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AIBU?

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Original poster

Please tell me this pisses you off too?

232 replies

WaitrosePigeon · 03/08/2016 06:53

I do a lot of motorway driving.
Can someone please enlighten me as to why people don't indicate when changing lanes? People just drift in and out of the lanes, cut in front of me etc.

I guess it's laziness but how is it hard to indicate? Surely it's just an ingrained thing you do without really thinking about it?

It's really starting to piss me off.

OP posts:
BluePitchFork · 03/08/2016 15:57

also with sticking to speed limits you must remember that the cars speedometers are not acurate (which is why you have tolerances when being caught speeding).
your car might show 70, but the car next to you at same speed might only show 65

LurkingHusband · 03/08/2016 16:10

cars speedometers are not accurate

but sat navs are.

That said, I just use the cars speedo which consistently reads 2mph under. That way you have a margin if you're on a slight slope. Given that speed limit enforcement is going to get a lot tighter (I know someone done for 32 in a 30) it's probably good practice.

amicissimma · 03/08/2016 16:18

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Scaredycat3000 · 03/08/2016 16:20

I think whats the point you get it wrong is ' who is speeding'. The only thing about their speed you should be judging is to follow the highway code bit about not causing others to change course or speed. You are not judge and jury. If pulling out in front of them causes them to change you are in the wrong, it doesn't matter if they are speeding, two wrongs don't make a right.
As a mostly pedestrian I have had many an argument with non-indicators, they all tell me I'm not a car so they don't need too, I tend to vocally and loudly disagree.

TroysMammy · 03/08/2016 16:26

I rarely do motorway driving but not indicating pisses me off too. Especially those that slow down and as they are turning then decide to indicate. I want to follow them and when they stop, jump out of my car and say, pointing to the indicator "see that, yes that little stick there, it lets other people know what your bloody intentions are, you twat". I wouldn't though, I'd just froth at the mouth as I go on my merry little way.

Original poster
WaitrosePigeon · 03/08/2016 16:39

some cars: BMWs, Audis and Mercedes, don't appear to have indicators fitted

Really? Some cars have absolutely no indicators? Surely that's a basic requirement?

OP posts:
whatsthatcomingoverthehill · 03/08/2016 16:43

"I think whats the point you get it wrong is ' who is speeding'. The only thing about their speed you should be judging is to follow the highway code bit about not causing others to change course or speed. You are not judge and jury. If pulling out in front of them causes them to change you are in the wrong, it doesn't matter if they are speeding, two wrongs don't make a right."

I'm not "pulling out in front of them", I'm pulling out to overtake a slower car with plenty of space for any traffic behind. That overtaking manoeuvre might take 30 seconds. I don't know exactly how fast the person 300m behind me is doing. It is not my fault if they happen to catch up on me during the overtake. Sometimes it can even be a line of cars and I could be in the outside lane for a few minutes. How am I supposed to know if I'm going to end up in the way of someone speeding during that time?

There's a difference between deliberately pulling out in front of someone you know is going faster (causing them to have to break sharply) and overtaking where anyone who happens to catch up should have plenty of time to see you and slow down. They shouldn't even need to use their brakes. (Unless they're a twat who likes bombing up behind people and trying to intimidate them for daring to be in the outside lane driving at the speed limit.)

redexpat · 03/08/2016 17:23

No I have never routinely checked my blindspot while the car was moving. I have checked on occassion when the car I was overtaking had moved across into the far lane and disappeared from my vision in the mirror.

Been driving 17 years. One accident, on the street where I live going at 10mph.

Janecc · 03/08/2016 17:58

whatsthat obviously if the car is relatively close and would have to brake. Many people have no concept of how fast a car is actually going as they approach. And yes, better to gently slow than force someone to brake. As I said, I used to live in Germany so I'm super aware of this risk. I'm pretty Hmm that so many people aren't aware and cannot judge speed. Plenty of drivers go well over 100mph on our roads.

Queenbean · 03/08/2016 17:59

No I have never routinely checked my blindspot while the car was moving

You have been very lucky and are incredibly risky not to do this. You are potentially putting someone in a very dangerous position, it's utter stupidity.

