Please use them so that the motorcyclist. pedestrian, or car in your blind spot that you didn’t notice when you did this evaluation has a better chance at staying alive.
Just after I got my commercial driver’s license, I was driving a tractor trailer through Chicago for the first time.
My freeway lane ended in about a mile and I needed to move one lane to the left. I put my turn signal on and waited for a car to let me in. They were stacked up bumper to bumper and no one was giving me an inch. With about a quarter mile left in my lane, I told my passenger they weren’t letting me in - he was a much more experienced driver than I. He said leave the turn signal on and start moving left. They know you’re going to do it because you have to do it now. They’ll let you in. And they did.
Excellent quote. But I say frell a lot too. It works for me as a swear word that’s not a swear word.
Meanjoe, I second what erdosain said - why not just indicate every time? Is there any occasion where indicating would be a bad thing? I don’t drive, so for all I know, there might be, but I wouldn’t have thought there were many. I do cycle and I indicate out of habit then.
Of course typing out a process our brain executes in seconds seems more complex. I was attempting to think through the common driving scenarios where I know I have not used my turn signals. It is not a listing of driving logic that is posted on my windshield for reference when driving.
And knowing where all vehicles are in relation to my vehicle, relative distance and speed, direction, etc., is just normal driving. Are you not aware of cars around you when driving? Are you not constantly scanning between your windows and mirrors to determine what is in front, behind, and beside your vehicle? Why not?
Again, do the majority of people just not scan between their windows and mirrors continually while driving to evaluate traffic around them - including checking the blind spots? I’m beginning to suspect the problem is not so much the people not using turn signals as it is other drivers seem to just not pay much attention to what is around them in any meaningful way.
Anyway, as I said in my original post i do not routinely signal and I’m sure that leaves me open to criticism and I’m okay with that. I should always signal and I should always use a seat belt and I should always eat low-fat, healthy foods too. Reality is that I don’t always do what I should do.
Just probably lazy habit. Again, if I’m driving northbound on a road with two lanes heading north and there are no cars within a significant distance from me (say 3+ car lengths) and I change lanes it impacts absolutely no one whether I signaled or not. My lane change did not impact the other driver in any way as my distance from them is such that they’ve not had to apply the brakes to avoid me or even reduce their speed - assuming we’re traveling at relative speeds. If they are 3 car lengths behind me in the other lane and are traveling at 100mph and I’m going 5 mph, not signaling would cause a very serious problem. 
But I have no way of knowing that you actually thought this through before changing lanes. If you signal, I’ll know that you are somewhat predictable. If you don’t, who knows what you’re going to do next. It’s all about how other people perceive your driving.
I guess I just don’t see how it has an impact on you when I’m so far away that my decision to change lanes without a turn signal has zero impact on your driving. You do not have to change lanes to avoid me. You do not have to remove your foot from the gas pedal to gradually decrease your speed. You do not have to apply your brakes to reduce your speed in an emergency. I get the “courtesy” aspect of it, I really do. I should signal every time. What I don’t get is the Recreational Outrage being expressed (not by you, you’ve been very polite) that OMIGODS SOMEONE DIDN’T SIGNAL THEY ALMOST KILLED ME attitude. As for other drivers being unpredictable - I’m a defensive driver and I consider everyone capable of unpredictable driving behavior whether they signaled a turn a minute ago or not. I drive defensively and maintain my own safe distance from everyone. You should be doing the same, right?
I guess another example would be - if you are driving down a straight road in the middle of the day in perfect weather. There is no one within 1 mile in front or behind your vehicle, nor is there anyone along side your vehicle or approaching from the opposite direction and no cross-streets/intersections. Would you use your turn signal to change lanes? If you can acknowledge that in this scenario the need is substantially lower with a significantly lower risk to yourself or others, then what about at 3/4 a mile? Or a 1/2 mile? 1/4 mile? 1/10 mile? 5 car lengths? 3 car lengths? Obviously at some point it becomes “nice to have” instead of “must have”, right? Or what if you are 1 mile behind me when I change without a signal? Am I unpredictable still? What about at 1/2 mile? 1/4? I think you get my point, right? 
