No Stupid Questions

Always always signal your intention. I heard a woman complaining that her new car had lane control, which forced her to indicate when changing lanes. "It's so annoying, I mean it's obvious I'm overtaking, I don't need to indicate!"

Also, as a frequent pedestrian I appreciate when drivers and cyclists indicate and judge heavily when they don't. So frustrating to be waiting to cross the road and someone turns without indicating.

I get mad at myself if I don't turn it on early enough. As I. If I go to change lanes and it only flashes once it really isn't enough notice for other drivers so I usually bitch at myself.

I may be the only person you meet who road rages against himself.

I've never understood how a simple hand motion can be beyond anyone's skillset. It's just part of driving.

Yes, of course.

Yes, and I really wish cops would aggressive ticket every motherfucker who doesn't. ESPECIALLY the fucking morons who switch lanes without them, but when they're in the turning lane with literal no other option, THEN they fucking find their blinker.

Like hello fuckwit, I'm not a damn psychic, but thank you so fucking much for using that blinker in the least important place of everywhere your dumb ass drove.

There is 0 scenario where a blinker should be used that I won't use it, and fuck anybody who doesn't use theirs. If you can't handle the simple act of flicking a stick with your finger, you sure as fuck shouldn't be able to operate a land torpedo.

I always do. Feels wrong not to. Just get in the habit of ALWAYS using them and it becomes a no-brainer. It's just a good habit to have.

I use it to pull into my driveway because it's immediately after a sharp blind turn and I'd rather not get shoved into my own mailbox.

I got made fun of for using it when pulling out of my moms driveway once lol

I believe the socially acceptable retort is "if you don't like my driving, you can get the hell out of the car. If you're staying, you can shut up"

Until humans invent mind reading and we can all do it easily without a moment's hesitation, I will be using my turning indicator. Only idiots make fun of signalling.

...i always use my signals to unambiguously communicate intent; the only time i've been embarrassed is after carrying that habit onto the track, but it's tough to break...

...my wife uses her signals to ask permission, which i feel can cause confusion, but she feels the same way about me...

So grateful to everyone in the comments who use them. Thank you all! Where i live most don't use them. I don't get why; aren't these people annoyed when others don't use the blinker?

I use it 100% of the time when the rules of traffic prompts me to use it.

Within a small single-lane housing area: I blink.

When exiting my driveway and the road reaches a dead end 100 meters in the one direction, so it should be very obvious which way I'll go: I blink.

The roundabout in town which is so tiny that it looks more like an intersection, and when heading straight through it: I blink.

It's so much better to have a habit of blinking and making unambiguous signals than to forget it. It helps with the flow of traffic and probably lets everyone get where they need to go quicker.

If you habitually use it on simple or clear turns or empty roads you will habitually use it when there are people around. That's a good habit to have.

Lights on always and signal whenever you're deviating from your current lane.

I drive a BMW

Yes and that's how it should be. It shouldn't even be conscious. I signal into and out of parking spaces, I signal every lane change, hell I signal for sharp corners sometimes.

It seems to me if you are choosing to signal or not, then the use of turn signals isn't that heavily ingrained. Before I turn the wheel I'm instinctively touching the signal lever.

Keep up the good work!

If you ever think you are useless, remember people are paid to install turn signals in new Lexuses

Been driving for a few decades at this point. I use my turn signals for nearly all turns, and any moving merges. The more information I can give to other drivers, the more likely they are to act rationally.. which decreases the chances of miscommunications and accidents.

I don't always signal while in a turn only lane, as being in that lane should already denote my intentions, and while merging into heavy (stopped, bumper to bumper) traffic..

There are specific directives for Audi, BMW and Mercedes which void their warranties should you ever even think such scandalous thoughts as using the indicators individually; not using them to say that you know you're parking in a stupid place, angle across a pavement but you're only buying some chocolate from that corner shop.

My car has lane detection such that my steering is 'corrected' if I don't use an indicator. It gets confused on country roads and often tries to steer into the hedge or ditch. Fucking thing. It can't be turned off long term, but only ever time one turns on the ignition.

Yes what the fuc

I use it even in my drive way. Good habbit is a good practice that makes operating any system easier and honestly just more fun. I know cars get a bad rap these days but it's an amazing technology that's fun to be a part of.

Just use it all the time including turn only lanes. Deal with the clicking, it’s fine.

as a pedestrian i have to say that i never use my blinker.

joke aside, there's not much that aggravates me more than drivers not using their signals when they can turn either left or right, but cannot continue forward, like near the street i live in that i frequently have to cross. since they HAVE to turn, i have to wait for them to either remember that they have turn signals, or wait until they have enlightened me about their decision by making them a fact.

don't be an ass, use your turn signals to make your intentions known for the weaker parties on the road.

First thing: the blinkers are for your own safety, but they're also for other people's safety and to help improve the flow of traffic (for example, if somebody waiting at a T-junction to go into your lane sees in a timely fashion that you're going to exit at the junction, they'll know earlier they can come in rather than have to wait to see what you actually do and this kind of thing times many such situations adds up to better traffic flow).

