If you do not use your blinker, especially on the highway, please help me understand why. So many people don't use there blinkers these days, there must be some kind of secret benefit I'm not aware of. I mean, not using your blinker is dumb, lazy, dangerous, inconsiderate, selfish, ignorant, and just makes you look like a complete ##### to everyone around you. Therefore, not using your blinker must have some kind of major benefit, right? So tell me non-blinker guys, what is it? Why don't you use your blinker when turning, changing lanes, etc.

For those of you who simply don't understand how blinkers work or what they're for I'll fill you in. Your car is equipped with 4 blinkers, one on each corner. There's a small lever on the left side of your steering column that controls these 4 blinkers. Don't be intimidated though, the lever is real easy to use. It's not real heavy or complicated. All you do is lift the lever up to make the blinkers on the front right and rear right of your car blink, or push the lever down to make the blinkers on the front left and rear left of your car blink.

Blinkers are used to alert those around you of what you are doing. For example, if you're turning left, using your left blinker let's those around you know that you're not slowing down or stopping in the middle of the road for no reason. Using your blinker could prevent someone from rear-ending you and sending you through your windshield.

On the highway, driving at speeds of 80 mph+ can be very dangerous and using your blinker can be the difference between getting home safely and ending up on the side of the highway in an accident, or even worse, in the hospital. If someone is distracted for even a second and you cut in front of them without warning, an accident is likely to occur. On the other hand, a simple flick of a finger activates your blinker, letting everyone around you know that you need to change lanes. This allows people around you to slow down or speed up to make space, and be prepared for you to make your lane change.

You see, blinkers are very easy to use, and make driving on our roads and highways safer and more enjoyable for everyone!

I don't use them to piss people like you off.

Really?

I live in the northern plains, where there's not a lot of highway traffic. I don't generally bother with my turn signal on the highway because there's nobody around who needs to see it. They guy in front of me who I'm changing lanes to pass doesn't need to worry about what's going on behind him, and by the time I'm past him and move back into his lane he knows what's going on anyway.*

I use my signal in other situations when traffic is more congested, but generally not for typical highway driving.


* Edit: I should add then when I pass somebody, I don't pull back into their lane 3 feet in front of them. I wait until I can see their headlights in my rear-view mirror before I move back into their lane, so I don't feel any obligation to signal. When traffic is tighter and I have to cut off a motorist to change lanes, then I signal.

People who don't use their blinkers are an absolute nightmare for bikers. Since you often (almost never) are aware of us around you in traffic, it helps greatly if we can at least have some advance notice of your intention to turn left in front of us, merge into the exact spot our motorcycle is already occupying, or otherwise cutting us off.

I have pulled up to numerous people at red lights and asked them, "Are your turn signals broken, or are you just too stupid to understand how and when to use them?"

I'm convinced it's simply the later.

Another reason that you are seeing fewer-and-fewer use their turn signals is because one or both of their hands are pre-occupied either chatting or texting on their cell phone.

Again, these people fall into the idiot or stupid category.

I'm with you, people who don't use blinkers are idiots. In traffic if someone is trying to merge into my lane without a blinker they've got no shot at see an opening in front of me larger than a shoebox. If they have their blinker on they get a polite "go ahead" wave and I give them plenty of space.

I'd say rampant use of cell phones - many of which are not hands-free - while driving has only exacerbated the problem. So many people yakking on the phone when they should be focusing on the road.

ETA: Robbie Cooper beat me to it.

So let me get this straight. People who don't use turn signals are idiots, but it's smart to tailgate the guy in front of you for the purpose of boxing out a third motorist?

You might "feel" that way. But that makes you wrong, inconsiderate, dangerous, and probalby a bit lazy. You have a legal obligation to signal every single time you change lanes. Is it really that hard? It's literally a flick of your wrist. You have to be one lazy SOB or one amazingly inconsiderate person to feel "no obligation" to the people you share the road with to do the simple, right, corteous, and legal thing.

I think it comes down to this. Everytime I use my turn signal to change lanes, the person behind me in the lane I want to move into suddenly speeds up because they can't stand to have yet another car in front of them. You don't signal, you can catch them off guard and move in before they cut you off.

It's mainly "lazy."



Yeah, I know, but I just don't care. If there's nobody around who's being affected by my lane change, I freely shirk my legal responsibility, and no I don't feel bad for doing so.

