The situation: A four-lane road, two lanes going east and two lanes going west. I’m driving eastbound. As I approach a traffic light, the lefthand lane branches off into a left-turn-only lane. I use my turn signal to indicate that I am going to move into that lane, and I do. Now I’m sitting there stopped at a red light in a left-turn-only lane. Do I have to have my turn signal on?
I’ve always thought that the answer to this was “no”, because obviously I’m in a left-turn-only lane and can only turn left. But it seems like every time I’m in one of those lanes, every other car has its turn signal on. So now I’m wondering if I was technically breaking the law all those times I used the left-turn only lane without using my left turn signal.
So was I breakin’ the law, or being a law-abiding citizen? Clearly only my fellow Dopers can help me on this one. (Well, probably a guide to traffic laws could too, but I don’t know where to find one.)
I am very sure that this would be illegal in most jurisdictions. I cannot imagine a reason why any legislative body would bother to write an exception to the turn signal rule in this case because there is no real benefit to doing so. It is not as if leaving it on requires a huge amount of effort or wastes a significant amount of energy. On the other hand, I can think of two very good reasons why the turn signal should be left on in a turning lane.
It is a good signal to cars coming up behind you that you are in a turning lane, and if they follow you, they will be too. This may seem trivial but it can be important if the weather is bad or other drivers are unfamiliar with the roads.
It reassures the drivers beside you at the red light that you really are going to turn. Occasionally, drivers use turning lanes to go straight pass everyone else as soon as the light turns green. Not having your signal on can make other drivers nervous.
And it REALLY does help to reassure everyone that you ARE going to turn… I saw a person about a month ago in the left turn lane no blinker, on a red light, cross two lanes of traffic and make a right turn. Oh and he was stopped at the light for about thirty seconds or so… Wish there was a cop there that could have seen that.
Six years ago I was attending traffic school in Illinois in order to keep the points from a moving violation (no, it wasn’t an illegal turn!) off my record. The instructor addressed this issue directly, saying the only time you didn’t have to signal a turn was when you were in a turn-only lane.
But the instructor went on to say it’s a good idea to keep your signal on in the turn lane for precisely the reasons Shagnasty sets forth above.
Even if it is legal, I prefer not to think about such things, and I always put my signal on when I’m going to turn, regardless of where I am. There really is no good reason I can think of not to turn your signal on when in doubt.
I just think that it’s a good idea to stay in the habit of signalling, rather than contemplating whether or not to do so before each turn. Besides, it’s not really much of an extra exertion.
As well, not using your signal in that situation can start very bad habits. Using the signal is so habitual to me that I don’t even think about it, leaving me more of my brain to concentrate on the traffic. If at certain times I didn’t use it, I might be less likely to use it when I need to.
I used to have this conversation with my father all the time (while I was driving), and I agreed with most of the posters here.
I’m turning, so my signal’s on. It’s better to be redundant than not clear enough. (That way, the people behind me know what I’m doing, and the people across from me know what I’m doing. I hate when I see cars in left-hand turning lanes – directly across the intersection from me – who aren’t signalling, and so look like they’re going to go straight … at me.)
I’m sometimes tempted to signal in the opposite direction if I’m going straight from a turning lane (I try not to, but they do tend to spring up in odd places…)
Labdad, might that have been an Illinois law? Massachusetts has so many curious driving laws, I sometimes have a hard time keeping track…
I think y’all are ridiculous. What’s the point in having the turn signal on, it imparts zero useful information. Bad weather? To tell the world you’re not a criminal? C’mon, these are very unusual cases, we are discussing basic default behavior here. The point of any signal is to impart information, and in this case you aren’t. Consider the reaction of the person behind, what action are you supposed to take if the signal is on or off? It doesn’t matter a damn bit, you know what the person ahead of you is doing, and you’re stuck at a redlight watching their bleeding blinker until the light finally turns. This weakens the effect of the signal at other times. It is akin to another pet peeve of mine, using a blinker when merging onto a highway. Fer cryin’ out loud, what is the point of this, you have no bleeding choice but to go that way.
If it takes too many of your brain cells and reflexes to distinguish when to use a signal from when it’s not needed, then leave it on. But it serves no real purpose.
I was told by Allstate rep. that is may not be required but it’s a good idea.
(btw I have no idea what ‘may not be required’ actually means in this case expect he didn’t know either).
Also if you are in a merge situation and you wait till the white line ends, you don’t have to use your signal right?
Mainly because when you’re merging into moving traffic on the freeway, you DO NOT HAVE RIGHT OF WAY (a big pet peeve of MINE is bung-holes going any old speed they want and typically cutting me off while I’m in the proper lane). Thus, your turn signal imparts THIS information to the other drivers (the ones on the freeway): hey, I know I don’t have right of way, so here’s my turn signal to tell you I acknowledge that fact, and if you could please pay attention to me, I’ll merge right in without being a bung-hole and try not to disrupt the patterns of traffic or your right of way.
Thanks for the input, everyone. It seems clear that regardless of the technical legality, it makes sense to use the turn signal whenever turning.
I agree with balthisar, by the way; when I’m driving along, I’m much less likely to hang back and let a space open up for someone who’s merging without a turn signal. The turn signal, even though there’s no other place to go, is a way of saying, “Excuse me, could someone please let me in?”
So, in New York, the turn signal must be used whenever you are turning (surprise, surprise), whether or not you are in a turn-only lane. Your state’s law may vary.