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

[Jolleigh]

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? ?

YADDDNBU. I lose count of the number of times I say to my DH as we're cut up/pulled out on/end up giving way needlessly "car manufacturers are such rip off merchants, if I bought an expensive car like that I'd expect to get indicators as standard..."

turnings

my auto correct seems to be in another language

YADNBU. Drives me bonkers. It's the people that signal wrongly that get me - might as well not bother in the first place.

I really want cars to come with some kind of voice operated car to car messaging system to that I can state a number plate, say my message and it gets announced through the receiving car's speakers.

I could even program some pre-defined messages. One of which would be "you utter fucking tool".

I'd of course want to be able to log all sent and received messages so police could be informed of any abuse to my perfect new system (or any pathetic excuses for poor driving)

Obviously there's enormous scope for misuse of my perfect new concept and there would need to be some kind of filter that parents could switch on to convert 'fucking' to 'fudging' etc...

Not "Mirror, signal only if you can see another vehicle, then manoeuvre."

When i said upthread about not indicating when not seeing 'anybody' i of course meant pedestrians, cyclists, horses etc too - not just vehicles. My instructors often said if you ever said in a test 'i indicated just in case there was someone i haven't seen' they wouldn't be impressed. They do not want you to things out of habit, you should be thinking about everything you do and judge each situation accordingly. Not say 'oh i just always indicate' as it is dangerous to get into driving habits. One of my instuctors said with 'mirror, signal, manoeuvre' that is a problem, people just do it by the numbers without actually looking .

And where i took my last test there were a lot of situations where there was no one around. Perhaps if you drive somewhere busy it is easier, because you just indicate all the time. But where i live you have to think about it everytime.

Even if your indicator isn't working then use hand signals.

There is no excuses for not indicating

I honestly fail to see how being in the habit of indicating poses a problem. Even if you indicate to thin air, it's better than forgetting to one day and causing a serious accident.

Everyone should have to resit their test every 10 years and over 65s, every 5 years. It's not just indicators though, is it. In fact, it's not just drivers come to think of it. Recently, I've seen an absolute spate of pedestrians walking along the lanes (obviously, it's Summer ) away from the traffic, on the left hand side of the road. Pet hates of mine are; non-indictation, middle lane hoggers, people pulling out into my braking distance (exacerbated by non-indication), people sitting at roundabouts when they have the right of way, not turning indicators OFF after turning so i think you are turning again, people driving 20 mph in a 40 zone, tail gating, etc, etc. Better stop now, before i give myself a heart attack!

Justforlaughs - I have a theory that pretty much equates to: the more things that piss you off while driving, the better a driver you are.

Surely someone who is completely serene on the roads and doesn't see an issue with these things simply doesn't recognise them as being dangerous??

(List-wise, I'm pretty sure mine's much longer).

But how can you know that you've seen everybody around? I'm watching the road as well as looking out for pedestrians, bikes, riders, etc and I'm very aware of what's going on around me, but I will always indicate in case there's someone I haven't seen.

I'd rather indicate when I don't need to than run the risk of someone appearing out of nowhere and not being psychic enough to know what manoeuvre I intended to make.

I honestly fail to see how being in the habit of indicating poses a problem. Even if you indicate to thin air, it's better than forgetting to one day and causing a serious accident.

Because if you get into a habit of doing it, you may stop looking for people around to indicate too - thinking 'oh well they will see me indicate' - rather than actively really looking for people. Then you may turn without seeing them. So by really looking and seeing there is no one around and then not indicating, shows to the examiner that you really looked.

But how can you know that you've seen everybody around? I'm watching the road as well as looking out for pedestrians, bikes, riders, etc and I'm very aware of what's going on around me, but I will always indicate in case there's someone I haven't seen.

Then according to the examiner you shouldn't be driving.

MrsKoala - we'll have to agree to disagree. Me indicating doesn't have an impact on whether I've looked properly. And surely if someone hasn't looked properly, indicating at least gives the person they've not seen a fighting chance to get out of the way?

You don't need to indicate approaching the roundabout if you are going straight over but you do need to indicate after passing the exit before the one you are taking.

"So by really looking and seeing there is no one around and then not indicating, shows to the examiner that you really looked."

Or it shows that you forgot to indicate as per the Highway Code

I shall also have to agree to disagree with you here MrsKoala - I've been driving since May 1989 and have a clean licence and no accidents (not counting the 92 year old woman that drove into the side of me) and think it's a better habit to indicate than not indicate. Surely by getting into the habit of not indicating when you think there's no-one around you're more likely to forget to indicate when there is?

As my sister says 'I wish I had telepathy just so I could shout at other drivers' it is important to indicate and also do it before you turn not as you are going round the corner. its not an afterthought

No - You are misunderstanding me - these are not my opinions or an agree to disagree type thing. This is what 5 different driving instructors and 2 examiners have told me. Nothing to do with ignoring the highway code. And i DON'T agree with it. I can't even drive (which is my gift to humanity - you are all welcome btw ) but have been learning for 18 years (off and on). I often ask this question to the 'professionals' because it also doesn't seem logical to me. But they are all adamant. It is a fact apparently. So if you do it, whether you think it is right, it isn't, it is wrong.

Oh I'm sorry, I misunderstood.

I still think it's ridiculous but it's a good job I don't have to retake my test then!

Makes more sense MrsKoala...sorry for the confusion

Yes, when i am queen of the universe it will be mandatory to indicate even as a pedestrian (can't stand people veering all over the pavement either - walk in a straight line people). Chips will be implanted on birth and there will be type head explosions if my arbitrary very sensible rules are not adhered to.

Sounds like a perfect universe to me