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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think that drivers who don't bother indicating should have to retake their test?

97 replies

Jolleigh · 18/08/2013 23:07

Just broke down on a busy ish A road right near an exit, luckily there was somewhere to pull in.

Was there for about 40 minutes and only about 3 cars that pulled out at the exit indicated that they were doing so (possibly a slight over exaggeration but non indicators certainly made up the majority.)

Seriously, are there actually any valid excuses for not bothering to indicate? I get the odd time it may slip a person's mind but it honestly seems that indicating has become a 50/50 occurrence nowadays.

How would others propose enforcing this particular rule of the road? ?

OP posts:

Meglet · 19/08/2013 10:03

jolleigh the Institute of advanced motorists. I always signal when there's other drivers or pedestrians, but if I'm in the middle of nowhere then I don't. Something to do with always being aware and checking you're surroundings and it not just being habit (which can mean you're not thinking about it) IIRC.

DuelingFanjo · 19/08/2013 10:05

well... if you're on a roundabout and you're in the right hand lane and you want to go straight over then you DO need to indicate that you plan to move into the left hand lane to go straight over IF the road markings for the right hand lane say you can only use it to go right!

It's one of my bugbears when people just assume that anyone in the left hand lane is going left and then they cut across from the right to go straight over when they should have been in the left. Bastards!

Nancy66 · 19/08/2013 10:08

Increasingly, in London, I find that roundabouts are becoming a free for all with many drivers not being aware that you give way to the right.

I imagine this is down to the number of drivers who haven't passed their tests in the UK

Quodlibet · 19/08/2013 10:10

Yanbu, drives me mad too. My friend reckons it's to do with the increased use of Satnavs which make people feel like someone else is driving and often leaves you preparing to turn at shorter notice than if you had actually had to think about it yourself. No excuse for it though.

hellhasnofurylikeahungrywoman · 19/08/2013 10:21

I recently did a driving course for work and on our test drive was told off by the instructor for 'excessive' use of the indicators. He said it was not necessary to indicate if the road was empty and it could be deemed to prove that I was not aware of what was going on around me (he argued that indicating by habit meant you neglected to take all the usual observations and precautions before manoeuvring). I, and the other candidates (we were on a minibus test so there were 5 other people in the bus), told him he was talking utter bollocks.

Original poster

Jolleigh · 19/08/2013 10:22

Nancy - that's an issue that occasionally rears its ugly head with my OH...he's Portuguese and despite having been here nearly 14 years still occasionally seems to forget that he should be looking right not left. Bloody terrifying when you're a passenger. Mercifully, there only seems to be a problem on mini roundabouts rather than full scale multi lane ones. And I may have overreacted on such a large scale last time that he won't be making that mistake again any time soon!

OP posts:

ViviPru · 19/08/2013 10:23

I drive a BMW - it doesn't have indicators I don't think.

Rikalaily · 19/08/2013 10:29

The only time you don't have to indicate is when you are pulling over/pulling off from the side of the road and there is no-one around to benefit. This HAS changed, you used to be taught and expected on your test to indicate every time. They changed it because you have to observe more, if you indicate and no-one is there you get a minor because you should have noticed there was no-one to benefit. You should ALWAYS indicate when pulling out/into a junction and roundabouts.

I'm getting mega pissed about people not indicating properly on round abouts, I've got my test today and I just know that there are gonna be idiots out there, I just hope that I don't fail because of a tosser speeding/not indicating on a roundabout like I came across on Sat, it's a toss up of waiting just incase and racking up minors for hesitancy or getting a serious because of people who think they are so special that everyone knows where they are going so they don't need to tell them.

Original poster

Jolleigh · 19/08/2013 10:43

Rikalaily - I'm genuinly surprised. And I have to admit it sounds like some seriously flawed logic to me as the only way to really promote a culture of indicating is to do our best to make it habitual. I think any element of choice seriously impedes that. (I know it's not your logic by the way! Rather the logic you're told to follow in order to pass your test.)

OP posts:

Original poster

Jolleigh · 19/08/2013 10:44

And good luck by the way! I hope you don't have to contend with too many tossers lax drivers.

OP posts:

MrsBri · 19/08/2013 10:45

I shouted 'nice indication, love' at a car which had taken the left turning on a roundabout - at speed - the other day while I was waiting to cross the road. Her delightful passenger gave me the V sign out of his window. Twice. :-/

It's a good job I know that barely anyone indicates and wait until I'm totally sure I can go, otherwise I'd have wheeled my DD's pram into her path.

