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...!

I will say, my driving instructor told me if no ones is around then no need to indicate. I remember he made me pull over on a hill and reminded me so as no one about I didn't indicate. I was told off because kids were playing a very long way away.

YADNBU. The one thing I really can't understand is people not using them on motorways, it's so dangerous. If I am moving into the middle lane from the inside lane and someone from the outside label does it at the same time without indicating, then how on earth am I supposed to know they are going and avoid a collision! It's crazy but happens so often

Add to the list no fog lights. It's foggy as fook here and I've just nearly had two collisions. One was a red car that was completely hidden as he tried to pull onto the dual carriageway (it's a side on entry) once he turned to the same direction as me (he was already on the road) I saw his lights and shit myself. He's prob thinking silly bitch didn't move over.

Another car, an Audi that can only be described as fog coloured coming towards me (mostly on my side of the road) with no lights on at all. He came in to view at last minute and once again I nearly shit myself.

Evee I've seen at least a couple of dozen cars on my way in this morning which either had no lights on at all or just sidelights, never mind fog lights. It's horrendous.

Shall we start The Polite BMW Drivers club then, Eveesmum? and die of loneliness

"They should have eggs smashed on their windscreens."

maid use it!! It won't run out.

I teach a course in engineering safety and many moons ago I did research into human error. One thing I know for certain is that everybody makes mistakes, even in the simplest tasks. I always indicate because I know it is possible that I have failed to notice somebody who would benefit from that signal and also that signal will allow the person I have not noticed to take action to mitigate my mistake. I could do cost benefit analysis except the cost of indicating unnecessarily is zero so even if the benefit is zero it is worth doing.

Distracting attention from the execution of the manoeuvre in order to decide whether or not indication is required must increase the probability of incorrectly carrying out the move, even if you are driving largely without conscious control (ie you don't have to consciously think how to change gear or move the car in a particular direction). Always indicating moves indication into the automatic part of the manoeuvre and removes the distraction.

For those of you who have got to the end of this frankly dull message, think yourselves luck you don't have to come to my lectures.

PS My DH has a BMW (which I refuse to drive), as soon as he got it he stopped indicating. I think there is something impregnated into the leather seats.

Yanbu

I scowled at an idiot who turned onto the road I was waiting to cross because she didn't indicate. Indicating in good time means I can tell whether or not I should cross the road.

Same when driving. Pissing idiots who think they don't need to indicate off a roundabout (glares at DH) and position the car all wrong so it is hard to judge where they're going.

Idiots. And lazy too.

My own particular favourite brand of indicator-felons are the ones who begin a manoeuvre without indicating, become aware of all the braking and arm-waving going on around them, and then stick their indicators on for a token couple of flashes, just as they complete the manoeuvre.

No, you can't go back in time and make people aware you're turning right by indicating after the fact!

Chemenger not boring at all, and makes perfect sense. It means that making it a minor fault for indicating when no-one is there makes sense because at that point driving is still a new skill and indicating may distract. As you become a capable and competent driver and many of the skills involved become automatic, indicating as a matter of course becomes zero cost/potential benefit and so should be done.

When's your next lecture?

Oh and the no lights in fog thing drives me bonkers too. It's proper thick fog here today - where you genuinely can't see more than about 50 metres, and people are hurtling around with no lights on. Getting out of a busy junction was fun - I nearly got taken out by a range rover with no lights on, doing about twice the speed limit.

This gave me a laugh this morning

I indicate all the time.

I indicate when I am in a right hand turn only lane and can't go anywhere else. It should be obvious I am turning right as I have no where else to go but it is just a good habit to be into.

pointythings - excellent point, I hadn't thought about it that way for learners. I may well put this whole thing in a lecture next year. I have previously has an exam question on why students don't use bike lights so this follows on nicely. My next lecture is on industrial crystallisation and is at 11.10.

non indicators
people in wrong lanes at roundabouts
drivers who rush to get in front of you when two lanes merge
drivers who park and don't turn their wheels in on narrow roads
middle lane hoggers
motorway drivers who don't move over when you're trying to merge from a slip lane

....they should all be lined up and shot

Arseholes who don't use their fog lights when visibility might stretch to 40m, bombing about at speed on a rural road in the early morning - what's the consensus on hanging them off the nearest convenient lamppost?

I'm lucky to be alive this morning.

YANBU. Remember it isn't just other cars that need to know where you are going, pedestrians and cyclists need to know too.

PedantMarina - can I join the polite BMW owners club too, please?

Nancy - I hate the people who stay in a lane that is closing/merging until the last minute and then try to bully their way into the other lane. I stay close to the car in front of me and refuse to let them in. I realise that this may jeopardise my membership application to the Polite BMW Owners Club, of course.

I totally agree SDTG
Some people must think they are above queuing and that their time is more valuable than everyone else's. I too refuse to let them in. Who on earth would let someone push in?

A lot of drivers are dicks just as there a lot of cyclists and pedestrians who are also dicks.

I now presume that everyone is a dick on the basis that when they aren't it's a lovely surprise :)

I had a woman in an Olive green BMW riding up my behind (I presume she didn't have any seats in her car and wanted to use my rear seats) all the way from school drop off last week. Squeezing through the traffic calming when she shouldn't have, nearly knocked a pupil cycling up the hill off his bike. Just being a general arse. Anyway, we get through the 20 zone, into the 30, she is still there - came through the traffic lights behind me when I went through on Amber (trying to shake her off). Anyway - we get straight from the 30 into a dual 50 with a sharp bend ahead - I accelerate to 50 knowing she is going to belt past in the outside.

However, what I know and she apparently doesn't is that when I passed on the way to school there were traffic cops sitting in a layby just round the tight bend.........

Well she definitely can't be in the polite BMW drivers club!!! Olive green too???

Looks like we have three members!!!! First step, mumsnet. Next step the world!!!!

I also don't let pricks in who leave in to the last second when two lanes become one (spice girls) once, about five cars all joined together to not let someone in (dare I say it BMW driver)