moving off and stopping, take careful obs and only signal if someone would benefit.

- On passing parked vehicles, normally no need to signal. High risk of confusion, and no-one really expects you to drive through or over the parked car.

- At junctions, always signal. A learner is unlikely to have the observational skills to be confident that no-one would benefit.

Someone else questioned signalling in left-only lanes. The point here is that you signal for all other road-users, not just drivers. You can't expect pedestrians to appreciate signs and lane markings. (or indeed many drivers ...). Judgement required.

Indeed - Judgement is required. Automatically signalling every time could lead to people just signalling without the judgement part.

Rosemary7391

Iceweasel wrote: »

Indeed - Judgement is required. Automatically signalling every time could lead to people just signalling without the judgement part.

I'm a little bit confused. You seem to be talking about signalling rules for various manoeuvres, which is all very sensible, but the point causing confusion/controversy seems to be whether one should base the decision to signal/not signal on the presence of other road users. What is the benefit in not signalling solely because you've not seen anyone else on/near the road? Say, at a junction, where you'd always signal if there was someone else - how do you know who is coming down the other road until you get to the junction, by which point you ought to be signalling anyway? I see people not signalling then very very frequently, and frequently get inconvenienced by it - could be worse if I paid less attention...

Paully232000

iammumtoone wrote: »

I am guilty :eek:

Thinking of my local area, there are is an occasion I don't indicate purely because no one else does so it hasn't really crossed my mind before.

On the approach to a roundabout, two lanes right side for going straight ahead and right, left side for going left.

If going straight ahead I get in right hand lane and don't indicate until I am past the turning left then indicate, if going right I indicate right, however if turning left I will admit to not indicating :eek: purely because I am in the correct lane and there is nowhere else for me to go other than left.

Your are correct it is wrong and I should still indicate I will do so in future (but will be the only one!)

I think people still should indicate. There is a roundabout like that near me, left hand lane with a big left arrow on road, big left turn sign at junction. People still move off from the roundabout, in that lane, and pull right across the person in the middle lane, so now i never take being in the correct lane as gospel