xpc316e
Veteran
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, UK
I do not understand the attitude some people have to indicating and overtaking. When someone overtakes you, gives you a wide berth, and pulls in without indicating left how does that impact upon you in an adverse way? If however they pull back in when rather close but they indicate, does that make you feel happy about it?
The Highway Code states that you should not contemplate manoeuvres if they cause others to alter speed or course. How does using an indicator before an overtake help? If the driver thought following vehicles were themselves about to overtake, then he shouldn't do the overtake. If the safety was going to be marginal, how would a 21 watt flashing bulb help?
I fully agree with indicating before changing lanes on busy roads, because our roads are so crowded that in that situation all of our manoeuvres affect others. However most drivers operate the indicators at the same moment that the steering wheel is turned to change lanes - surely it needs to be indicate, wait, 2, 3,4, change lanes if safe, and not use it like a London bus driver to barge out into other flows of traffic? Most drivers use indicators as though they are some kind of sci-fi forcefield which will prevent anything going wrong, and without any consideration as to whether they benefit other road users.
Most drivers use indicators without any active thought about whether they are of some use in overtaking situations, but routinely neglect to use them in roundabouts where they usually serve a purpose. As a holder of an LGV C+E licence I might well indicate to overtake a cyclist if I were prevented from pulling out early enough to give following vehicles a view of the cyclist down my nearside, and wanted to prevent them from trying to pass me as I was about to move out, but there are few occasions otherwise.
As cyclists do you guys religiously indicate when pulling out to pass parked cars, or do you rely on the fact that no driver in his right mind would expect you to either crash into the back of them, or try to ride over the top? Do you signal left before you pull back to the secondary position? I doubt it very much.
The Highway Code states that you should not contemplate manoeuvres if they cause others to alter speed or course. How does using an indicator before an overtake help? If the driver thought following vehicles were themselves about to overtake, then he shouldn't do the overtake. If the safety was going to be marginal, how would a 21 watt flashing bulb help?
I fully agree with indicating before changing lanes on busy roads, because our roads are so crowded that in that situation all of our manoeuvres affect others. However most drivers operate the indicators at the same moment that the steering wheel is turned to change lanes - surely it needs to be indicate, wait, 2, 3,4, change lanes if safe, and not use it like a London bus driver to barge out into other flows of traffic? Most drivers use indicators as though they are some kind of sci-fi forcefield which will prevent anything going wrong, and without any consideration as to whether they benefit other road users.
Most drivers use indicators without any active thought about whether they are of some use in overtaking situations, but routinely neglect to use them in roundabouts where they usually serve a purpose. As a holder of an LGV C+E licence I might well indicate to overtake a cyclist if I were prevented from pulling out early enough to give following vehicles a view of the cyclist down my nearside, and wanted to prevent them from trying to pass me as I was about to move out, but there are few occasions otherwise.
As cyclists do you guys religiously indicate when pulling out to pass parked cars, or do you rely on the fact that no driver in his right mind would expect you to either crash into the back of them, or try to ride over the top? Do you signal left before you pull back to the secondary position? I doubt it very much.
