Signalling

[Arch]

I felt much the same as you Tim, but was told that he who signals at every turn is in effect on auto pilot, and unlikely to be maintaining adequate levels of observation.

That seems a bit harsh...

I ticked 'both always' - although I assumed it was understood that it meant "unless there is absolutely no-one else around to see it". And there are times when my left signal might be more truncated than my right, because I tend to be taking lefts quicker (not needing to get across traffic), and need my hand back on the bars for stability, whereas on a right I'm generally going slower and sometimes keep my arm out all the way round.

 

[fossyant]

I always signal but it doesn't always help..

Earlier this year, I was approaching a junction near home - know it well, with two lanes forming from one - fast ride up to it as it's slightly down hill, with a small uphill to the junction. Inside lane is left only, outside lane straight on. I want straight on.

Travelling at about 25 mph before the hill, look back and see a Merc signalling left about 200 yards behind, I signal right and move into right hand lane - 100 yards before the junction, allowing the car to just slot into the left... he was looking to overtake me and cut in right at the lights...

Driver pulls along side and said I shouldn't have pulled to the right - I explaind that he was about to cut me up and was already turning left, so didn't need the right lane... we'll the old git just goes on.... I ended up telling him to 'f' off and went on my way... just didn't feel like an argument....

 

[Pete]

Well, I didn't signal left coming out of a T-junction this morning. Whacking great artic. bearing down on my back wheel, not signalling himself, I held primary as long as I dared but it's difficult to justify when you're about to turn left. Obviously, whichever way the artic. goes he's going to need space, so he's quite right to hold the middle of the road himself, but still: I feared the 'left hook' which, coming from a lorry, can kill. So I left it to the last moment, then quickly pulled round to the left.

In the event, the lorry went right.

I really wish drivers would always signal, no matter what. After all it's only a matter of flicking out your little finger is it not, no need even to take your hand off the steering wheel FFS! A matter about which I often shout at drivers, but there was no point this morning as it was raining and I wanted to keep going.

 

[Fnaar]

I put "always", by which i mean "always when there is someone nearby, traffic or ped, who might need to know where I'm headed". Mostly ride in the middle of nowhere, so I don't signal (duh!), unless it's a frantic "get out the fookin' way" to ovine or bovine

 

[PrettyboyTim]

According to CTUK this is an indication that you aren't looking properly. You have to be absolutely certain who is around you before manouvering. I must admit I'm taken with their logic and agree with it.

But it's obviously not true. There are quite a lot of situations where someone might appear at the kind of time that you stop signalling and move your hand down to the bars as you come up to the corner. If you had chosen not to signal, it's possibly now too late to do so, whereas if you had, they could have caught the end of your signal.


Having said that, as I came in today I realised that I signal less than I thought I did!