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(47 Posts)
Penstemmon Sun 07-Aug-16 12:51:04

AIBU to expect fellow drivers to use those clever flashing lights that let other drivers which way they intend to turn??? Just got back from a quick trip to the supermarket but encountered 3 situations when drivers failed to dangerous especially on a roundabout!! The roundabout man also turned the wrong way into a row at the car park to nab a place!

It seems trivial but could really cause serious injury or worse when people fail to indicate their turning intentions!

obieone Sun 07-Aug-16 13:09:25

YANBU. Vital when driving!

phoenix Sun 07-Aug-16 13:15:14

Not only other drivers, Penstemon pedestrians too!

When walking across car parks, I do find it quite handy to know if the numpty in the Nissan or the idiot in the Isuzu, the fool in the Fiat or the moron in the Mercedes is going to suddenly change direction!

Charleygirl Sun 07-Aug-16 14:36:23

phoenix the main problem is that we all drive in state of the art cars with 4 wheels and a driving wheel and we also have working indicators. I am 100% certain that most of the cars around here do not have indicators fitted on their cars.

phoenix Sun 07-Aug-16 15:10:16

North Devon, apart from seeming to be HQ of the non indicators society, is also home to the "only one headlight" club, hence usual late summer/early autumn post about checking car headlights!

petra Sun 07-Aug-16 18:46:44

We have a lot of drivers here in southend who don't have a uk driving licence.
Only on Friday I had to guide a chap driving a mini through a gap that had plenty of room. He said that he was from South Africa and wasn't used to cars being parked so close together!

kittylester Sun 07-Aug-16 18:50:37

I apologise if it was DH! He thinks everyone knows where he is going. And if he does signal, he forgets to check it's cancelled!!

Penstemmon Sun 07-Aug-16 20:34:43

Kitty only if he was in a Waitrose in Surrey??

NfkDumpling Sun 07-Aug-16 20:46:17

It doesn't do to over use indicators. If it is necessary then they only need to be used at the same time as you manoeuvre, and not before. Otherwise you'll wear them up! wink

Deedaa Sun 07-Aug-16 20:50:49

Oh is hat what those pretty little lights are for? I often play with them but I thought they were just for decoration grin

etheltbags1 Sun 07-Aug-16 20:57:40

Oh dear my last car was a corsa so was i a c.... in a corsa because my indicators never worked for 2 years,it passed its mot by the garage man temporarily fixing them but they broke next day. I couldn't afford to get them done.

phoenix Sun 07-Aug-16 21:10:24

I think that would be a clot in a Corsa Ethel, but how on earth could you drive around for that length of time with no indicators?

Bloody dangerous AND irresponsible, if you ask me, which you didn't, but I'll say so anyway.

Jalima Sun 07-Aug-16 21:35:20

When I learnt to drive we had to learn the hand signals! Straight out of the window for turning right and a circular anti-clockwise arm movement for left, up and down for slowing down.
My first car had those little sticky-out indicators, but I still had to put my arm out and wave it up and down for slowing down.
I was also taught never to indicate going round a roundabout until you intended to leave, then signal left. However, the DGC were taught to signal right all the way round the roundabout until they intended to leave, then signal left.

I think everyone ought to have lessons on motorway driving before they pass their test.

Badenkate Sun 07-Aug-16 21:39:27

It just seems logical that if you let everyone else know what you're doing, they are less likely to try to get in the same bit of road as you - hopefully!

Linsco56 Sun 07-Aug-16 21:51:00

Funny you should say that Jalima I was taught the same thing about indicating at roundabouts. I was told "why indicate on approach, where else would you be going other than round. Just indicate to exit.

Have to say, I always indicate in approach and on exit. I think some drivers are just lazy and others forget but lack of indication can lead to confusion and accidents.

Penstemmon Sun 07-Aug-16 22:27:30

There are often two lanes at roundabouts. Some drivers line themselves in the L/H lane implying taking the first exit but some like to trick their fellow drivers donn't use the little flashing lights and whizz to the second exit just as said fellow drivers have begun to move onto the roundabout. Well it livens up the day!confused

Ana Sun 07-Aug-16 22:33:49

Yes, I've noticed that, Penstemmon. Never take anything for granted!

ginny Sun 07-Aug-16 23:33:21

Penstemon, if there are two lanes, the left hand one is for turning left so one would signal left or going straight on, in which case one would signal left after passing the left hand turn. The right hand lane is for turning right.

obieone Mon 08-Aug-16 04:32:41

Penstemmon. I have to say I do that, as there is a local roundabout where you can get stuck in the R/H lane [in my case a 5 exit roundabout], and the roundabout is so designed, that if you want the third exit, there is virtually no time to get there, as the distance between the second and third exit is too small.
Sp easier and safer to stay in the L/H lane in the first place, so that you dont have to move from the R/H to L/H lane later.

thatbags Mon 08-Aug-16 07:23:58

When I was learning to drive I was taught to use the left lane for turning left or going straight on, and the right lane for turning right. I was also taught that a signal was not necessary for going straight on at a roundabout. Some modern roundabouts are much more complex of course.

Soon after passing my test I complained to my aunt (I was driving her car) about lack of signalling at junctions. She said that one can usually – usually being the significant word – tell what manoeuvre a car is going to do if one has been "reading the road" (including anticipating other road users actions) with enough attention.

I still think of that advice, particularly when driving on motorways and I find my predictions, before there is any indication of what a car will do, is usually correct.

Badenkate Mon 08-Aug-16 07:39:02

Roundabouts in Stockport have great lane organisation. Once you get into the lane marked with the exit you want, it takes you round to the right exit - no having to manoevere across lines of traffic. However, I remember the Magic Roundabout in Swindon.... confused

ginny Mon 08-Aug-16 08:01:46

Have been thinking about the roundabouts and wondering if I had been doing it wrong. Looked up the highway code and it says left lane for turning left. Right lane for straight on and right. Glad I'm doing it the proper way as I am often in Milton Keynes and there are plenty of roundabouts there.

Legs55 Mon 08-Aug-16 12:42:49

I too had to learn hand signals & they were part of your driving test. You are not required to indicate where road markings show correct lanes, I to was taught to use l/h lane for left & straight on, r/h lane for turning right. I hate some of the roundabouts as they are so complex. hmm

Not using indicators is one of my pet hates but never assume the driver is going where/she has indicated - many don't go in that direction or forget to cancel.grin

Knowingly drive without indicators is irresponsible shock

HootyMcOwlface Mon 08-Aug-16 12:57:48

In my defence Legs55 my current car (a Toyota) has rubbish indicators. They do not turn off after coming off a roundabout (indicating left) and the tick,tick,tick sound they make is very very quiet. I didn't realise at first that they didn't always turn off and have on a couple of occasions had someone pull out of a side road as they thought I was turning left! Very scary. I have never had a car like this and I have been driving for 40 years and have had quite a few!

I do try and remember to make sure they have cancelled, but there is always the very odd time I have forgotten. So just a warning, if you see a Toyota don't believe them if they are indicating left until you see them actually starting the manoeuvre!

etheltbags1 Tue 09-Aug-16 20:48:55

Phoenix I couldnt afford to have the car repaired, what should I have done, If I dont drive I cant work, If I dont work I cannot keep my mortgage payments which in turn means I will lose my house.Therefore my car is my job, I dont want to end up on benefits with the no hopers and at my age thats what I would be, no one will employ a 60+ who is in remission from cancer. I had to drive very carefully and I had no incidents before the car was fixed. sometimes in life you have no choice but to take risks.