How can drivers be encouraged to use their indicators correctly?

I grow increasingly annoyed with my fellow motorists who pretty much, without fail, do not use car indicators to signal their intended direction. I spend a lot of time in Bournemouth and I truly believe that the motorists of this fair city have some sort of exemption from using the left indicator at all, as I seem to be the only one in that town that does. It’s a little more common where I have my home in Somerset, but still, if there are six cars in a row, then only two will be indicating correctly if at all. What is to be done about this?

I plan to launch a campaign to urge motorists to signal their intent once again. After all, we had to do this when we passed our tests and surely it cannot be such a hard task to learn again. I suggest a few names for my campaign, which I list here: PUYI - Please Use Your Indicator. MSM - Mirror Signal Manoeuvre (I don’t think this one will catch on). SYI - Signal Your Intent. UYBIYB - Use Your B****y Indicator You B*****d. That’s enough of these, what do you think?

Asked on 28 April 2012 by DC, Castle Cary

Answered by Honest John

Forget the acronyms and stick to 'signal your intent'. Obviously, not if there's no one around or if what you are about to do is obvious (for example if you are in an arrowed left turn lane). Many drivers forget that pedestrians have precedence across the entrance to a side road and while a sensible pedestrian will watch out, drivers should at least tell them that they intend to turn into the side road. The worst mis-signalling is on a roundabout. You should not signal your intent to leave it until you have passed the exit before the one you want to take. Signal too early and you give permission for vehicles to pull into your path.

Tags: indicators driving techniques

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