Dear turn signal users: (York: insurance, violent crime, houses)

[youngabe]

So let's generalize here...if you do not use a turn signal, regardless of your geographic location, you're a hazard on the road. Plain and simple. When you're in control of a multi-ton piece of equipment AKA, a vehicle and you want to MOVE that vehicle in any sort of direction, you should SIGNAL that to other drivers so you don't cause an accident.

I CONSTANTLY blow the horn when people do not use turn signals. Here in Pittsburgh, when a horn is blown, people begin to panic because they're brought back to reality from their slumber, but 9 times out of 10, people have no idea why I'm honking at them.

USE A TURN SIGNAL NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE.

[rhondee]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

I am a rabid turn-signal user... dad was a Teamster and taught us all well.

That said, I have been in the car with people who did just as you said.

In THEIR cases:

- they came up to an intersection intending to pass through, stopped, then realized they needed to turn there after all.

- they were NOT going to turn there because of the "No Left Turn sign", then realized it was after 6pm (or whenever) and that they COULD turn there after all.

-they looked ahead and saw unexpected construction and decided to avoid it.

-they forget the bridge closes for sporting events and went to Plan B for parking.

Not saying it is right, but I am saying there are many reasons why...

I must confess--I'm guilty of doing those last second changes myself from time to time. Perhaps i/o a higher DMV fee people should just get a traffic citation for failing to use a turn signal while negotiating a turn. Second time offenders should start racking up points.
I'm sure municipalities would endorse this. If there's anyway they can issue traffic tickets to increase revenue they're gonna do it.

[rhondee]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

I think people should be required to retake the driving test every so often. Much gets forgotten and bad habits get ingrained after you prove your worth at 16.

Yeah, when I was 16 it was 1980. Aside from no longer being allowed to ride in the bed of a pick up truck- which I found out the hard way by getting pulled over for- I never know what has changed since then for traffic laws, unless I happen to catch on the news or something.

DMV should send an email alert if there are changes in law.

[Heit]

Originally Posted by huphollandhup

I drive all over the greater Pittsburgh area for my job. I've lived and driven all over the country and never before have I seen lazier or more thoughtless use of turn signals. Do me a favor: give me a little notice and apply your turn signal before you plan on turning,not after the light turns green and I've been waiting behind you assuming (because your turn signal was not on) that you are going straight through the intersection. If I had known you were going to make a left turn, I would have opted for the right lane so I wouldn't have to wait for you. Thanks.

Oh NO...............yet ANOTHER post about the terrible drivers in our area......................"THE HORROR"...................

[ditchdigger]

I'm sure everyone will be happy to know that when I'm cruising down the left hand lane for miles at a time, at speeds designed to aggravate even the sleepiest driver following me, I leave my left turn signal on the whole time. I suggest you all do the same. It will help to keep the universe in balance....

[rhondee]

Originally Posted by ditchdigger

I'm sure everyone will be happy to know that when I'm cruising down the left hand lane for miles at a time, at speeds designed to aggravate even the sleepiest driver following me, I leave my left turn signal on the whole time. I suggest you all do the same. It will help to keep the universe in balance....

AAWWWW!!! So that was YOU Ditchdigger !! ALthough I pointed out my own personal driving "sins", drivers who leave their turn signals on while driving down the highway annoys me to no end!

[Kate88]

I'm in DC now and NO ONE uses turn signals here. When friends were giving me tips about driving down here, they actually told me NOT to use mine, because drivers down here are so aggressive that if they know you are trying to get into their lane, they will purposely block you out.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by huphollandhup

I drive all over the greater Pittsburgh area for my job. I've lived and driven all over the country and never before have I seen lazier or more thoughtless use of turn signals. Do me a favor: give me a little notice and apply your turn signal before you plan on turning,not after the light turns green and I've been waiting behind you assuming (because your turn signal was not on) that you are going straight through the intersection. If I had known you were going to make a left turn, I would have opted for the right lane so I wouldn't have to wait for you. Thanks.

Apparently you have never driven in Florida, I don't believe cars there come equipped with turn signals.

I would be happy to actually see a turn signal.

[Honest Bob]

I got a bigger gripe.

Idiot drivers who - when you are sitting at a stop sign, decides that they don't like to turn their steering wheel - so they cut across your lane - to make their travels shorter. You are going in one direction and want to turn right and they are going in the opposite direction and they want to turn left.

The whole time - you are either approaching the stop sign or already there and waiting to make a right hand turn and all of a sudden - there is a car - right there in front of you in your lane.

I wrecked a totally decent truck a couple of years ago - because a idiot driver did just wHat I am complaining about.

Since then, I am half scared to go to a intersection - because I know that some idiot is going to do it again.

My other gripe is people who drives down the center lane in the road, when it is clearly marked by a solid line on each side and is designated for turning only. They decide that they want to get to the end of the blvd and that they will just travel the 1/4 mile down the center of the road.

Only you are going in the opposite direction and you would like to use the center lane to get across the road - to say a gas station and you figure that this idiot is going to turn and so you wait in the lane of travel and after you let the idiot go - they continue on to the other end of town in the center lane and not in the lane of travel.

Once - just once , I would like to pull out into the cross over lane and hold the idiot going in the wrong lane and call the Police and have the idiot arrested for traveling in the wrong lane. I don't even know if the police would show up. But I wonder - who would be at fault if you wrecked into the fool? You for obeying the law or them for being in the lane first?

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by huphollandhup

I drive all over the greater Pittsburgh area for my job. I've lived and driven all over the country and never before have I seen lazier or more thoughtless use of turn signals. Do me a favor: give me a little notice and apply your turn signal before you plan on turning,not after the light turns green and I've been waiting behind you assuming (because your turn signal was not on) that you are going straight through the intersection. If I had known you were going to make a left turn, I would have opted for the right lane so I wouldn't have to wait for you. Thanks.

Perhaps a number of these people have found the driver in front of them to be attractive, wish, somehow, to connect with them, give them some indication they're attracted to them, praying they'll turn off into a convenience store parking lot, so you follow, and tell them one of their tail lights is out, or pay them a compliment on their vehicle.

And the person they're following may be one of these drivers who puts their turn signals on the very last minute, and the driver/pursuer behind does likewise.
Sorry about that! Can't let this potential love-of-my-life get away from me!