[govindremesh]

Originally Posted by Emvi

On a two lane highway, it is logical to use the left blinker to allow someone overtake us. It is logical on the highways with multiple lanes as well, but as we all know, not many follow lane discipline.

Please discontinue this practice if you're following it! As some BHPians have mentioned:

Originally Posted by Tgo

Rules like sticking to the middle lane does the same thing as signaling to the car behind us to overtake if they wish to. Problem is that people have already invented new rules (hazard lights in fog, turn signal to allow an overtake) without knowing and adhering to the standard set of rules.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

I have never used indicators to facilitate overtaking. The number of use cases in our country for indicators has actually put the actual reason to use indicators to shame!

Keep a regular eye on all your mirrors and you will always get hints on whoever is wanting to overtake you. There is a lot of hint that you as a driver can give the other drivers that lets them know that you are allowing them to overtake you.

The best way to indicate an overtake is to stay in the correct lane. That is, in India, the leftmost lane, as much as possible, and maintain a steady speed. That's a good sign for the person behind to continue overtaking if they wish to.

Also, different drivers have different experience and confidence levels. What one driver perceives as "safe to overtake" might not necessarily be the same for the other driver. So such indicators are pointless, in my opinion.

[anjan_c2007]

Usually truckers and sometimes buses on highways had around two decades ago started with this wrong practice of using amber blinkers, to allow the trailing vehicle wanting to overtake, move ahead. It has now become a norm and many drivers of many categories of vehicles nowadays use the amber blinker to give a clear signal to the trailing vehicle to overtake. It's fraught with risks and ought not to be used.

The best way to allow the trailing vehicle to overtake and move ahead is to reduce your speed a wee bit and allow it a passage, providing adequate space.

Nowhere in the world are such green blinkers used I believe and any such addition to a vehicle's taillight cluster is unwanted. Moreover in India, it will create mega desi chaos, with the jugaad inventions by each different driver and may also cause accidents.

The old, officially mandated, established and conventional system of signalling by hand was great, but with the advent of AC cars and chaotic traffic, our personal limb safety will be at stake if we resort to such signals, more so because some traffic moron may emerge from nowhere and hit our hand.

An old quote "an invisible came from nowhere, hit my car and vanished."

The officially recognised hand signals:-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IieC...=abdelahachraf

[YD14]

I don't think it is necessary to use indicators on two-laned roads or highways with multiple lanes. But on narrow roads the vehicle in front has to give way, otherwise no overtaking is possible. Though one should avoid overtaking at all on these roads, it becomes necessary when the vehicle in front is a truck or bus moving at turtle's speed.

People generally use left indicator to tell that they will be slowing down and moving to left. If the vehicle in front does not give the indication the vehicle at back may get confused.

I had an minor accident related to it years ago. I and 11 other students (yup, 13 people in a Bolero, that was a stupid arrangement by our parents) were returning home from school in a Bolero taxi. We were behind a truck taking a moderate turn at slow speed (around 30 kmph I guess) and after a turn the road ahead was straight. In anticipation of truck's speed increasing our driver increased his speed a bit, but to his and my surprise (was sitting on the front seat) the truck's speed didn't increase but decreased. He tried to maneuver the car to the right and brake hard at the same time, locking up the wheels. As a result, neither the car stopped nor turned, instead collided with the truck. The locking up could not stop the car but helped slowing down so no one was injured but the Bolero's repair bill was certainly big. The truck driver later said that he was trying to give way and we should have kept more distance, on the other hand our driver demanded compensation because the truck driver did not give any prior signal and his brake lights were not working too.

Conclusions I have from this:
a. Do not give way to vehicle behind you with a surprise especially on narrow roads. Use left blinker if necessary.
b. Maintain more than necessary distance from big vehicles
c. Brake in anticipation but never accelerate if you anticipate the vehicle in front to speed up.
d. Trucks should have crash guards on their back, we were in a Bolero so the front of the vehicle took the brunt but if we were in a sedan or hatchback story would have been different.
e. Thirteen people in a Bolero is a bad idea. Makes the car unmaneuverable.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by govindremesh

The best way to indicate an overtake is to stay in the correct lane. That is, in India, the leftmost lane, as much as possible, and maintain a steady speed. That's a good sign for the person behind to continue overtaking if they wish to.

Been there and have been sticking to this practice since I started to drive despite the sad reality that most of the motorists today prefer to stick to the median:

Originally Posted by paragsachania

It is my humble request to fellow motorists to adapt driving on the center lane or the left most lane on a dual carriageway that will not save you from accidents but the probability of getting involved with the above category of accidents will be lesser.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

In simplest terms, I always use the fast lane to overtake.

[Nalin1]

A green light to indicate to the vehicle behind to overtake?

Does that mean-

1. I am giving you way, please go ahead or
2. I am giving you way, please go ahead and IT IS SAFE FOR YOU as well

There is a big difference between the two.

Either way, it is the vehicle behind that has to judge if the overtake is on safely for EVERYONE, not just for him.

If this practice becomes a reality one day, no way will I overtake only after seeing the 'green' signal!. With a risk of any danger popping out of anywhere anytime, the last thing you want to do is to step on the gas after getting the 'go ahead' from the guy in front, to later regret the other guy's judgement .

