# What do people have against turn signals? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 7, 2011, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824 "2011-03-07T19:41:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/21 "2011-03-08T15:37:04Z")
In Vegas it’s a sign of weakness and invites an attack upon you. Seriously. If you’re on the freeway and there’s a car in the next lane 6 or 7 car lengths back, and you give a quick courtesy signal to show that you’re about to enter his lane, he will gun the accelerator in an attempt to move into the space you want to move into. Even if he was doing the same speed as you and there’s plenty of room on the road. People just drive pointlessly aggressively to their own benefit. So the safest way to change lanes in Vegas is to wait until you have some room and sudden move into the next lane. It’s retarded. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/22 "2011-03-08T15:55:41Z")
> [@kath94](#): > > I wonder if they don’t understand the operation of the turn signals or if turn indicators work differently in different countries. > > On a similar note, I took Drivers’ Ed in High School (yes, I’m that old). We had classroom instruction, simulator instruction (totally useless, BTW) and then hands-on driving. When it came my turn for the hands-up part the first time I had to ask a fellow classmate how the turn signals worked. I knew that pushing the bar one way made the signals flash to indicate one direction, while the other way meant the opposite direction, but nowhere in the written materials or in the simulator instruction did anything EVER say that you pushed up for RIGHT and down for LEFT. Something SO basic was completely silent. I’ve heard this here before and it sort of baffles me how this is not intuitive. The indicator stalk is almost always on the left. Place your left hand so you’re touching the wheel and the stalk at the same time. Turn left and you signal left, turn right and you signal right. I once drove a car with the stalk on the right and the method was the same so you end up with down for right and up for left. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/23 "2011-03-08T16:03:57Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > In Vegas it’s a sign of weakness and invites an attack upon you. Seriously. If you’re on the freeway and there’s a car in the next lane 6 or 7 car lengths back, and you give a quick courtesy signal to show that you’re about to enter his lane, he will gun the accelerator in an attempt to move into the space you want to move into. Even if he was doing the same speed as you and there’s plenty of room on the road. People just drive pointlessly aggressively to their own benefit. So the safest way to change lanes in Vegas is to wait until you have some room and sudden move into the next lane. It’s retarded. The DC area is similar in this way. The counter is a maneuver locally called “the Beltway slide:” The maneuver starts when the person several car lengths back in the new lane guns their engine. Just as they make the space too small to move into, tap your brakes. They continue accelerating, intent on making sure you do NOT get in front of them – leaving a large space open BEHIND them. As they are insistent on speeding up, they don’t notice that you have just slowed down relative to them. Change lanes into the open space, and let the pointlessly aggressive driver have the lead. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/24 "2011-03-08T16:06:53Z")
I’ll signal all the time if I’m moving but some red lights I’ll switch the signal off or leave it off until the last minute when the light turns green. Some folks around here feel that because you may make a right turn on red, you MUST. Screw that – if I can’t do it safely I’m just not doing it. Its easier to let them think I’m going straight than listen to their horn. ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/25 "2011-03-08T18:47:52Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > I hate to bitch about my SO, since I love him so much, but this is one of his habits. He gets mad that people are “not letting him in”, but I point out he doesn’t have a turn signal on! How the fuck are they supposed to even know you want to come over? Read your brain? He does it at the last minute, sometimes as he is switching. GRRR! > > And I hate people who say “Oh, I do it when other people are around.” Bullshit. You don’t remember. You have to instill the habit and do it all the time. Heh, heh. Anyone trying to merge into my lane without blinking, I WILL FRELLING HIT THEM! I was riding with an off duty cop one day, and I heard him cursing that they would not let him merge, and he wasn’t signaling! I just sat there thinking “Just you wait, buddy, just you wait, I will scrape the side off your rig someday and I am going to farking love it, cop car or private vehicle!” ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/26 "2011-03-08T19:20:55Z")