Haven't you seen the adverts showing motorbikes in blind spots? It shows how easy it is to hit them.

Janecc · 03/08/2016 18:14

And whatsthat a car doing 100mph does almost 45 metres a second, at 70mph, you're doing just over 31 metres per second. At a distance of 300m, the car is travelling roughly 14 metres per second more than you. So they will catch you up in around 22 seconds. Obviously that's a long time. But not much time in real terms - mirror, signal, look in front to check the road is still clear, mirror manoeuvre and they will be surprisingly close.

TheGruffaloMother · 03/08/2016 18:30

I can barely believe there's a poster on this thread advocating for not checking their blind spot on a motorway, or at all while the car is moving Angry seriously, if you can't keep the wheel straight while you glance behind you for a second to check you're not about to cause a serious accident then you shouldn't be driving. That may come across harshly but you're literally endangering people's lives.

redexpat · 03/08/2016 19:09

It is what my driving instructor told me to do! Until this thread i have never heard of anyone doing this. No passenger has ever questioned it, and I have never noticed other drivers doing it when i have been a passenger.

No I haven't seen any adverts as I don't live in the UK.

Sirzy · 03/08/2016 19:17

A driving instructor told you not to look at your blind spot?

That proves my thinking that some driving instructors shouldn't have a driving licence let alone a licence to teach others to drive!

Hulashaker · 03/08/2016 19:24

Personal bugbare of mine I don't let people out of junctions if they are not indicating on pure principal drives me crazy the only thing that gives me road rage really

redexpat · 03/08/2016 19:26

Ok there's been some confusion. I've checked the gov.uk site and it says you should check the blind spot with a quick glance to the side to check on vehicles that have disappeared from your view in the mirror. Which I do if a vehicle disappears from my vision. But I thought you were talking about looking over your shoulder like you do when you pull out from stationery.

Do you do a quick glance to the side or over your shoulder?

TheGruffaloMother · 03/08/2016 19:28

You're taking the semantics a bit too rigidly there redex. Your blind spot is in the same place in both situations.

Queenbean · 03/08/2016 19:33

"Blind spot" literally means any area where you're blind and can't see oncoming vehicles. So either the bit behind the post or when a vehicle is along side you in the strip out of your vision.

Which country are you in btw? No UK instructor would pass you

Queenbean · 03/08/2016 19:35

I don't mean oncoming!

redexpat · 03/08/2016 19:38

I did pass in the UK in 1999.

Ifailed · 03/08/2016 20:02

Don't be ridiculous, you know what she means
I know what the poster wrote. I don't have ESP like some, who can tell the sex of someone and what they 'mean'.

Melawen · 03/08/2016 20:22

I have many irritations when out driving due to the numpties out there, but the one that got me today was someone utterly refusing to merge in turn and kept speeding up (and nearly shoving me out) when I tried to take my turn. When I happened to look at her she was clearly very cross and muttering all sorts of swear words!!

ExasperatedAlmostAlways · 03/08/2016 20:28

It drives me up the fucking wall, non indicating. It's not just motorways for me either in our towns bad too. Or you get the nuggets that indicate left at a roundabout but are going straight on. Idiots.

Original poster
WaitrosePigeon · 03/08/2016 20:38

Ifailed, I have no idea what ESP means.

You knew exactly what the poster meant, behave.

OP posts:
Original poster
WaitrosePigeon · 03/08/2016 20:42

*Surely it's just an ingrained thing you do without really thinking about it?

That's even more dangerous!

"Thinking about it" should be part of your driving. You shouldn't be changing lanes if it means someone else has to change their course/speed to accommodate you. You should only indicate when there is a message to send.

Indicating automatically is a signal that you're driving automatically and not thinking about what you're doing.*

You've misunderstood me. I don't think I would still be live if I did the above.

I can't believe I'm having to state the obvious here but of course I look before I indicate. What I meant was that surely it's ingrained in people to look and signal, it's what we've been taught from the start.

OP posts: