To think people who don't use their indicators should be fined?

[candycoatedwaterdrops]

I am probably BU and there are plenty of other annoying foibles of my fellow drivers but really...!

Oh YANBU there is a reason people are supposed to use indicators.

And for the "I only indicate when there's someone there to see it" brigade, can I point out that

• it would be much better to just get into the habit of indicating anyway and then you do it almost automatically
• nowhere in the highway code does it say indicate only if someone else is looking
• you may think you have great hazard perception but it only takes a tiny misjudgement not to notice another road user who is then caught out by your maneouvre.

This one REALLY grinds my gears. One day I am going to follow someone at a distance so I can let them know their indicators aren't working when they stop. Muppets.

megrim , my husband had an Audi as a company car briefly. And I can report that they do infact come with indicators. I was quite shocked to see the little lever right next to the steering wheel exactly the same as in every other car.

I'm surprised other car users didn't actually crash due to the shock of seeing them actually being used.

The roundabouts thing makes sense on a one or maybe even two lane roundabout, but where I live in London you get roundabouts with 3 or 4 lanes and people are so thick, they will be in one lane and just swerve across the other 3 for their exit without indication, or weave in and out of lanes. These are busy roundabouts with almost solid traffic, my eyes can't be everywhere and I can't predict what these people are going to do. I've seen masses of accidents.

YABU. Fining is far too good for them. We need a laser beam to come out of the Sky and vaporise the stupid bastards and their twat cars.

You may be able to tell it really is one of my pet peeves.

Yanbu

OP I feel your pain: YANBU. I am sick of playing the telepathic roundabout navigation game.

There are two adjoining roundabouts on my commute to work and it can be a real pain, especially going in one direction because it seems the drivers going right never indicate that is what they are doing so you have to assume they are going straight on until they veer into you.

I think supermarket car parks are the prime no indicating grounds though, which is even worse because there are so many pedestrians walking in the middle of the lanes around.

More annoying was the stupid woman who was indicating left on the main road as she approached the side road I was trying to turn left out of this afternoon. I assumed I could pull out because not only was she indicating left but she slowed down! Luckily I was a bit hesitant or she would have ploughed straight into me as she continued on her merry way. I pulled out behind her and she continued to indicate left as she pulled right out of the next junction, then continued to indicate left on her way down the road past several more side roads. Had she hit someone I bet she would have denied all knowledge of her indicator being on as well

YANBU - every time I go to cross a side street or by a junction, I am stood there like a lemon for ages unable to cross as sodding drivers don't indicate, usually when it's pissing down...

The people who piss me off are the ones in front of me who queue at a light, then turn their indicator on when it turns green. I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN A DIFFERENT FUCKING LANE IF YOU HAD INDICATED FROM THE MOMENT YOU APPROACHED THE QUEUE. NOW I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT FUCKING LIGHT.

(I'm especially thinking of a particular junction near Liverpool Street Station, for traffic going straight on, the left lane is usually slower than the right, due to congestion past the left turn, so unless there is someone in front of you turning right, the right lane gives you a better chance of getting through on the first green light. The first person to turn right will cause everyone behind them to have to wait for the next green light, as they will block the lane waiting for a non-existent gap in on-coming traffic, until the lights change.)

And remember lots of Japanese car drivers might think that they're indicating but are actually just turning their windscreen wipers on as the indicator stalk is on the wrong side.

I can confirm that whilst BMWs are not fitted with indicators they are fitted with blonde CD changers. With big sunglasses.

Gosh I'm slow today, I was sitting here thinking that people actually thought BMWs didn't have indicators . Irony is wasted on me today.

I drive a very very old BMW. I can confirm it does have well used indicators! It's my first BMW. I feel I have to be extra nice on the road so people don't think I'm a cunt. I wanted one for about ten years and thought u know what I'll get it and revolutionise the way ppl see BMW drivers. It's not going well so far...

Indicate then
You stupid bastard
How was I supposed to know
That you intended to turn left
I'm not a mind reader

I find myself singing this quite a bit.

Annoying people who indicate right when coming off a roundabout. Fine them.

Idiot people who swing wildly to the left when turning right. Fine them.

They should have eggs smashed on their windscreens.

YANBU at all. They should be used habitually not on a case-by-case basis.

I would say two to three times a week I see cars not bothering to indicate when turning left at the roundabout at the end of my road - it's busy and has a big greenery-covered island so you usually have to stop and wait your turn, but only single lanes. I used to pull up next to the front car in the bike lane, assuming they were going straight on, only to have them turn directly left into me, still without indicating. Don't do that any more... You also end up sitting there for ages as the people on the immediate right look as if they're going straight on across (they're sat there not indicating) but then they turn left as well, meaning nobody's sure when it's safe to pull out. Did that make sense?

oh yes TheFabulousIdiot, that is one of my absolute pet hates. How can anyone think it's the right thing to do - indicating the exact opposite of what you're actually going to do.

And I hate non-indicators

And people who pull across pavements without looking, because cars are worth slowing down for, but pedestrians aren't…

And finally, the people who are in a traffic jam, who stop on pedestrian crossings so it's impossible to cross safely. Particularly when it's raining.

Thanks, good therapy!

Hi eveesmummy, it's a well known fact that Classic BMWs have been retrofitted with indicators, and therefore are driven by lovely considerate people.

amandine if you ever get the chance to take a defensive driving course, do it. One of the things you learn is never trust that anyone indicating is actually going to turn - wait until they commit.

cherry I don't do irony either - that's why I have a full irony basket of creased shirts.

It's not even a classic. It's simply old but I do bloody love it. It's broken tho, the dealer keeps trying to fix it. Soon he's going to give me my newer but still old Picasso back

Thank you tho. Made me chuckle. Irony basket gave me a full on giggle tho

I'm another one who just always indicates, whether there is anyone there or not. Far better to have the habit and stick to it because it's a bloody good habit.

Not indicating is in my top three of pet road peeves, alongside tailgating and not dipping high beams in time on country roads (and yes, if you are driving a long way behind me I can still see them and they are still a distraction you plonker).

YABU to say fine them, OP. I think we should give them points and take their licence away when they hit 12 points just as is done for other offences.

Actually in defence of German car drivers (see Megrim et al above), not that German car drivers deserve any defence, the indicator stalk IS on the wrong side. Maybe their little brains can"t find it?

I think they should be shot.
No questions, no excuses.

And as for only indicating when there are other road users........ there are always other road users. You just might not have noticed them. It's not like there is a charge to use them. It's a good habit to have.

No offense Megrim (and Eeves) but it is DEFINITELY the Germans not the Japanese whose indicator is on the wrong side. But I'm with Fraidy. If I get in line behind you at a light and THEN you decide belatedly to indicate right I reserve the right to ram you. And if I had a nice big BMW I might

pointythings with a name like that I would expect you to indicate every time.

I am happy to report that the indicators on my German car are in excellent working condition.