Round here it’s actually rare to see anyone bother to use their indicators/turn signals. This means that, at least once every two days, a car turns into a side road that I’m crossing and has to brake and wait, the driver drumming their fingers impatiently. I’d have waited if they’d indicated, but there are lots of cars on the main road all going slowly enough to turn left because of the volume of traffic; if I assumed all of them were going to turn, I’d never cross. Apparently pedestrians don’t need to know when a car’s about to drive into them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/27 "2011-03-08T19:46:17Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > And what is with the ‘One Blink Wonders’ ?? > > Gee. that is SO generous, one whole turn signal blink. > > Cripes, why the frell bother? I’ll take one blink over none here. People not using their turn signals is one of my major driving peeves. For me, predictability is one of the most important components to safe driving. Not using your turn signal obviously removes this safety aspect. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/28 "2011-03-08T19:56:17Z")
I agree with pulykamell. And it’s not really an excuse to say “everyone does it”. Everyone does it but you can start a trend of doing it right. When driving, be predictable, not nice. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/29 "2011-03-08T20:25:27Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Round here it’s actually rare to see anyone bother to use their indicators/turn signals. This means that, at least once every two days, a car turns into a side road that I’m crossing and has to brake and wait, the driver drumming their fingers impatiently. I’d have waited if they’d indicated, but there are lots of cars on the main road all going slowly enough to turn left because of the volume of traffic; if I assumed all of them were going to turn, I’d never cross. > > Apparently pedestrians don’t need to know when a car’s about to drive into them. I do exactly the same when I walk my dog. If a car is signaling I’ll wait, even if I have plenty of time to get in the crosswalk. If they don’t, I’ll go even when I suspect they are going to be turning, and I throttle down my natural speed also. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/30 "2011-03-08T22:10:44Z")
I try to use my turn signals all the time. (I’m sure I forget sometimes, but it is a habit with me, so maybe I don’t. Anyway.) I’m not a fan of the “signal and they’ll let you in” idea. The turn signal is a signal of intent, not a request. As much as possible, I try to find the space first, then signal that Imma gonna use it. Obviously, this doesn’t work as well in bumper-to-bumper traffic, but I still try. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/31 "2011-03-08T23:57:07Z")
“How long have you lived in Albuquerque?” “Oh going on 20+ years now.” “Well, then your practically a native.” “No, I still use my turn signals.” I’m pretty sure that line would have gotten me laid at least twice if I had been up for it. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [March 9, 2011, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/32 "2011-03-09T06:04:12Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > The DC area is similar in this way. The counter is a maneuver locally called “the Beltway slide:” > > The maneuver starts when the person several car lengths back in the new lane guns their engine. Just as they make the space too small to move into, tap your brakes. They continue accelerating, intent on making sure you do NOT get in front of them – leaving a large space open BEHIND them. As they are insistent on speeding up, they don’t notice that you have just slowed down relative to them. Change lanes into the open space, and let the pointlessly aggressive driver have the lead. I feel like it depends on the circumstances. If the traffic is sort of spaced out and moving at a pretty good clip, putting on your signal seems to result in someone trying to cut you off. However, if it’s bumper-to-bumper, I usually have pretty good luck getting someone to take pity and let me in if I sit there blinking long enough. However, I’ll admit to getting really pissed and trying to cut people off when I see that they are just using merge lanes or other lanes to leapfrog a line of traffic and then cut back in after moving up 6 cars. This occurs on the merge ramp from New Hampshire Avenue onto the Outer Loop approximately once every 14 seconds. A few months ago, an SUV in front of me cut off a guy trying this move while simultaneously sticking his middle finger out through the sunroof. I laughed myself sick. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/33 "2011-03-10T11:58:14Z")
