Why don't people use their turn signals while driving?

[raccoon]

I have finally decided they're just too fucking lazy.

Your thoughts?

[MissMillie]

1. I'm going with retarded

that's the only way I can rationalize that I'm on a road w/ 4 lanes going all in the same direction and all 4 lanes are going the same speed.

[treestar]

2. Yes - remember driver's ed where you are supposed to turn it

on like 100 feet before the turn?

I really love people who change lanes without using them - I guess they just figure you can read their minds!

[Hosnon]

3. Certainly at the top of my list of annoyances while driving.

The failure to use them only tends to increase the accident rate. That is why it irks me so much...x(

[fizzgig]

4. i'm going with lazy assholes

it makes me crazy when people don't use their signals

[madinmaryland]

5. Because you are supposed to be able to read my mind! Sheeesh!

:P

[Wcross]

6. Hell, half of them don't even look before they change lanes!

They must be listening to that song "Jesus take the wheel" or something!

[DarkTirade]

7. Lazy, stupid, just don't care how much they inconvenience other drivers...

There is a plethora of reasons to choose from.
Personally, I think it should be a helluva lot harder for someone to get their driver's liscence than it is. Not only would it probably help curb urban sprawl in the long run, but it would make sure that the people on the road ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO DRIVE.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

14. I took both the American and UK tests

And I can truthfully say the UK test is the hardest. You have to drive NEARLY perfect (you can rack up to 16 minors, I got 13 minors on my final test). IF you get one "serious" (That is when the driving test instructor feels that you put yourself and others in danger), you fail the test.

I took the driving test six times, and five times I've gotten ONE serious each. A couple of times I thought I had passed but I had made the person behind me slow down (if your actions make the driver slow down or change direction, you fail) when I turned onto the road (I had thought I had enough time to turn onto the road).

[DarkTirade]

15. Which would lead to the question... what's their accident rate like there?

[FunkyLeprechaun]

17. I have no idea

I'll have to look it up! :-)

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. I always figure

they didn't want to shell out the extra bucks for that special turn-signal option.

[pokerfan]

9. They're saving energy!

Lights draw energy from the battery which needs to be replenished.

[Kutjara]

10. Here in SoCal, it's one or the other.

Either the morons never signal and just swerve their goliath SUVs around like they're in a bumpercar at the fairground, or they signal getting onto the freeway and just leave the signal on for the rest of the day.

Every time I see a signalling (or non-signalling) car, the fuckwit inside usually has a cellphone grafted to their heads. The ones that don't probably have the stereo turned up so loud they can't here the "plink plink plink" of the signal. The remainder are gnawing their way through a "Super-Duper-Mega-Jumbo Cardiac Burger" or sucking on a drink. Whatever the distraction, it's hard to use a signal when both hands are constantly occupied and your brain is being bombarded by "entertainment", and they'd never dream of not doing what they're doing, just to let some other clown know they're going to change lanes. After all, this is Amurika, and everyone is free to do what they like.

You could probably save 10k lives a year by banning cellphones, stereos and fast-food drive-thru windows.

[Patiod]

31. You got a problem with my In-N-Out?

I'll be in LA in two weeks, and am looking forward to an In-N-Out stop at the one by the airport before I drive to the hotel.

I promise I'll signal, even if I have to use my elbows.

[Kutjara]

37. We could all learn from my Italian friend in Rome.

She can manage to drive, shift gears, talk on her cellphone and touch up her makeup, all while holding a conversation with the people in the car, humming along to the radio and yelling at anyone foolhardy enough to get in her way. I don't know how she does it, although her car does look like a piece of aluminum foil that's been used once too often.

[Zoigal]

42. Right on,

Kutjara. I live in SoCal too. Your description of the turn signal situation is
perfect. p

[FunkyLeprechaun]

11. Especially on the Roundabout

When they mean to go straight ahead and not the rightmost lane but keep signaling right. It annoys me and a lot of other people,

Also cell phones while driving! The UK has now introduced a fine if you use the cellphone (and 3 points off your licence). I've just received mine almost 3 months ago I've only have 6 points to start with, so if I use the cellphone and get caught twice I'll lose my licence.

