to ask if you don’t use indicators…

[Merryoldgoat]

…why the fuck not?

Seriously. The number of twats tonight turning in and out of junctions with no signal.

Grrrr.

It’s pretty obvious that the new Highway Code rules haven’t permeated the consciousness of the drivers I encountered this afternoon as a pedestrian. Another lady and I were marooned on an island whilst a stream of cars drove past. So no giving way to pedestrians there.

Using an indicator as an automatic action means you haven't looked properly. It was drummed into me to read the road / pedestrians constantly. My instructor would ask me who I was indicating to if I just flipped them on. If my answer was "there might be someone there" then I was told I wasn't checking enough.
Again, it's rare that I'm on an empty road for it to be an issue.

@BlusteryLake

Related to this - how can people possibly fail to notice their indicator is still on after they have turned? It drives me insane when people are driving along signalling left or right but not actually moving. How do they not notice the noise?

Hmmm... this happens sometimes in my rather elderly (46yo) truck. The dash looks like it was built in someone's shed, so obviously it doesn't have self-cancelling indicators (which I often forget because I drive it the least of our 3 vehicles. The other 2 have the feature). It also has a 3.5ltr V8, so even when stationary and idling I can't hear the whispering tick-tick of the indicator. The tiny flashing light isn't exactly bright either.

I am known to bellow "DON'T BOTHER INDICATING, I'LL GUESS!" at roundabouts. Makes no difference but makes the children laugh.

My other peeve is hazards seemingly now acting as a cloaking device for someone who just wants to de whatever they want on the road.

Someone once crashed into me because they WERE indicating they were signalling, I pulled out as someone going int he opposite direction waved me out. Cos he was turning. Only he wasn't. My fault of course but v v annoying.

@BlusteryLake

Related to this - how can people possibly fail to notice their indicator is still on after they have turned? It drives me insane when people are driving along signalling left or right but not actually moving. How do they not notice the noise?

I think some people have music on too loud. They're usually the same ones who are totally oblivious to the emergency vehicle trying to get past!

I’d love to use indicators but unfortunately my car isn’t fitted with any.

#BMW

[quote Merryoldgoat]@StarsAndSugarlumps

You make really good points actually. That sounds like a much better way to use them.[/quote]
I was taught that you move them in the direction you are turning the steering wheel. Makes sense to me.

Where I live I don't think they fit then on BMW's.

Drives me nuts too. Especially when people half ass it on a roundabout - they indicate right when they get on but don't bother indicating left to get off it, just continue indicating right.
Sooo many people do this, including my dh, but I don't get it at all

Nobody's business were I'm going

@WetLookKnitwear

Tiredness

If you’re too tired to indicate then you shouldn’t be driving

Probably the same people who drive dark grey or black cars in the dark and just because their front headlights are on, they forget to put their actual lights on.
(My motor does this , decides to put its lights on but only one set of the headlights )

I was behind such a driver last month , M25 , dark late evening .
Totally bloody obtuse to the fact they were invisible , I did a couple of quick dibdib on my lights but nope , still just pootled on .............I was glad when they buggered off

@Agrudge

Nobody's business were I'm going

Presumably a joke? You do know it’s part of the requirement of driving.

@katseyes7

My driving instructor taught me to 'always use them, whether there's anybody else about or not, then you won't cause an accident' and l do. Even if it's after midnight and there's not a soul or a car to be seen. It's just automatic to me now. I passed my test first time and l've been driving 30 years this year. There are an awful lot of people on our roads who seem to think the rest of us are telepathic, though.

I think that's the problem. You don't do it when there's no one around and then slip into bad habits. End up not doing them at roundabouts etc.

I hope that whenever someone does it that it's not an ingrained habit and they never do it. Probably wrong a lot of the time though.

@balalake

About 25% of those on the road should not have a licence, in my opinion. Some are for medical reasons, the OP has provided yet another reason to remove those who should be for their conduct on the road.

I suspect at least a quarter actually don't have a valid licence.

@Solmum1964

Did you actually read the post?

Wasted ages this morning as could've gone on a roundabout if the idiot on it had indicated he was exiting the exit before mine.

Def do it all the time. There might be pedestrians gauging what to do - by the time you've analysed whether there's genuinely anyone who needs to see you indicate or not, you may as well move your hand the whole few cm it takes to just indicate.

@batfurger

They disturb my dog... he gets upland whines because he thinks we are nearly home...

The only time I don't use them is when there's no one to indicate to...

...which includes the times when there is someone you haven't noticed.

My son was knocked down crossing a road by someone who didn't indicate. He might not have been if they had indicated.

@Foxyloxy1plus1

It’s pretty obvious that the new Highway Code rules haven’t permeated the consciousness of the drivers I encountered this afternoon as a pedestrian. Another lady and I were marooned on an island whilst a stream of cars drove past. So no giving way to pedestrians there.

Were you at a junction or just in the middle of a straight road?

@batfurger

They disturb my dog... he gets upland whines because he thinks we are nearly home...

The only time I don't use them is when there's no one to indicate to...

All hail your omni-presence.

If I can't see you, you can't see me.

We have a roundabout at the way into our town centre. Traffic can go one of two ways , it's amazing how many don't seem to know where they're going.

I frequently mutter to myself about indicators as I walk to work with cars suddenly deciding to turn onto the road I'm about to cross.

I think I shocked a man in a council van once who decided not to use his indicators but beep his horn instead. I wasn't a good meek apologetic woman but instead stopped and yelled something about "using your indicators you fucking twat" I was in a bit of a bad mood and he ended up on the receiving end. He actually apologised which was not what I expected!

I remember the ‘indicator rows’ from years ago when I did my blue light driving course. We were shown pictures/film of cars indicating, and asked to say what it meant; course we all said ‘they’re turning right/left/about to pull in’ etc etc.

Their answer was no, in fact all these pictures show, is that the car’s indicator light is working. Their point being, of course, in a transparently PA way, that you can’t presume the actions of a car/driver from their indicator lights. Due to all the reasons stated above by prev posters.

It means there’s a fine line between dithering unnecessarily at roundabouts etc, should you choose to presume everyone has left their indicators on by accident, or blindly charging out cos the car approaching is indicating to turn off/pull out.

The skill they’re trying to hammer home is getting that balance right; see their indicators, but read their manoeuvres etc. We were also taught to not indicate if no-one was visibly around (I still have no answer to what you’re meant to do if approaching a junction with limited view etc, they never did answer that 🤷‍♀️)