Do you see a turn signal? No? Then I'm NOT turning!

[bhskittykatt]

fma-fanatic's thread reminded me of this gem the other day.

To get to work, I must go straight across a main road. Most cars are turning right onto this road, to get to the interstate. Likewise, most oncoming traffic is turning left.

As I approach, the cars ahead of me are all turning right. No surprise. SUV-lady is coming from the other end, waiting to turn left. She's slowly inching into her turn.

I'm the last in the string of cars, and SUV lady assumes, despite my lack of turn signal, that I'm turning right, and suddenly proceeds to try and turn into me.

Her plan would have worked perfectly, had I in fact been turning right, because she would have turned right in behind me. What she ended up with, however, was me slamming on my brakes a good horn blare.

SUV-woman stopped and threw up her arms in a "How was I supposed to know?" gesture. I finangled my way around her and shot her the dirtiest look I could.

If I'm going to turn, I'll signal and let you know. (I know, that's more than a lot of other drivers do.) Seriously, quit assuming that just because you saw 6 cars in a row turn that the 7th is going to turn as well. You can't just assume that!

[Sliceanddice]

this how my brother broke his hand except that lady didnt even look just turn right into us.

[Captain Trips]

These days, with people not using signals and ignoring red lights, I'm always careful to assume that someone will (or won't) turn at the least convenient time. You were doing right, but she assumed you would be like the majority of people and not signal your turn.

[greek_jester]

One of the best bits of driving advice I ever got was from my mum. She told me 'ignore the indicators unless they agree with the wheels'.

At the time we lived in a town where indicators were rarely used, & if they were, they were usually used incorrectly. The only way you could be sure someone was turning was to look at the way the car was positioned & the way their front wheels were pointing.

[Chromatix]

That's good defensive driving, though you do have to qualify it with the fact that HGVs often pull out the opposite way just before turning, to give room for the trailer to swing.

[ravevolution]

Can't assume anything these days with sucky drivers. . .

I'll admit I have forgot to have my signal on, but typically in times where I know there will be confusion I always use my turn signals.

I can understand forgetting to have your turn signal on, but why some blatantly don't use them I don't get. Only once when I yelled at a lady for not using her signal did I get the dumbest answer "I don't want to burn out the light bulb in my flasher."

[Kaylyn]

As part of the orientation for just about every company I've driven for, we have to take SMITH system defensive driving training. In the video, it says, "The only thing you can be certain about when you see a driver using their turn signal is that the bulb works."

[drunkenwildmage]

The street I live on is your typically residential street.. it crosses a *MAJOR* local road at a stop light.. routinely, people who are on that residential street do turn left at the stop light, but myself because of the route I take to work, tend to go straight threw... 9 out of 10 tens, when I cross at that light, I have to slam on the brakes because some putz made a left hand turn in front of me...

[KiaKat]

Depending on where exactly I park, I make my turn onto (Major Avenue) either at avenue A or B. If it's A, there's only a little traffic, and most people are making the turn. No problems. If it's B....Hooboy. Not only are there people making various turns, from both directions, but you have people who are *just* going straight, but have their turn signal on anyway. I've learned to just sit and wait to make my left until I *know* the line of traffic is clear, and screw the honking horns behind me. I've not been in an accident yet, and I'd like to keep it that way.