[Kutjara]

13. After moving from the UK to California...

...I see the sense in the UK legislation. Just about every idiot on the road here has a cellphone clamped to their head. The majority are oblivious to their surroundings and seem to think theirs is the only car on the road. Fortunately, a law was passed last year similar to the UK one, but it doesn't take effect until next summer. Presumably, the Governator thought it would take the average Californian two years to wrap up whatever call they were on when the law was passed. And meanwhile, the slaughter continues.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

16. Also... you may shoot me

but I think speed cameras are ok... somewhat.

There is one reason why I think they're good. Some why I think they're bad.

1) They can make people slow down to the proper speed.

and

2) You can change your plate number quite easily with black tape (that's what they had demonstrated on telly a month or so ago)

3) Almost EVERYONE that slows down to a proper speed before a speed camera speeds up as soon as they've passed it.

My friends here don't really like the speed cameras. I sort of like them but they don't really work.

[Kutjara]

18. I despised the cameras.

They're one of the major reasons I stopped driving in the UK. Local councils latched onto them, not because they allegedly save lives, but because they're an excellent source of revenue. This is borne out by the placement of the cameras, not usually near schools or other places where they'd do some good, but on open stretches of highway, typically at the start of overtaking areas, where motorists who've spent ten miles dawdling behind a caravan finally get the chance to get away. In such circumstances, exceeding the speed limit is safer than obeying it, because it minimizes the MTED (mean time exposed to danger). The bureaucrats don't want to know about that, however, because it doesn't swell their treasuries.

The NTSB (National Transport Safety Board) has commissioned numerous studies on the correlation between speed and accidents. It has found that only in 8% of cases has speed been the primary or principal factor. In over 70% of cases, driver inattention or poor driving skills have been the major cause. Yet the Government's emphasis continues to be on speed, to the exclusion of everything else, simply because it's an easy (and lucrative) restriction to enforce, whereas enforcing safe driving would actually cost money.

There are a few traffic cameras in the US, but they are typically near schools/hospitals/etc or at traffic lights, where they are more likely to do some good.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

19. I can see your point

There's a stretch of road here that's got 5 speed cameras (yes 5, you've got that right) and I was wondering why there were so many speed cameras.

What do you think of police officers hiding to catch speeders? That's what happens in my home state of Minnesota.

[Kutjara]

26. Again, if the focus of the officers is on speed...

...alone, they're just as bad as speed cameras. If, however, they have been trained to spot dangerous driving and use good judgement, they can be useful in enhancing safety. However, relying on the police's "judgement" opens another huge can of worms.

That said, a human is the only one who can judge if another human is driving safely or not. I was pulled over a few times for speeding in Australia several years ago, and each time, the cop carefully explained why what I was doing was dangerous (in one case, three people had died the previous month in accidents with kangaroos at nightfall). When the reason was explained, I was grateful for it. In the end, I didn't receive a ticket, because I think the officer could see that I'd understood his warning. That seemed a far more enlightened attitude to me. It was about saving lives, not making money.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

40. As I said below

I watched "Road Wars", the officers were on pursuit of a speeding Mercedes, who was undertaking and pushing people out of the way on the motorway.

They pulled him over and decided to do some "tough love" on him. Interviewed him and said, "Do you have points on your licence?" "Yes, 3." "Do you have to go somewhere for an emergency?" "No, sir." "Well... your actions will put a further 3 points on your car and that could ban you from driving." The guy just hung his head.

"Do you need a car to get to work?"

"Yes, and I've just lost my job because I can't use the car."

(I think since the guy had been driving a longer time than me, he had more points to take on his licence than me (6) but forgot all about it)

"I'm just going to give you a warning and a summons to appear in court." (the guy had thought he wasn't allowed to drive before the cop had said that)

He looked like he was going to cry with happiness. He pulled out on the motorway and behaved very well!