Second thing: it's a lot easier and cognitively simpler to just do it without thinking rather than considering the situation to see if you should do it or not and a good mental trigger point to train that as an instinctive movement is "if I'm going to turn out of my lane, I'll turn the blinker on for the side I'm turning to" - so, turning of the road -> blinker on that side; changing lane -> blinker on the side I'm moving to; going to stop and park on a side of the road -> blinker on that side.

Personally I just use the blinkers for all such situations and don't even have to think about it, and as for the first point I made, that just informs how early I do it (I've trained myself to do it quite a bit before I turn in order to help with traffic flow). This does mean that at times I'll use the blinkers when there is nobody else around to actually use that information, simply because I'm not actually thinking about "should I do it or should I not?" I'm just unthinkingly executing a trained impulse. Never had any problems with excessive wear and tear of blinker lights and since I don't need to think about the "should I turn the blinker" decision I can focus on more important things, so as I see it, even at the cost of at times using the blinkers when there is nobody to see it so there is really no point, I'm still better of having trained myself to do it like this.

That said blinker usage amongst drivers massively depends on the country and the general driving culture there. For example were I come from, Portugal, most people only use the blinkers in situations were they stand to gain from it themselves (for example when exiting a road to the left, crossing a lane, were others might give you way, out of good manners if they know your intentions), then of the rest most will use it for the safety of other cars but almost none will do it for the safety of pedestrians, whilst in The Netherlands (were I picked up my current habits on this) they're generally pretty thorough on using blinkers in all situations they should quite independently of seeing or not people who might use that information (possibly because of all the bicycles around, as they're often hard to spot using the mirrors when in certain positions relative to a car which are exactly the positions were knowing that the car wants to turn is important for the safety of the cyclist)

Over 15 years driving, here. I use blinkers all the time. I feel weird if I change lanes without a blinker, even if I know for an absolute fact there's no one around me... Or even any that can see me. And I mean, I'll even use it when I do a little road rage for people camping in the passing lane and I pass them on the wrong side, cutting a little close when returning. That being said, a driveway is something I'd make a joke about among friends. It wouldn't make me judge you as a driver. I'd use the rest of your driving as my judgment material.

My 2 cents on a topic you didn't ask for: Do not hold down the passing lane. It makes me a little irrational, but only with a totally clear line of sight. There's plenty of dumber morons that suck at it, so camping sprinkles a little chaos into the hierarchy of the lanes. It does not matter how your speed compares to the limit.

I don't use turn signals when driving around a roundabout unless I'm exiting because I'm not psychotic.

But seriously, they are for signifying intent, not blinking idly, and they should be used plenty.

I put a turn signal on when I back into my underground parking spot when I'm literally the only person down there. Force of habit that I'm totally cool with.

I never get bent about other people using them when they don't need to. It's real fucking old sitting at a busy light where I could have gone five times if someone would have had a moment to flick a switch.

I always use it because then I'll never forget to use it.

It's always good to communicate on the road, the more information the better. I'm not sure why anyone would give you a hard time about this, unless they're insecure (about what, I couldn't analyze). Signals tell everyone around you what you're about to do. Keep up the good work.

All the time. To the point of if I don’t use it I really kinda have a “Shit, forgot my signal” moment.

That said I don’t get too bent out of shape about other people not signaling unless it’s these two situations: making a tight lane change, or with a speed differential where I’m overtaking. Basically just short of cutting me off. Signal and I can compensate. Cut over with no warning and fuck you. Second is braking before signaling a turn, say into a driveway or side street. IDK what the hell they teach in driver’s ed these days but we got drilled that you signal first and then brake because the signal is a warning to the driver behind you that you’re gonna slow for a turn and gives them time to prepare for what you’re gonna do. Be predictable. Seems like 3/4 time people just hit their brakes in the middle of the lane leaving you wondering wtf they’re doing or if they’re just an idiot.

I use it everywhere because it signals intent. You never know when someone might pull up fast or walk into your blind spot. This is the only indicator they have that you're about to pull into traffic, or change lanes.

Only if I don't run out of blinker fluid.

Only when I remember to fill up on my blinker fluid.

There are only 4 ways to communicate in a car what your intentions are to other drivers. Left blinker, right blinker, brake lights, and the finger. 5 if you count flashing brights but I'm convinced most people think it's just a fuck you for having headlights that are too bright, which might be the case, but I'm usually telling you there a pig ahead.

Hey, it's your life. If you want to use your blinker so that it is easier to get an opening, and so people are more likely to avoid hitting you, well, that's your choice.

Also, the results in here will be survivor biased. The people in wrecks because they didn't use their blinker are too busy dealing with insurance and repair times and rental cars to be on Lemmy. They are also busy having to remind people that they are the most important person on the road.

Yes even in parking lots and driveways, except sometimes when I'm pulling into a double turn lane and I don't want people to think I'm changing lanes