Using the handbrake when stopping at lights and junctions

Car_54

Gloomendoom wrote: »

People travelling along the road that you are pulling out into.

Isn't it standard practice to indicate when pulling out from a parking place at the side of the road? It used to be. Mind you, so did indicating when changing lanes on a motorway.

Pulling out? It's standard practice to check all round, and signal only if another road user would benefit.


Motorway? Still standard, except (arguably) when returning to lane 1 from lane 2.

Sea_Shell

Car_54 wrote: »

Pulling out? It's standard practice to check all round, and signal only if another road user would benefit.


Motorway? Still standard, except (arguably) when returning to lane 1 from lane 2.

Indicators are used to signal your intent to change direction. So surely it would be prudent to use them WHENEVER you are pulling out, pulling over, turning, changing lanes etc. Just good practice IMO, even if not strictly necessary/legal.

These days you never know when your driving is being filmed on Dashcam, so better to be seen to have been indicating than not. Contrary to what many (insert make of car here!!) drivers think, it doesn't wear them out you know!!!!;);)

Pension_Geek

I was taught 'when a pause becomes a wait'.

facade

Car_54 wrote: »

Pulling out? It's standard practice to check all round, and signal only if another road user would benefit.

I get your point- obviously, you don't pull out if someone is about to overtake you, so you shouldn't ever need to signal when pulling out, but by the time you have checked for pedestrians in the distance, drivers in other parked cars and for oncoming cars slowing down, you might as well signal.


Then at least you can indignantly declare to the driver who was travelling so fast that he "appeared out of nowhere" to hit you, that you were indicating, and put it on your claim form..


I suppose you could argue that the driver who observes enough to make a concious decision about whether or not to signal is safer than the one who just signals out of habit and then performs the manoeuvre

no1catman

If you always indicate, then you'll never forget to do it when you really need to.
As for 'hand-brake use, personally again always use it. At traffic lights - hand-brake will hold better than foot on the brake pedal - if someone carries forward into you.
Like others, I'm bemused by seeing brake lights on at traffic lights.
At inclines or hill starts, hand brake goes down when the clutch begins to bite - and probably the bonnet starts to rise a fraction. Too soon, and before you know you're slipping backwards - argh!

Always puzzled by the petrol-heads who only brake at the last moment, even though the lights changed to red 100 yards ago! Likewise, hate the smart ar*** who pass me when I've slowed right down as I approach the lights. After all by the time I get there - still moving they may change.

Sea_Shell

I should also add that's indicating alongside observation, not instead of!!

I don't assume any right of way, just because I am indicating, but at least it notes my intention.

Gloomendoom

Car_54 wrote: »

Pulling out? It's standard practice to check all round, and signal only if another road user would benefit.

That sounds like IAM standard practice. In any case, if another road user would benefit, you still have the problem of releasing the handbrake and signalling at the same time.

Hi Motorway? Still standard, except (arguably) when returning to lane 1 from lane 2.

Really? It happens so rarely these days that I was starting to think that it had been made illegal.

k6chris

You should absolutely apply the hand brake whilst stationary at a junction, the reason being that should the car behind you fail to stop, the handbrake (which does not rely on the driver's foot remaining on the brake pdeal) will reduce the chance of your car being pushed forward into the car in front / traffic. Discuss this in the spirt of learning and good habits, with your instructor.

Car_54

Sea_Shell wrote: »

Indicators are used to signal your intent to change direction. So surely it would be prudent to use them WHENEVER you are pulling out, pulling over, turning, changing lanes etc. Just good practice IMO, even if not strictly necessary/legal.
/QUOTE]
It's not good practice, and would see you fail your test.



In the basic MSM routine, "Signal" means "consider whether a signal is necessary ..." That means not just glancing at the mirrors, but making an informed decision, i.e. demonstrating effective observation.


In my experience, the commonest failing among experienced drivers is inadequate observations, and thoughtless "just in case" signalling is the first step down that road.



The other problem with "automatic" sgnalling is that the driver does not give any thought to whether his signal could be ambiguous or misleading.

Car_54

Sea_Shell wrote: »

I should also add that's indicating alongside observation, not instead of!!

I don't assume any right of way, just because I am indicating, but at least it notes my intention.

Indicating after observation ...