[raccoon]

24. Gosh, if only the US had a law like that!

"The UK has now introduced a fine if you use the cellphone (and 3 points off your licence). "

[FunkyLeprechaun]

38. I just watched "Road Wars" (a bit of guilty pleasure watching)

And they had a segment about cell-phones. The cops would tell people to get off their cell-phone (and a lot of them weren't wearing seatbelts as well). They showed a camera that was in a taxi driver's car (in America). The taxi driver was speaking on his cell phone and not paying attention to the road. He was side-swiped by a truck.

I do see a lot of people using cell-phones on the road. Whenever I'm in the car with my fiance, and his phone says he got a text message he gets it out of his pocket and gives it to me. If it rings, he ignores it. Good boy! :-)

[jgraz]

12. The want to give the rest of us a chance to test out our horns

It's a public service, really.

[regularguy]

23. And our birds...

[GOPisEvil]

20. Never reveal your plans to the enemy.

;)

Just kidding - selfish and lazy are my top two reasons.

[Darth_Kitten]

21. Yup. I'll add stupid, inconsiderate, and low class.

n/t :)

[jobycom]

22. I use mine. I leave it on all the time. People are always honking to thank me. nt

[raccoon]

25. Are you over 60? If so, you're excused. nt

[jobycom]

30. No, but I hope to be one day. nt

[pippin]

27. Living in their Own Bubble

Too many people these days going about living in their own bubble. They are either hooked onto their phones, ipods, or loud music to the extent the world around them simply doesn't exist. It's a strange kind of narcissism. Two days ago my SO stopped at a stop sign and was rammed in the rear by a truck. Turns out the fella was yacking on his Blackberry and was still yacking away as he stepped out of his truck to investigate what had happened. He continued to yack while he and SO worked out the insurance thing.

The other side is when you are using a signal and the mean types who simply won't let you in. I've had several close calls where a merge or lane change was absolutely necessary but some jerks seem to take it as an affront to let you in in front of them.

Let's face it, using signals is a way of communicating to your fellow humans, an act of courtesy that says "I'm coming through." I think we are all becoming aware that courtesy is dead.

[raccoon]

33. Great post. Many people do go around in their own bubble.

Totally oblivious.

[regularguy]

28. I think it's the whole gang initiation execution thingy?

[pinniped]

29. Their left hand is busy grasping their precious c-phones.

They don't have time for the stinking turn signal!

[Patiod]

32. Hv 2 txt msg. Kthx

Honest to god, one our last trip up the NJ Turnpike we saw TWO (that's T-W-O) drivers going over 85 mph and TEXTING at the same time. They were not dialing their phones -- they were clearly TEXTING (using both hands).

I don't think I could be more horrified if they were actually in the act of sexual congress -- hey, at least you can keep your eye on the road while you do that, unlike texting..............

[Hangingon]

34. Left hand is busy with their cell phone. Right hand is changing...

radio stations. Guess they are driving with their left knee.

[LostinVA]

35. They're in NJ

Haruka describes it as "don't let the bastard know your plan, because he'll just try to get in the way."

[prole_for_peace]

45. same in houston...

when i drive there i use my signal a lot less. it seems like a signal is a sure fire way to get someone to block your lane change or turn.

[bikebloke]

36. Too inebriated with themselves

Or maybe with the culture of selfishness and self-centeredness, they reckon they're too important. When I drove, I always hit the signal. Even if I thought I was alone on the road in the middle of the night. There are situations where I give hand signals on my bike.

Also, I've noticed that eejits in cars have started making right hand turns from the center and left hand lanes. And visa versa.

[krispos42]

39. Don't want to announce their plans to the enemy!

The enemy being, of course, the other cars on the road...

[Tafiti]

41. Yes, laziness mostly.

And a general lack of courtesy or concern for other drivers that might potentially benefit from seeing their signals.

Apparently, the minimal arm/hand movements required to signal are too much to ask.

[RushIsRot]

43. Signals are for Sissies!

That's the bumper sticker I made up for this phenomenon.

[prole_for_peace]

44. its too hard....hitting that little lever and all.... n/t