I fondly dream of waving down a non-signal-user, and saying, “Hey - there’s something orange on the back of your car! You’d better check it out!” Then point eagerly at the indicator. When the driver looks at me weirdly, I will then say, “So - you know what it is, then?” But my country, South Africa, is a leading supplier of road rage, so I am too chicken to actually do it. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/34 "2011-03-10T12:36:06Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > Cripes, why the frell bother? > [@Heyoka13](#): > > Heh, heh. Anyone trying to merge into my lane without blinking, I WILL FRELLING HIT THEM! [Regina George]Gretchen, stop trying to make frell happen! It’s not going to happen![/Regina George] ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/35 "2011-03-10T18:02:14Z")
> [@Miss\_Woodhouse](#): > > My husband learned to drive in Southern California. He didn’t use turn signals for years because he said the other drivers would just see it as a challenge. Since we now live in a state with a population smaller than any given city in California and with wide open roads, people don’t fight over 10 feet of road space. If you signal, most of the time, they’ll let you in. > > No idea why this little bit of freeway driving habit had to transfer over to street driving though. If you signal someone’s not going to let you turn right? > > He’s much better now, being older and wiser and with most of the California edges worn off. 😉 California, meet [Minnesota.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13550088&postcount=43) (I know you said you don’t live in CA now… 😉 ) I used to think people in my state (I’m in the midwest) were terrible drivers, but more and more, I’m seeing people from many states, from the eastern seaboard to at least the Rockies, with terrible driving habits. While there are worse drivers in the world (Italians have always had bad reputations, and I remember reading in Guinness that in Egypt, the requirement to get a license was to drive 19 feet forward and 19 feet backward), Americans seem to have lost the ability to drive sensibly. I blame it all on Republicans. (That last sentence is a joke, mostly.) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/36 "2011-03-10T19:05:32Z")
Here is a clip from a documentary about people not using their turn signals. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKcSZfY1sf4) “Good luck everybody else.” seems to be the attitude of non-signaling people. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/37 "2011-03-10T19:31:54Z")
Doesn’t Jonathan Franzen’s new book contemplate why some drivers refuse to use turn signals? I can’t find a full quote, but this is what Google Books will let me have: [QUOTE=Freedom by Jonathan Franzen] … obsessively profiling and psychoanalyzing the drivers who refused to use their turn signals (almost always youngish men for whom the use of blinkers was apparently an affront to their masculinity, the compromised state of which was already manifest in the compensatory gigantism of their pickups and SUVs) [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/38 "2011-03-10T20:34:39Z")
I’ll expose my neck to the Dopers to go in for the kill… I don’t use my turn signals all the time. In most cases when I do not signal it is because I have evaluated the traffic and location of all vehicles around me and determined that my use of a signal serves no purpose. By that I mean: If your vehicle is in the lane next to me which I desire to enter but 3+ car lengths ahead/behind me then my signaling doesn’t really mean anything to you. If you are ahead of me, what do you care if I joined you lane behind you. If you are behind me well if you are not paying attention to the cars around you and someone 3+ car lengths away causes you some form of stress when they change lanes in-front of you without signaling then perhaps you should just not be driving. Anyone that twitchy should not be on the roads. If your vehicle is coming towards me in the opposite direction of traffic, or behind me in traffic, and I’m in the left-hand turning lane (dedicated turning lane) what does it matter to you if my signal is blinking away? I’m in the turning lane, I can only go left, ergo… shouldn’t be a surprise to you that I’m turning left. Do you REALLY need my signal flashing away in order for you to figure out what I’m doing? If I’m making a right hand turn, again I will evaluate traffic around me. If there is a car behind me, within 3 car lengths I’ll put my signal on so you don’t drive into my ass-end. If you are more than 3 car lengths behind me, you should be paying attention. My signal should not matter, you are 3+ car lengths behind me and unless you are doing mach-1 I’ll be turning/turned before you get there. At the worst, my brake lights should give you plenty of warning of my intent to slow down and you should maintain your distance. Now, on the other hand, if you are in the lane next to me which I intend to enter and you are less than 3 car lengths - and especially if less than 2 car lengths - **behind** me then I will signal to a.) let you know I intend to come into that lane and b.) give you an opportunity to either maintain speed/distance and I’ll merge into the lane or to increase/decrease your speed distance and I’ll react accordingly to fit into the