So you just cut in front of the guy without warning at highway speeds? Suppose he looks away for a second as you cut in front of him. He looks back and you're directly in front of him where a second ago there was no one. This won't surprise him at all? Whereas if you used your blinker, he would've been warned that you'd be cuttng in front of him and he wouldn't have looked away until you were done.

I just don't get what's hard or off-putting about using your blinker. You may not think it's necessary, but why not just use it to be considerate if nothing else? What's the downside? How can it hurt?

For most I think it is just their level of self absorption. Most people are so focused on what they are doing and the devil with everyone else.


What about if that person is planning on turning left soon and didn't know that you were planning on speeding up and being beside him at that time?

About a month ago my son got a ticket for not using his blinker. I've seen him drive and he always uses them. He said he was distracted because he thought he saw an animal run across the road. He was turning left around 1am and there was nobody around. Nobody except the cop that came out of nowhere and wrote him a $270 ticket.

People who don't use blinkers must die The Death of 1,000 Genital Stompings.

1. It's not my fault if the other motorist isn't paying attention to what's going on. If he didn't notice that I was in the process of passing him, he's probably not going to notice my signal either.

2. I'm not "cutting in front" of the other guy. I'm getting well in front of him and moving back into his lane. Its not like I'm sliding over just a few feet from his front bumper. In heavy traffic that requires that kind of manuever, then yeah sure I signal.

Weird that it works that way huh? Generally traffic in the metroplex slows to a crawl during rush hour so tailgating at 20 mph is not big deal. However even at 75 mph I would rather draw closer to the car in front of me rather than leave a little cushion so some jackass who can't be troubled to signal a merge can cut in and make it 2 cars in a row that are tailgating.

If the guy doesn't look his shoulder before changing lanes, or if he's not paying attention to what's going on in his rear-view mirror, then he's probably not going to notice my signal either.

And how many interstate highways allow left-hand turns from the right-hand lane?

Simple: people who don't use blinkers are self-absorbed and don't care whether others on the road know what they're doing. They know so that should be good enough, why do others need to know what they're going to do?

Also, probably too busy talking on the phone with their other hand, or text messaging their bff to take the trouble to hit the signal.

That's fine. Just be careful not to argue that signalling is important because of traffic safety if you're going to drive super-aggressively yourself.

Unfortunately the same people who don't use blinkers are probably the ones who don't comprehend safe trailing distances. Therefore, even though I want to have plenty of space between me and the car in front of me, I'm forced to trail a little close than I'd like because if I leave any amount of space, some jerk will inevitable cut in front of me and turn what little trailing room I had into virtually bumper to bumper traffic.

Usually I try to leave as much space as possible between me and the car ahead of me as possible without leaving enough room for some to cut in. Unless, of course, they use their blinker, in which case I'll happily back off and let them in.

Actually it kind of is your fault. The blinker is used as a device to attract the attention of other motorists. If you fail to use it then you are, in part, responsible if they fail to notice your intentions.

I am convinced that failure to use turn signals is responsible for more traffic slow downs and accidents than any other factor.

My big issue with this are the morons that come to an uncontrolled intersection(especially turning left onto incoming traffic) and don't use their signals.
I am also noticing more and more morons that come to a red stop light to make a right hand turn and don't realize the light is giving them a green arrow that is telling them it is ok to turn right. They sit there until the light turns green. Those people scare me more than the people that don't use turn signals.

I use it consistently in traffic, but honestly if I can see that i'm not "signaling" to anyone, i'm not going to do it just because you're "supposed to"

At some point it should just become instinct. A conditioned response, requiring no more conscious thought than breathing.

I don't use them because I like to keep other drivers guessing. If I tell you I'm going to come into your lane, you'll just speed up to close off my window. I need to keep surprise on my side. I will on occasion, use my left blinker, and then merge right, just to throw you off my scent.

Same reason they don't yield at yield signs

:carinshop:

x2.

I'm sure people thought you were joking, but that was my thought as well. Now, if I'm making a right turn off a street without a turn lane, I will signal so the car behind knows to slow down. Usually they don't and they get right on your ### and flip you off for having the nerve to slow them down, signal or not. In any metro area in Florida, if you use a turn signal to let someone know you would like to politely come over into their lane, 9 out of 10 times, they will speed up to block you and then pretend they don't notice your middle finger. Seriously. This is a phenomenon I have discussed with many of my friends and we all are of the opinion that the only way you can safely merge is to jack someone before they know you want over. So around here, the rudeness of not using a turn signal is a conscious response to what is an even even ruder behavioral issue.