MrsHoarder · 19/08/2013 10:55

You shouldn't indicate for the vehicles you've seen*, you should indicate for the pedestrian you haven't spotted. Surely you drive to not disrupt other people's driving then it doesn't matter if you indicate, but the time you haven't seen a vulnerable road user (or a not-vulnerable one) is the time you'll wish you'd indicated.

Mini-roundabouts excepted.

MrsBri · 19/08/2013 10:59

What is worse is that the driver who has narrowly missed running you over will then look at you like it's your fault. They seem to fail to appreciate that pedestrians don't generally want to be run over and don't deliberately walk into the path of cars. Maybe if they told us where they were heading it would be easier.

I do loiter at the side of the road for ages now to try to avoid putting us in any danger from inconsiderate non-indicators.

mindyourownbusiness · 19/08/2013 11:07

Redrubyshoes She would very quickly become a pedestrian and then I would say 'Now there is a pedestrian about, I will indicate'

mindyourownbusiness · 19/08/2013 11:10

My road rage phrase of choice to non indicators is 'Don't bother indicating. I'll guess where you're going!'
Thing is it's child friendly aswell and better than saying ignorant twat something else not as suitable for DCs or great aunt Marthas ears.

IsItMyArseOrMyElbow · 19/08/2013 11:34

I have a little song I like to sing to myself on such occasions;

Do you know where you're going to?
If you do, will you give me a fucking clue,
Where you are going to,
So I know tooooooooo!

I did, however, get sworn and gesticulated at by a lorry driver on a mini roundabout, when I first got into my Vauxhall. It has a '2-phase' indicator which I wasn't aware of, if you just flick the indicator it flashes 3 times then cuts off, so you have to press it up or down a bit more firmly for it to stay on continuously. Maybe designed for those who come off on slip roads and don't cancel their indicator until they reach their destination?

Eilidhbelle · 19/08/2013 11:43

But surely indicating is second nature when you're driving? I don't think 'wayhey, a quiet road, no need to indicate THIS time! Think of all the calories I've saved by not indicating!' I just do it.

gordyslovesheep · 19/08/2013 11:51

Yanbu and I will add my own little caveat ...indicating doesn't give you right of way ...I am looking at YOU big lorry driver on the M6 9 am Friday morning, pulling into my lane forcing me to swerve into the right hand lane

gordyslovesheep · 19/08/2013 11:51

Nb I was along side him so had no choice

Original poster

Jolleigh · 19/08/2013 12:07

1 additional hatred of mine...hazard lights do not automatically transform the spot you've stopped in into a parking space. I hate drivers who think they can block lanes and cycle lanes simply because they can't be arsed walking an extra 50feet from a side road. (Slightly off topic I know but still in the signalling umbrella).

OP posts:

diaimchlo · 19/08/2013 12:08

YADNBU

I hate it when people cut up in front of you without indicating just plain bad manners!!!!!! Even the Police cars do it round here!!!!!

What annoys me even more is when you are on a one way system with 2 lanes that go to different locations and traffic is slow moving/standing still due to loads of traffic lights and are indicating to change lane before you get taken in the complete opposite direction than you want to go, you make eye contact with the driver of the car you want to go in front of so they are aware you need to change lane and they tail gate the car in front. IMO that is the height of bad manners, letting you in would not delay their journey by anymore than 10 secs FGS!

SueDoku · 19/08/2013 13:05

My first car was a 2CV - it was very useful in that the indicators didn't cancel automatically, you had to switch them off; this has meant that in the intervening 30 years it's just an automatic reaction to do that once I'm round a corner, so I never leave my indicators on...

It also had a 650cc engine, which taught me that I had to consider whether I could overtake safely, as it took ages to pick up speed -- I still think that if everyone had to drive a 2CV for the first 12 months after passing their test, there'd be a lot less accidents..!!

Lemonylemon · 19/08/2013 13:29

I think it would be a good idea to have a segment at the end of the local news every evening, reminding people of the Highway Code. One evening it could be indicating, another night something about giving way if you have an obstacle on YOUR side of the road, not the opposite. Another night could be the subject of parking across people's drives......

Then again, we wouldn't be able to moan about it here....

Fakebook · 19/08/2013 13:35

Yanbu. I wish I had some kind of loudspeaker attached to the top of my car through which I could shout at people not indicating.

FreudiansSlipper · 19/08/2013 13:42

And drivers who indicate when they are going straight across on a roundabout it is very annoying

have a small busy roundabout one of the thurmond is very sharpe but the amount of stupid drivers that indicate when they are actually going straight across is shocking have seen many people have to slam on their brakes especially around the school run time

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