And in my own defense - I’m the guy who will let you merge over into traffic when no one else will let you in. I’m the guy who will also give you a friendly smile and “thank you” wave and nod when you let me into traffic. I’m the guy who will patiently wait while you cross the street/parking lot in front of me and smile/wave for you to have a nice day as you go about your business. Really, I’m way above the average driver out there in terms of being conscientious and courteous on the road. Just don’t expect me to use my turn signal every-single-time-in-every-circumstance.
In your scenario of being a mile away from any other vehicle I would use my turn signal to change lanes. I would also shoulder check. If there were no one within miles I would also slow down at a yield sign and stop at a stop sign.
I guess my opinion is - why not signal? It’s not like it’s a difficult or onerous task. I just reach down with my finger and flick the switch. It’s habit and second nature. If I always signal then I’m covered, I don’t need to analyze the situation on a case-by-case basis. I’m a defensive driver and I keep track of all the traffic around me so I could probably get away without signaling sometimes - but why bother? What does it really save you?
Also, as another driver on the street who may be behind your car, I value predictability from other drivers. If you change lanes in front of me without signaling, even if there’s plenty of room, how do I know if you’re a good driver who carefully assessed the situation, or if you’re just a jackass would didn’t signal? I know if I’m behind a car that’s being driven by someone who looks like they might be a bad driver (e.g. doesn’t signal, taps their brakes too often, tailgates, etc..), then I give them a wider berth and try not to drive to close to them. If they do one unpredictable thing, what else might they suddenly do?
Also, in my experience of being a passenger in cars for most of my life (I’m 31 and I only got my drivers license when I 28, because I took the bus/train everywhere before that), when I’ve been a passenger in cars with other people who don’t always signal, or don’t always shoulder check, they usually claim they only do it when needed and skip it when it’s unnecessary. Maybe it’s because I’m a more careful driver, but there’s plenty of times when they figure a turn signal was unnecessary in a given situation and if I were driving I most certainly would have signaled (and not just because I always do, but because IMO it was necessary in that situation).
And then there’s the inevitable occasional scenario where they don’t shoulder check when they definitely should have (say, a cyclist coming quickly alongside you unexpectedly, or you’re moving from the right lane to the middle lane, and at virtually the same time a car in the left lane also tries to move into the middle lane - without shoulder checking, no amount of previous scanning would let you know what they’re doing).
Yes, I get your point. I’d say that if you measure your distance to me in car lengths, you are so close that I would appreciate it if you gave me a hint about your intentions, especially if there are other cars around. If you are half a mile ahead, I don’t really care
Oh, and wear your seat belt. It might just save your life. It matters little if you drive safely if you meet a moron that doesn’t.
Um…how did you infer from my comment that I wasn’t a defensive driver?
I owe you an apology. I just went through the past few exchanges and I think I mistakenly combined your response, others responses, and probably a few strawmen from the arguments going on in my own head into that response.
Your statement taken alone did not indicate that you were not a defensive driver and I apologize for implying otherwise.
MeanJoe
Not indicating wouldn’t cause anyone any problems on that particular occasion, but doing it even when it’s not totally necessary would ingrain it as a habit so that you do do it when you need to
This is a pet peeve for me. Not signaling wastes my time - I think you’re coming straight at me and then you turn off while I’m sitting waiting for you. More importantly, it’s just dangerous not to let people know where you’re headed. I don’t understand how people justify not signaling - their excuses seem lame to me. Unfortunately, in the Boston area most people (including the police) never learned to signal. WTF?
I get the whole “sign of weakness” thing - it was actually a tag line in a local news station’s commercial. In spite of this I have found that if I use a turn signal and some eye contact that someone will quickly wave me over. And of course I give the “thank you” hand flash whether I’m driving or walking.
And how about the people that signal after changing lanes?
Update of sorts: tonight I was driving on the freeway and a car turned on his signal to change lanes! And I was coming up rapidly in his blind spot where the driver (presumably) didn’t see me. Soo… I slowed down, and the car changed lanes without incident. Thanks for making it harder to get in an accident, Driver! I totally appreciate it!
I live in SoCal, and I totally get what people have said about not being let in if you signal. But in SoCal… no one lets you in anyway. So I feel you might as well signal 
I learned how to drive in the South, and where I lived, at least, people did usually signal. Except for my dad, grrrr. Though he’s not a Southerner bred, so there’s that.