Using turn signals to drive straight

[ShadowBall]

This is something that confused the hell out of me...when I took my road test, one of the reasons I failed the first time was because I did not signal while exiting the main route onto a smaller local road. The intersection in question was four-way - like a curvy "+" and only a stop sign for the folks to my right and those coming off said smaller road. I had to drive straight, but use a turn signal.

When I did this after my test, I almost got fucking hit in the passenger side because the person to my right thought I was turning right and that they could drive ahead without waiting for me (which would be logical IF I was staying true to what my signal was saying). But noooo, I need to signal that I'm turning right because the road I was taking happened to be on a two-degree curve.

Second time I took my road test, I made sure to do this and was told to "make sure the other drivers know you're going straight and not right." Oh really now? And just how am I supposed to do that?

I passed that second time, but I will never signal like that on that road again...not when I almost get hit because of it. WTF - is that normal to do? I would like to know if this is some weird, screwy driving law or of my examiner was a moron.

[Andara Bledin]

Do you think you could include a Google satellite image of the road in question? I just can't picture what the intersection looked like.

Unless you're talking about exiting a route that has an offramp, and then going straight at the end of the offramp. If that's the case, then you'd signal your intent to take the offramp, and then cease to signal when it came time to go straight at the end.

^-.-^

[Chromatix]

I'm going to guess that the main road curves, but the minor road on the outside of the curve is at such an acute angle that it is in line with the main road before the curve.

The rules in Britain for this case, which is not terribly rare in hilly rural areas, are that not signalling says you will stay on the main road and you should signal into the minor road if you want to take it, even though it's physically straight. This is true even if the main road makes a sharp 90° turn, so that if the road priorities were different it would be a T junction.

Compare this: (imagine coming from the other side of it) to this:

It sounds like your instructors and examiners want you to follow the same rules as in Britain. However, other motorists are being confused by it, because (surprise surprise) they don't know the rules.

[Dasota]

http://maps.google.com/maps?rlz=1C1A...ed=0CBsQ8gEwAA


When you zoom in, go up Main Street. You'll see it veers off to the left. The road that goes straight is a different road and technically a "right turn" so you're suppose to signal to go straight there.

[Gawdzillers]

I wouldn't use the turn signal unless a cop is nearby.

[Ironclad Alibi]

http://maps.google.com/maps?rlz=1C1A...ed=0CBsQ8gEwAA


When you zoom in, go up Main Street. You'll see it veers off to the left. The road that goes straight is a different road and technically a "right turn" so you're suppose to signal to go straight there.

Looking at the linked map, I can agree with the need to signal for a right turn when going north on Main and going onto Orchard. However, I would not put on the signal until after I passed Maple so no one would think I was going turn at Maple.

It also appears that the only person who would benefit from such a right turn signal would be someone heading south on Orchard and coming onto Main.

[ShadowBall]

This was loading better for me than Google Maps. This place called Mike's Garage was pretty much right on the corner of where I had to turn." I was on Main Street/Route 220 heading south/down. But rather than staying on that route and making a bit of a left turn, I drove straight (I mean "turned") at the spot where the garage is located - right where Main Street becomes Ash Street. There really was absolutely no curve to the road, hence my confusion as to why the hell I needed to signal. I just did it to please my tester - otherwise, I probably would not have done it since it seems unnecessary.

If you want to see the road for yourself, please help yourself to Google Maps. I cannot load it right on my shitty dial-up connection.

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&h...ef8cda26d1a6ec

[alcaholjunkie]

This was loading better for me than Google Maps. This place called Mike's Garage was pretty much right on the corner of where I had to turn." I was on Main Street/Route 220 heading south/down. But rather than staying on that route and making a bit of a left turn, I drove straight (I mean "turned") at the spot where the garage is located - right where Main Street becomes Ash Street. There really was absolutely no curve to the road, hence my confusion as to why the hell I needed to signal. I just did it to please my tester - otherwise, I probably would not have done it since it seems unnecessary.

