Indicators

H

hollyrescue

Member
My next door neighbours youngest son is taking driving lessons, the eldest passed the test a few months ago. I asked them why so few people use indicators now, they both said that they were taught not to "because it could be confusing".

Can anyone add any comments to this strange method of teaching?

You'll get horse drawn carriage drivers not raising their whip vertically and moving it in a circular motion next! What is the world coming to?
 
I passed my test in 2002, so fairly recently. I certainly had to use indicators! That is a bit worrying, that they don't think they are necessary. Ask them why they think that they come with every car.

Mind you, I was taught not to rely on other people's indicators. If someone indicated that they were going to leave a roundabout, so you pulled out and they then hit you, it would be your fault even though they were indicating that they were leaving. Apparantly indicators don't hold any legal weight, they're just a handy indicator for other drivers.
 
BSM Guide to Practice Sessions

My son's learning to drive with the BSM and I have their book 'Practise Sessions - A guide to accompanying the learner driver'.

It's clear from this that signalling is still considered essential. In my days it was MSM...mirror-signal-maneouvre. It's now MSPSL... mirror-signal-position-speed-look. Basically still the same as 30 years ago!

My hunch is that anyone not signalling correctly in their test would fail.
 
I was taught that you should only use the indicators if it is of use to other motorists. So if for example, you are in a 'left turn only lane' you don’t need to indicate when you finally make that left turn, as the maneuver should have been anticipated by all. Though if it is unclear if you think your indicators would be of use, then it’s best to use them to be on the safe side.

My complaint is also with motorists who drive around with their indicators permanently on. Do they ever wonder what the green flashing light on their dashboard is ;)
 
And why haven't motorcycle manufacturers come up with some kind of gizmo to remind their riders that they have left their indicator on?
 
my lad was taught to drive by BSM and the use of indicators was always drummed into to him. After all if you want to turn right you have to let other uses of the road know. If indicators are not used during the deriving test then you will fail.
 
I think they do this on safety grounds - it must be very confusing for a new driver to indicate and send a text message on the mobile at the same time.

Seriously, I have heard they do discourage the unnecessary use of indicators in specific circumstances. When moving out of a parking space they suggest you only indicate when you have space and can pull away without impeding other traffic (unless you live in London) - not like my mother who would click on the indicator, then fasten her seatbelt, set the radio and check her lipstick before setting off !!

Cheers Spike
 
ben said:
And why haven't motorcycle manufacturers come up with some kind of gizmo to remind their riders that they have left their indicator on?
Click to expand...

I rode a BMW K1100RS and it turned off the indicators automatically after a certain distance. The problem was that it sometimes turned them off too soon, with the result I had to indicate my turn a second time. Nothing is perfect it seems.
 
I was always taught to use the indicators, to let other people know your intentions, even if it's just pedestrians, it seems to make sense to me, the only time i don't use them is when there is absolutely no-one around
 
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