[sarav100]

It must be noted that about 2 decades ago, Haryana Roadways buses did come with 2 additional rectangular shaped lights at the rear end as with following details:

1. Red/Amber(don't remember colour properly) Light: It was a halogen light with red/amber lens and a metallic cover was placed over the lens with cutout writing 'WAIT'.
2. Green Light: This was also a halogen light with a dark green coloured lens with a metal cover having cutout writing 'PASS'.

It was a rare sight in those days as well since I used to see this bus in Amritsar district, Punjab which is a good 200 kilometre away from Haryana and I never saw any driver actually use them. Maybe it was a Proof of Concept of some kind from that time that eventually failed.

[1.2TSI7DSG]

Just wondering the number of buttons you would have to fiddle with. Not to mention the numbers of errors that might happen.

For the pass/overtakes/lane change, how many of us even use the 3/5 blink facility which exists in some vehicles

[Emvi]

Originally Posted by govindremesh

Please discontinue this practice if you're following it!

I am certainly not a fan of this practice and I don't follow this with a couple of exceptions though.
1. When I see and hear a speeding ambulance from behind, with little or no time to change lanes, slowing down and sticking to the lane that I am driving on, I voluntarily use the indicators to let the driver behind know the lane I am sticking to. To elaborate further, if I am on the left lane, I use the left indicator and move to the left as much as possible and vice versa.
2. When I see and hear a convoy of a public servant (read politician) from behind, honking and flashing lights like there's no tomorrow, I follow what I have mentioned above, reluctantly though.

The best way to indicate an overtake is to stay in the correct lane. That is, in India, the leftmost lane, as much as possible, and maintain a steady speed. That's a good sign for the person behind to continue overtaking if they wish to.

No doubt, that's the best way and that's the one I practice normally.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by 1.2TSI7DSG

For the pass/overtakes/lane change, how many of us even use the 3/5 blink facility which exists in some vehicles

I use it regularly but diligently.

I have seen cars use them or indicators to squeeze between 2 trucks while the trucker would have no clue about this intent because you are in his blind spot your lights aren't making any difference to him.

Everything in your vehicle should be used with a purpose and not because it exists. Indicators and Hazard lights are most abused. But one that tops all is the headlight.

[vj_torqueaddict]

I appreciate the thought behind this, but I think it’s just another added complication. One more “rule” to break.
I simply roll down the window and wave, to overtake me, if I see an errant driver behind me. So far it’s been working wonders.

[Wanderers]

And a red blinker if you don’t want the guy behind to overtake, red and green blinker alternating to tell the guy you decide on our own, so on and so forth. Why can’t we just follow lane driving and in case of two lane how I am suppose to judge the guy behind if he has all the guns to overtake as it might look easy overtake for me.
Also imagine what will it convey the upcoming traffic.

[bvk]

I agree any signal to indicate the driver behind to pass might add to the confusion more than it might help in the overtaking.

How about using a separate indicator for U turn instead of standard signal to indicate right turn? If the car infront gives a U turn signal at traffic light people behind would know the intentions clearly. Depending on which city one lives atleast 2 or 3 lanes are used to take a right turn (or U turn) at a X road signal and knowing if the car ahead is taking right turn or U turn could be helpful.

[gkveda]

I think it is all about getting used to convention. When government made Auto DRLs mandatory, initially, I have seen people waving hands to switch off the lights during daytime

But after 2-3 months, no body bothered if the vehicle headlight is on during daytime.

So, any new change(green, blue or what ever colour,)if it is standardized across country , within 2-3 months every one will know what driver means when he switches on that color.

Now let us look at second issue of people not using indicator lights. Laws are not made or removed by looking at people using or not using the feature.

Laws are made by looking at the usefulness of the feature. With this in mind, let us look at the features posted by OP.

I personally feel, it is very useful feature if i have to notify to follower vehicle that i am just changing lanes (Say green colour) and some red or blue colour if I need to take u turn.

If this is implemented, people will start understanding the signal in 2 months time and then atleast people who are regularly using indicator lights will start using these colour lights as well.

People who don't use indicators may not use these new colour lights. But to please them, should the government remove indicator lights? Not introducing other lights because of these non users is equally wrong decision.

[landcruiser123]

How about waiting patiently for a safe gap to overtake? Is that unfashionable in our society?

The problem is drivers who don't know rules & etiquette.
The solution is NOT introducing a new method of indication.
The solution is education.

Road signs and automotive controls & lighting are governed by laws and international treaties. There is no way to simply add a green signal. It'll confuse everyone who doesn't know what the 4th green light means and there is no way of ensuring backward compatibility with older cars. Even Tesla can't skip some basic features like a stalk for a turn signal and a physical hazard switch due to laws. If Elon could add them to the touchscreen, he might.

Sure, there are some local customs - some good, some bad. But all these customs use existing controls. In India, Truckers/Operators of heavy machinery can use hand signals or move to the left edge to let people overtake. I've seen truckers use the indicator on ghat roads to let people know when to overtake, but I strongly discourage this practice.

@Mods: Please close the thread with a note that TBHP doesn't encourage unsafe driving practices.

[clevermax]

Originally Posted by Emvi

this idea of having a different coloured blinkers to facilitate overtaking.

No. please no. In the US, Some vehicle brands have even unified the color of turn indicators to red. Yes, there is no amber, just red. Team-bhp threads are getting too creative a point that there is no use discussing.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

The problem is drivers who don't know rules & etiquette.
The solution is NOT introducing a new method of indication.
The solution is education.

@Mods: Please close the thread...

Agree.