So sometimes you signal, sometimes you don't. You have to calculate the risks, and whether or not signaling is necessary for each and every situation. Wouldn't it be easier to just use your blinker every time, thus making these calculations/risks unnecessary? I still haven't heard even one downside to blinker usage. No matter how you attempt to justify not using it, I'd still say, "But, why not just use it?"

Do you agree that using your blinker is an extremely simple task?

Well said. This is the whole point.

Better than all the other excuses I see in this thread.

Read a couple of posts above. More and more people won't let you in if you signal. Its survival of the fittest, you have to have the element of surprise.

Very soon, I have a feeling you'll start missing turns because you can't get over. Don't come crawling back to this thread then.

How do you figure?

If you are sincere this really speaks to your lack of consideration for the safety of those around you.

If you truly need to be selfish then you should note that turn signals also make it safer for you too.

LOL, normally I leave 4 wheelers alone no matter what as I'm pretty vulnerable on a bike while they are in a car. However, on 3/21/08 I was riding home from work on I95. I'm in the left lane coming up on a pickup in the right lane. I usually ride in the middle of the lane when riding solo and keep my highway lights on at all time to be as visible as possible. With no signal whatsoever the guy pulls into my lane to pass a car going under the spped limit in front of him. I back out of it so as not to be tailgating. BAD IDEA on a bike! And the lady that is behind me in the right lane gets up next to me and comes over pushing me to the yellow line, WITH NO SIGNAL. Again I back out of it and get over in the right lane to get away from this idiot. SHE COMES RIGHT BACK OVER INTO THE RIGHT LANE, almost hitting me again!

I can't leave it alone now. I pull up beside her and scream at her to open her f'n eys as she almost hit me twice. The lady starts yelling at me like I've done something wrong. I've noticed that she is quite a bit overweight and apparently oblivious to her lack of driving skills, I decide to use another tatic that might get my point across a lil better. So I tell her, well, kinda scream at her "I bet if I was a f'n twinkie your fat ### would've seen me!"

I heard that engine on her Ford Focus grunt and start screaming in a whine I never thought a focus could make. I juice the gas on the bike and I'm up to around 90 mph when I look in my mirror and this fat woman in a lil ford focus is staying right with me with both hands on the steering wheel peering through the front glass like a kamikaze pilot bearing down! I had to get up and pass a few cars to put some room between us to shake her.

I've heard of bikers that carrying thinks like jacks, the kids game, in a pouch and toss em over their shoulder in front of cars like that flattening the steer tires and causing rollovers. Got a feeling if that happened to a few people at least the next time THEY were out and about they'd be a li more watchful and courteous in their driving.

Same in SoCal. Signal and they will speed up to not let you in.



For those yelling about those not using your signals, I am going to put some of the blame back on you. I hope you realize that just because you use your signal doesnt mean you have the right to change lanes. Signals are more of an asking if its ok to change lanes, and does NOT automatically give you the right to change lanes. If you are off my bumper and signal I do not automatically have to slow down to let you in. In fact, there may be a car behind me preventing that, so you moving over is not an option. SPEED UP or slow down and find a safe time to move. Just because your signal is on doesnt mean jack.

Further, remember, your signal is to come on first, then you decide if its safe to move. DO NOT start to change lanes, then turn on your signal then expect the car you are merging into to let you.

Signals are good, but they do not give you the right of way.

Then let that one shmuck get in front of you. Not everyone speeds up and to heck with those that do. This should not be a factor in your decision to not use your turn signal. The "can't stand to have another car in front of them" excuse works both ways in this scenario. You would rather make sure you are in front of someone than let that guy pass and get in behind them.

Turn signals are not difficult to use and not using them is a sign of either selfishness or stupidity.

You said highway so I was thinking two lane highway, not interstate.

That sentence sums it up.

I've gotten by just fine for the last 20 years, I'm pretty sure I'll be fine. I agree, sometimes the a-holes won't let you in no matter how patiently you wait with your signal on. This happens to me sometimes. When it does I'm left with no choice but to jack in front of one of the jerks who refuses to let me in. I have no problem with doing that. At least I had my blinker on, and whoever gets cut off knows they could've simply let me merge in.