lane and flow of traffic. Likewise, if you are less than 2 car lengths behind me in traffic and I intend to turn right or left at the next intersection, I will turn on my turn signal as you are entirely to close to my ass and I don’t want you to hit me when I decelerate (perhaps without hitting brakes) for the turn. Naturally if I am turning left in any scenario that does not involve a left-hand turn lane then I also signal to warn approaching traffic of my intention to potentially turn in front of them safely if they are close by. If they are 3+ cars away then again… what’s the difference? I’ll complete my turn before they reach the point where I’m crossing in front of their flow of traffic. Sheesh… trying to document all of the scenarios where I do/do-not signal is tiring. I’m sure there are others where I honestly feel no need to signal my intent as it has zero relevance to any driver around me and there are others where I do signal my intent. What drives me bat-shite crazy is those who whine that a signal should be used ever single time the steering wheel is turned. It is idiotic and nanny-ish. In my opinion. Dinner is served. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/39 "2011-03-10T22:07:21Z")
> [@MeanJoe](#): > > I’ll expose my neck to the Dopers to go in for the kill… I don’t use my turn signals all the time. > > In most cases when I do not signal it is because I have evaluated the traffic and location of all vehicles around me and determined that my use of a signal serves no purpose. By that I mean: > > If your vehicle is in the lane next to me which I desire to enter but 3+ car lengths ahead/behind me then my signaling doesn’t really mean anything to you. If you are ahead of me, what do you care if I joined you lane behind you. If you are behind me well if you are not paying attention to the cars around you and someone 3+ car lengths away causes you some form of stress when they change lanes in-front of you without signaling then perhaps you should just not be driving. Anyone that twitchy should not be on the roads. > > If your vehicle is coming towards me in the opposite direction of traffic, or behind me in traffic, and I’m in the left-hand turning lane (dedicated turning lane) what does it matter to you if my signal is blinking away? I’m in the turning lane, I can only go left, ergo… shouldn’t be a surprise to you that I’m turning left. Do you REALLY need my signal flashing away in order for you to figure out what I’m doing? > > If I’m making a right hand turn, again I will evaluate traffic around me. If there is a car behind me, within 3 car lengths I’ll put my signal on so you don’t drive into my ass-end. If you are more than 3 car lengths behind me, you should be paying attention. My signal should not matter, you are 3+ car lengths behind me and unless you are doing mach-1 I’ll be turning/turned before you get there. At the worst, my brake lights should give you plenty of warning of my intent to slow down and you should maintain your distance. > > Now, on the other hand, if you are in the lane next to me which I intend to enter and you are less than 3 car lengths - and especially if less than 2 car lengths - **behind** me then I will signal to a.) let you know I intend to come into that lane and b.) give you an opportunity to either maintain speed/distance and I’ll merge into the lane or to increase/decrease your speed distance and I’ll react accordingly to fit into the lane and flow of traffic. > > Likewise, if you are less than 2 car lengths behind me in traffic and I intend to turn right or left at the next intersection, I will turn on my turn signal as you are entirely to close to my ass and I don’t want you to hit me when I decelerate (perhaps without hitting brakes) for the turn. Naturally if I am turning left in any scenario that does not involve a left-hand turn lane then I also signal to warn approaching traffic of my intention to potentially turn in front of them safely if they are close by. If they are 3+ cars away then again… what’s the difference? I’ll complete my turn before they reach the point where I’m crossing in front of their flow of traffic. > > Sheesh… trying to document all of the scenarios where I do/do-not signal is tiring. I’m sure there are others where I honestly feel no need to signal my intent as it has zero relevance to any driver around me and there are others where I do signal my intent. What drives me bat-shite crazy is those who whine that a signal should be used ever single time the steering wheel is turned. It is idiotic and nanny-ish. > > In my opinion. > > Dinner is served. 😃 Sounds like you put a lot of thought into the use of signals. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824/40 "2011-03-10T22:41:24Z")
> [@TravisFromOR](#): > > Sounds like you put a lot of thought into the use of signals. Seriously. How is your method not more onerous than just using the darn things?? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-people-have-against-turn-signals/573824.md?page=3)