The 'need' to indicate - ?

[lazybloke]

I'll only signal my intent if there's someone to signal my intent to.

Fair enough when there's nobody there.

Must be great to have 360 degree awareness including in blind spots, not just momentarily but continuously as situations evolve!

I'm happy to accept that your observational skills may be considerably better than mine, but no-one has perfect awareness.

 

[mjr]

If any of you want to snipe at an image of IAM members that's fine, but I genuinely commend you to try the course yourself rather than criticise it without knowing.

No, I do not snipe at IAM members or their image but I criticise the organisation and I will not pay them before doing so.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

IAM, therefore I think, so to speak?

Surely it’d be IAM therefore I drive?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

No, I do not snipe at IAM members or their image but I criticise the organisation and I will not pay them before doing so.

By all means criticise, but I think this actively misrepresents, and undermines the point you seek to make:

You mean the IAM who campaigned against the new Highway Code rules and call it "a book no-one reads"? Fark 'em and the horse they should be made to ride.

 

[MontyVeda]

That’s because they see you at the last second, having assumed their earlier observation skills were perfect.

It's usually on the one way system, with plenty of traffic following them.

Fair enough when there's nobody there.

Must be great to have 360 degree awareness including in blind spots, not just momentarily but continuously as situations evolve!

I'm happy to accept that your observational skills may be considerably better than mine, but no-one has perfect awareness.

I'm a cyclist so can see pretty much all the way around, and my nose ain't big so no blind spots there.

 

[lazybloke]

It's usually on the one way system, with plenty of traffic following them.

I'm a cyclist so can see pretty much all the way around, and my nose ain't big so no blind spots there.

Oh, I'm with you if you're talking about cycling.

<checks OP>... but the thread was originally about driving. It might have meandered since.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

No, I do not snipe at IAM members or their image but I criticise the organisation and I will not pay them before doing so.

That's fine. It wasn't you I was referring to when I mentioned sniping at "an image" of an IAM trained driver, it was Matticus and the normally excellent DaveReading who had had a wee snigger. I'm guessing that their driving standards are truly excellent, and constantly reassessed. Or it might be that they passed a very basic test 20, 30 or more years ago, and they've not been assessed since, and have picked up dreadful habits.
Actually I'm going to go with the latter.

 

[Illaveago]

My son's FIL was training to be a driving instructor and was failed for using his indicators too much ! What a load of tosh ! It is the driving examiners that we can blame for all the carp driving if that is their attitude ! I thought that it was just BMW owners who couldn't be bothered to use them but it is becoming more wide spread .
Just think of the times when you have been frustrated by a person who couldn't be bothered to use them? Waiting at a busy road junction , the traffic to the left has stopped but a car to your right is coming towards you , it looks like it is going straight on but suddenly turns left ! You have missed the opportunity to pull out as traffic is now moving again !
What about you are going down on an inside lane when a vehicle suddenly pulls across you from your right without indicating ? They might not have seen you as you were in their blind spot? If it was compulsory to indicate before changing direction you would at least know !

 

[DCBassman]

Hmmm. General scenario, lane changes.
On two-lane single-carriageway, no need to signal a return to left lane. Where else are you going to go?
Absolutely every other situation, signal. Could not pass my test withiut this, RAF.
But when I was driving for Mercedes, the ex-copper who assesed me was scathing about unneeded indications. And I was scathing back about signalling when there were others about. Empty road, who cares? Otherwise, blinky-blinky.

 

[figbat]

Over-indicating can be as confusing as under-indicating. There is a Goldilocks zone which requires awareness and anticipation.

The examples above just show poor driving. I would never accept an indicator as invitation to pull out of a side road and will always wait until the car is actually turning before going. I might consider going if I got a flash of the lights and it was clear the vehicle was slowing for me, but even then I’d have my eyes on stalks and would be out quick-smart.

Changing lanes without indicating is just poor driving. If you haven’t cleared a blind spot then you indicate and wait for the blind spot to clear before moving.

 

[figbat]

Hmmm. General scenario, lane changes.
On two-lane single-carriageway, no need to signal a return to left lane. Where else are you going to go?
Absolutely every other situation, signal. Could not pass my test withiut this, RAF.
But when I was driving for Mercedes, the ex-copper who assesed me was scathing about unneeded indications. And I was scathing back about signalling when there were others about. Empty road, who cares? Otherwise, blinky-blinky.

Agreed about overtaking - my observation is that there is an older generation of driver who tend to do this, and indicate incorrectly at roundabouts, and indicate when passing parked cars (again, where else are you going to go?). I’ll only indicate if the parked car isn’t obvious or is unexpected and someone behind might not see it or might be closing quickly. But in towns where it is both expected and accepted… nope.

 

[Illaveago]

Blind spots !
Who these days turn their heads to look over their shoulders? Hardly any ! They just rely on their door mirrors which don't give the full picture of what is behind you or to the sides . An indication would give warning to anyone who may be in that blind spot.
Police ! Pah! Wiltshire police have decided that it it would improve road safety not to replace worn out road markings ! What numpties !
Their policy is that motorists will be confused and so be more cautious ! Balls ! People will just tear along going through road junctions and mini roundabouts as though they were not there at top speed !
Who comes up with these ideas ?
Why not give burglars your keys as it will save them damaging your property breaking in ?

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Blind spots !
Who these days turn their heads to look over their shoulders? Hardly any ! They just rely on their door mirrors which don't give the full picture of what is behind you or to the sides . An indication would give warning to anyone who may be in that blind spot.
Police ! Pah! Wiltshire police have decided that it it would improve road safety not to replace worn out road markings ! What numpties !
Their policy is that motorists will be confused and so be more cautious ! Balls ! People will just tear along going through road junctions and mini roundabouts as though they were not there at top speed !
Who comes up with these ideas ?
Why not give burglars your keys as it will save them damaging your property breaking in ?

Since when was it the responsibility of the police to replace worn out road markings?

 

[mjr]

Since when was it the responsibility of the police to replace worn out road markings?

It's not but they are often consulted by highways departments who are depressingly reluctant to overrule them even when they're talking outdated shoot. Not all roads policing units are as good on cycling as West Midlands or Surrey.

 

[Biker man]

What is mandatory is making appropriate observations before starting your manoevre. If you see that there's no one there and decide to indicate anyway - no harm is done. In fact as you are fallible it might still be useful as you may have missed someone. If you decide not to indicate, again no problem, as you have looked and confirmed that there is no need.

But what could become a problem is getting into an automatic habit of sticking the indicator on without making proper observations and hoping that by indicating all will be OK.

You need to get sufficient info to get to the decision point where you know whether or not anyone will see. What you decide to do if there's no one there is up to you.

People do that a lot on the Motorway stick the indicator on and pull out at the same time very dangerous.