If you want to see the road for yourself, please help yourself to Google Maps. I cannot load it right on my shitty dial-up connection.

http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&h...ef8cda26d1a6ec

That's one odd intersection, three different roads from what I can see. (and illustrated here, lol)


I think what you're supposed to do is indicate right for Main Street just as it's too late to indicate for Burlington Drive. Although people may think you are just signalling late for Burlington Drive...

Looks like it could do with some blooming traffic lights or something there though, lol.

[Chromatix]

When you have two roads on the same side of the main route, you should indicate the same way for both of them. The signal means "I'm leaving the main route on this side", but it never gives enough unambiguous information to say which road you're taking.

If only more people practiced defensive driving.

[Andara Bledin]

Considering that route 220 is Main St to the north, and Main St continues to the south and you were staying on Main St, I can't see why it would make any sense at all to signal, even though Rte 220 changes streets.

[edit to add] However, looking at the street view, it's obvious that the designers set up for traffic to default for the route. Burlington St really isn't considered since it appears to be little more than an alley. Main St turns into a smaller street, and coming on that intersection, I'd likely use a signal for either turning right or going straight, while not signaling to continue on Rte 220.

^-.-^

[Kogarashi]

Yeah, you have to look at the "Satellite" view to really see the problem, since the plain old "Map" view just looks like a normal X intersection (which would make signalling to stay on Main silly and confusing).

Looks like 220 curves, Main goes straight but becomes a much smaller street, and Burlington is an equally small street coming in at an angle. In this case, since the satellite view makes it look like 220 is the continuous road and the Main St. continuation the offshoot, your first instructor was probably technically correct. Difficult to say for sure without actually driving the route and seeing the roads from a driver's veiwpoint, but the photo makes it look like you should signal to get off of the continuing road. In this case, the driver that cut you off because they assumed you were turning onto Burlington is technically in the wrong. Just because an oncoming car is signalling doesn't mean they're going to actually turn. When I'm coming off of a side street, I make sure any signalling cars are actually committing to the turn (slowing down, actually starting to turn) before pulling out, so I don't get T-boned for assuming something.

Don't quote me on this for certain, though. I'm just going off of the satellite photo.

[Andara Bledin]

Street view makes it really obvious. The guide lines painted on the road indicate that Rte 220 is to be considered a continuous road and that Main St, where Rte 220 splits off, is supposed to be thought of as a separate road.

So, heading south on 220, you would signal if you were turning onto Burlington or going straight on Main, but you wouldn't signal to curve left to stay on Rte 220.

Either way, it's baffling that an instructor couldn't explain this in a way that you could understand, and the person coming from main assuming you were turning onto Burlington is an idiot.

^-.-^

[Frantic Freddie]

I wouldn't use the turn signal unless a cop is nearby.

mods pardon me if this is fratching,but I have to say something

Then you are inconsiderate at best & dangerous at worst.

[Jetfire]

My town has a similar intersection, though it's only a 3 way intersection. Main Street comes over the bridge, and bends to the left to follow the river shoreline. Broadway comes down the hill and meets up Main Street.

When you are coming over the bridge, if you stay straight, you would naturally head up Broadway, but if you stay on Main, you have to go left. The habit the town has is for people coming over the bridge to signal left (Main) or right (Broadway) to indicate which road you are going up, though technically you don't need to if you're going on Main. For people coming down Broadway (it's incoming connection is actually on the other side of a triangle so you meet Main at 90degrees), you can generally trust that if people signal right they are going to turn, if they are not signalling or are signalling left, then you can't turn onto main.

[ShadowBall]

It would have been nice if my examiner actually explained why I needed to signal at that point because honestly I have always been under the impression that you use turn signals when you're turning. Not when driving straight, even if you are going off a route and onto a small street. I didn't know there were exceptions. Whoops.

Doesn't help that I have never once seen someone signal at that intersection when they intended to drive straight off 220 onto a street. I was honestly just wondering if my instructor was doing something wrong or not because I thought he was and I was prepared to report his ass for intentionally misleading people seeking their licenses. Not out of any kind of personal spite, but because I'd be pissed on everyone's behalf if he was failing people for his own stupidity.

Anyway, thanks for all the info and advice, everyone. Glad to hear what's right from people who have been driving longer than myself.