Have you ever done anything that lacks consideration for others?

That part was really idiotic.

Further, I have a hard time when bikers complain about road safety.

Where do you live? Des Moines? If I let that "one" person go, there will be 143 other #######s driving just as selfishly in that lane waiting to take his place. Around here, you will flat out miss your turn if you wait for someone to let you in. Fact.

Then let that one shmuck get in front of you. Not everyone speeds up and to heck with those that do. This should not be a factor in your decision to not use your turn signal. The "can't stand to have another car in front of them" excuse works both ways in this scenario. You would rather make sure you are in front of someone than let that guy pass and get in behind them.

And you might want to consider anticipating your turn a little bit ahead of time so you can signal your intention and not be in a hurry because you waited until you were 50 feet from the exit before making a four lane crossover to get to your ramp.

There is no excuse for not using your turn signal.

Have you ever heard of a Straw-Man?

But for the interest of playing along: Absolutely and regretably.

What is your point?

Who? You make it sound like every other driver on the road is conspiring not to let you make a lane change. It is okay to fall in line behind the a###### who speeds up. You probably want that guy in front of you anyway.


No one says that signals grant rights. They signal intention (hence the name turn signal). Your argument that some people use them improperly therefore they should not be used in fundamentally flawed. Any way you slice it using a turn signal gives people warning about your intentions and having warning of intent is far better than not having it.

But what usually happens is you'll now be going the same basic speed as the d-bag who just sped up to prevent you from slipping in front of them. Do you now gun it to get in front him or 1 or 2 more cars just to jump on front, slam on your brakes and make your turn. Or do you now brake fairly heavy causing all the cars riding behind you to have to brake just so you can slip behind aforementioned d-bag? No sir, I'll just slip in front of the guy sans blinker before his competitive, d-bag nature kicks in. Its Beyond Thunderdome out there anymore.

LIE!

I drove home for lunch today and just arrived back in my office. Given this thread, I paid extra attention to my driving and decided to narrate my experience for the benefit of the FFA. Here is each lane change that I made:

1. Turning right out of my parking lot onto a public road. There was no car behind me and no car coming in either direction, so I didn't signal.

2. After 50 ft or so I come to a stop sign, where I need to turn left onto another road (there is no stop sign in any other direction). I come to a complete stop and look both directions. I will be going northbound, and there is no other traffic moving in that direction. There are a couple of southbound cars a couple hundred feet away, but I have plenty of time to make my turn and be on my way. There is nobody behind me. I don't signal.

3. I drive a few miles and need to turn left. There is no other car in sight, so I don't signal.

4. After a few feet, I need to turn right into my driveway. There is still no other car in sight so I don't signal.

I enjoy a nutritious lunch consisting of frosted miniwheats and skim milk. Not very exciting, granted, but frosted miniwheats are fortified with vitamins and minerals.

5. Now I need to turn left out of my driveway onto a public road. There is a truck coming at me in the distance, but there's a stop sign between me and him. There is no other vehicle within sight. I don't signal.

6. Now comes the tricky part. I am travelling east and the truck is travelling west. We reach a two-way stop where EW traffic must stop by NS traffic does not. I am going to turn right (S). The truck signals that he is going to turn left (S), and I reciprocate with a signal. This is a confusing intersection because the truck got to the intersection before me, so I think he has the right of way, but he sits there and makes it clear that he is going to yield to me since I am making a right-hand turn. Whatever. I go ahead and make my indicated turn (using my trusty turn signal!) and go on my way. My turn signal saved the day. Hooray for turn signals!

7. Eventually I need to turn right to head back to my parking lot. The truck from before is still behind me, so I signal to let him know that I will be slowing down to turn. Notice the pattern here: I use my signal when another motorist might beneift from knowing my intentions. I don't signal into thin air.

8. Now I need to turn left into my lot. Again, there are no cars or pedestrians of any kind nearby, so I recklessly make my turn without using a signal but no accident ensues.

It was a nerve-wracking, dangerous exercise in reckless driving, but I somehow lived to tell the tale.

Some of you are so selfish you have lost the ability to recognize that not everyone is as big of a selfish ####### as you are.

The everyone speeds excuse is just an excuse. A small portion of drivers, probably people much like those who don't use signals, will speed up. It is okay to let those schmucks pass you.