# I sometimes accidentally use my car's turn signal when taking a sharp curve **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 5, 2010, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459 "2010-05-05T23:52:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/21 "2010-05-06T18:59:35Z")
We have a street in our neighborhood that has a 90 degree bend in it. I’ve occasionally caught myself turning the blinker on as I approach the turn. I’ve also seen my wife do it, as well as numerous cars that I’ve been driving behind. For me anyway it is definitely just habit. But here is what’s funny about this. Every time I turn my signal on or see someone else do it, it is ALWAYS when turning right. In the 15+ years we’ve been living in this neighborhood, I’ve never seen anyone (or caught myself) using their signal when turning to the left. Maybe it’s because it’s a slightly wider turn that prevents that reflex from kicking in, I don’t know. But it’s pretty weird the way it happens like that. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/22 "2010-05-06T21:52:35Z")
I’ve an aunt and an uncle who live up in the mountains of northern California. One summer when I was out visiting, we were driving on a suitably windy road behind someone who started doing this, _for every curve they went around_. So my uncle started doing it, too. Then, he stuck his arm out the window and added in those left and right signals. We nearly died laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/23 "2010-05-07T18:31:06Z")
I’ve done this a lot. Sometimes when I go on a street with a sharp curve and I _don’t_ signal, I pull out of the turn with the feeling that I’ve just done something wrong–that I forgot to signal when I was supposed to. I’d rather signal than get that wrong feeling. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/24 "2010-05-07T19:00:00Z")
I do this on the same road I have been driving on for 12 years occasionally. It just means that you are such a good driver your only errors are on the side of safety 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/25 "2010-05-07T19:05:57Z")
Interesting. I’ve never done that. It’s not an intersection, so I wouldn’t deem it necessary to tell anyone I’m turning because there’s no traffic to which to need to indicate my intentions. “Intersection” or “slowing down/stopping to turn from the street” indicate a turn signal to me. I wouldn’t fault anyone for doing it. I would probably expect them to be continuing into a driveway or something after the turn. If they didn’t I’d probably think it was weird, but not that they were doing anything horrible. ---
**Author:** ![Pduol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@Pduol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pduol)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/26 "2010-05-07T19:10:46Z")
I’m of the belief that you can’t use your blinker too much. I’ve actually done this in my driveway, while making the 90 degree turn into the garage. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/27 "2010-05-07T19:55:24Z")
I think I’ve only ever done this once, but I often _nearly_ do it. Particularly here… https://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=54.177746,-4.431438&spn=0.005249,0.009645&t=h&z=17 ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/28 "2010-05-07T21:05:02Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I think I’ve only ever done this once, but I often _nearly_ do it. > > Particularly here… > > [Google Maps](http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=54.177746,-4.431438&spn=0.005249,0.009645&t=h&z=17) Please for the love of god can I live on your couch??? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/29 "2010-05-07T21:06:55Z")
> [@Translucent\_Daydream](#): > > Please for the love of god can I live on your couch??? OK I confess: You’ve lost me. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/30 "2010-05-07T21:08:44Z")
I’d guess \*\*TD \*\*wants to live on the Isle of Man. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/31 "2010-05-07T21:12:23Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I’d guess \*\*TD \*\*wants to live on the Isle of Man. I assumed as much, but my couch is rather more specific 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/32 "2010-05-07T21:17:24Z")
Creatures of habit. I have a friend who, in a distracted moment while sweeping her kitchen, opened the refrigerator door and threw the contents of her dustpan in! OP, it sounds like the kind of error a conscientious driver would make so it’s not all bad. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/33 "2010-05-07T21:21:57Z")
> [@Tethered\_Kite](#): > > Creatures of habit. > > I have a friend who, in a distracted moment while sweeping her kitchen, opened the refrigerator door and threw the contents of her dustpan in! I’ve done and nearly done things like that. Like buying something from a shop, then throwing in the bin the thing inside the wrapper, but keeping the wrapper. Putting the TV remote in the fridge. Going _into_ a lit room and turning the light off. And so on. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459/34 "2010-05-07T21:38:13Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I assumed as much, but my couch is rather more specific Ah, but you have firmly established that you not-infrequently drive around a particular curve on said island, firmly establishing your couch as being ideally placed. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-sometimes-accidentally-use-my-cars-turn-signal-when-taking-a-sharp-curve/538459.md?page=1)