Warning! Sweeping geographical generality ahead -

[mac56]

for which I apologize in advance. That said -

What is with Southern drivers and their turn signals? More to the point, with their refusal to use them?!

I've lived down here in NE Georgia for two years now, and I'll be damned if I see anyone besides me use his or her turn signals. Maybe twice a day I'll see another driver use them. I grew up in Minnesota, where it's rare to see anyone NOT signal a turn. Clearly, the word has gotten out down here that this is optional.

Can anyone cast some light on this for me? It's making me nuts.

[pmbryant]

1. I think this behavior is pretty widespread

I've seen it all the time in places as diverse as Chicago, Los Angeles, Honolulu, and all over Texas.

Minnesota sounds like the exception to me. :D

--Peter

[felonious thunk]

2. god is their copilot

so signals are not necessary.

sheesh. now i apologize too!

[liberalhistorian]

3. Well, it sure ain't just in the south!

I'm in Northeastern Ohio and NOBODY ever seems to use their turn signals! Or, if they do, they forget to turn them off, which is REALLY annoying! Same thing in the Western states and many other states I've been in, definitely not just the south! Of course, I've never been to the south, so I don't know if what you're saying is true or not.

[trotsky]

4. Maybe you've been gone from MN too long...

lack of turn signal use is rapidly reaching epidemic proportions up here now. Maybe it's not as bad as where you are, but trust me, it sucks.

Plus now you see a lot more red light running, especially for left turn arrows.

[BigMcLargehuge]

5. Happens in NH all the time

it's not a regional thing, believe me

[jono]

6. Trust me, it's not limited to the south.

I see it often when I'm in CA, and although I see it less here in WA, there are still plenty of people who think they are too good for turn signals. (Cops included. :eyes:)

[KCDem]

7. I hate turn signals.

I use them, of course, because I'm a good driver.

But I don't trust it when anyone else uses or does not use them. People have them on but don't turn; people turn/switch lanes without them.

What's the point of them at all, if they're misused 2/3 of the time?

[mac56]

8. So it's more widespread than I thought.

WTF's the deal? Are people just too self-centered to understand others may need to know in advance the direction they plan to point their mammoth vehicles?!

As I often tell my lovely wife, "It sucks being the last polite driver on Earth."

[bif]

13. When I see someone not signal

I say, "Yeah, why signal? It just lets other people know what you're doing."

[mac56]

14. I often say:

"Oh, right!! YOU'RE the guy who turns left here this time EVERY day!"

[bif]

19. Funny.

n/t

[BlueJazz]

9. Boy oh Boy...I agree....`

I was in Minnesota for many years.
I moved down to Florida when the growing Repugs (in Minn.) elected Coleman Dick.

When I first came down here that was one of the first things I noticed
about Southern drivers. They start slowing down and you have no idea what-so-ever what the hell they're going to do.

What's more aggravating is sitting behind them on a four-lane
and waiting for the light to change...It changes and THEN they start to
turn left..AAGGGGGG!!

[MisterP]

10. my socal residence:

they don't even slow down to turn!
ackhphth!

[Kolesar]

11. Hoosiers never used them

It was a bitch when I was cycling in Indiana in college

[bif]

12. Michigan checking in.

lAmost everyone here uses them. It's fairly rare for someone not use them.

[youngred]

15. That's universal I think

It's this Yankee white-boy's biggest pet peeve about drivers.

of course being a pedestrian/bicyclist who's been hit several times doesn't engender much love of drivers who don't use their turn signal. All of that was in Upstate NY.

[geniph]

16. There's parts of Seattle

particularly Ballard, where apparently the turn signal is supposed to be turned on at the same time as the engine, and never turned off. I guess I missed that section in the driver's manual. I see people all the time, driving down the freeway in the left-hand lane with their left blinker blink-blink-blinking away. I always wonder if they'll suddenly turn left.

Florida was the other place where I saw lots of perma-signals. I think older folks can't hear them going TICK TICK TICK and don't realize they've still got them on.

But I learned a hard lesson about turn signals, when waiting to turn left in front of someone - the signal does not turn the car. Just because someone in an oncoming vehicle has a left turn signal blinking doesn't mean you can turn left in front of them; they may not be turning at all. It's very annoying.

[Loonman]

17. Same thing in Maine

n/t

[Lars39]

18. Driver's Ed courses aren't mandatory anymore.

And there are older folks who missed out when the course was mandatory.

[Wcross]

20. Damn you! Now you got me all worked up! (just kidding!)

I see this stupidity on the roadways all the time. What gets me the most is the idiot in the passing lane who decides to move to the right lane without indicating after you have used your signal and started to pass them in the right lane.

Lazy stupid people. Too lazy to drive by the book, too stupid to know there are rules.