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gigag04 wrote: So even if someone is stopped at intersection and then turns on their blinker to turn when they see me, I still have a good stop on the vehicle.

Yep, I always think about that when the steering wheel bumps the turn signal off while I'm sitting there....

marksiwel wrote:I use my turn signal, even in the parking lot, people make fun of me

I wish more people did that (signal in a parking lot, that is, not make fun of you)....

timdsmith72 wrote:heh. I'm not saying I don't USE a turn signal. I do. I'm just pointing out the response I usually get when I turn it on.

Agreed. Same here, unfortunately. Nice to know we're in the same boat!

hheremtp wrote:The reason most people don't use turn signals is because they are essentially "gap fill indicators". I can't tell you how many times I have seen someone put their tun signal on to indicate a lane change and the person behind them speed up to block them from getting over. Why would you use your turn signal before changing lanes if you know your are just going to get cut off?

Primarily because I feel the responsibility to share the road; they don't. I can't bash them for not using one if I do not use it. At the very least, I hope I make driving a tiny bit safer for both of us. And, as I said before, I need to warn someone who I may not have seen (just happened to me yesterday).
I use the signal, and let the person beside me respond as they see fit, and I will move accordingly. It is their lane, after all (i.e., right-of-way).

Also, of course, the signal is a request and warning of intent, not a demand. That seems to be lost on a lot of folks.
And, there are so many drivers who do not leave nearly enough room in front of the adjacent car (or truck! ), that it is simply not safe.

There is another issue, of course: Most drivers turn on their signal too late for me to do anything about it. People don't seem to realize that it takes time 1) for the blinker to come on (it can take a second or more, depending on the circuitry), and 2) for the nearby driver to notice it and respond.

gigag04, I can empathize, been there, done that (only not as a LEO)!

Thread Hijack!
One of my many hot buttons.
Why aren't signals used by most drivers? Because the use of a turn signal well before executing a turn or lane change is for the benefit of any drivers nearby, as a courtesy to those other drivers. And we all know how often most drivers think about other drivers around them nowadays.
'Nuff said?

I made a habit long ago of using signals, especially as I've been amazed at how many cars suddenly appear out of nowhere on "empty" roads.

Sorry, I'll behave now....
End Thread Hijack!