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-   -   Use of turn indicators to change lanes in traffic and the highway. Does it matter? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street-experiences/96363-use-turn-indicators-change-lanes-traffic-highway-does-matter-3.html)

This happens to me everytime. Though I still use turn indicators before changing lanes. it is easier in my scorpio since maybe because of the size of the SUV, cars give way. But in my punto, I find it difficult & wresting your way in is the only option left.

My observation is a little odd one.

When I show right side indictor on expresshighway indicating MY lane change, the guy behind me comes up and we end up in a dangerous situation. Often I am blamed for poor driving and angry nature in family. What I have observed is this :

1) When I switch ON MY right side indicator, the person behind me thinks that I am asking him to go ahead. This is why he gets in pedal to the metal mode even in cars like Santro, Wagon R and I10 which are not that good at speeds over 120.

2) Many times, I have observed that somebody ahead of me will complete one overtaking manovere and then show right side indicator even though there is no vehicle ahead and he is not going to move into the right lane. I am the only one to overtake him now, but still why he shows HIS right side indicator to me ?

Actually he is asking me to move. This is main source of confusion. I dont know who are pioneers of this trend, but many people do think that if the vehicle ahead shows right side indicator, thats a signal for us to move ahead.

Similarly they show right side indicator to let others pass. I observed this on expresshighway and was stunned, but now I am used to it. Its very dangerous, just like people using hazard lights on even moderately rainy days if they are going straight.

So in city driving when you show right side indicator indicating a lane change by you, the person behind you thinks that you are asking him to move ahead and hence zooms.
This trend is present in city roads, on normal highways and even on expresshighways. On E-ways, things have imrpoved as far as private car owners are brought in but the cab drivers have similar mentality that if vehicle ahead shows right side indicator, he is asked him to move and he will also show right side indicator to let others let pass him.

@aagoswami- those are called "highway indicators". In the good old 2-lane highway days, motorists (especially truckers) signalled the vehicle behind them that all was clear and they should overtake by flashing their right indicator.

There are a couple of others- like when the truck ahead of you sees another vehicle coming that you don't see, he flashes his *left* indicator which means "not safe to overtake". Once the danger is past, he flashes his right indicator, as above.

Finally, when the vehicle behind is overtaking the one in front, he (the overtaker) flashes his LEFT indicator, which is a signal to oncoming traffic, I a
m overtaking- slow down.

It's very interesting, and on 2-lane highways like state higways in Karnataka I've seen this convention being followed even today. But it confuses the hell out of everybody when the same is tried on a 4-lane highway or God forbd an expressway!

Hope this helps.

I have seen only truck drivers using this way : Right indicator when they want the vehicle behind to overtake. Although I haven't noticed the left indicator when they don't.

Since this is so inconsistent and un-uniformed across the vehicles on the road, its very confusing when the vehicle has the right indicator on. It could mean :
- you can overtake
- the vehicle wants to turn
- the driver forgot there exists an indicator

Personally, I prefer honking and noticing an acknowledgement i.e. waving of the hand or the vehicle moving to the left, before I overtake.

Not only EGO, you may need to slow down to let a car change lanes, and in traffic, no one is ready to loose any more time. Every one is in a hurry.

Same case in traffic signals. When you are actually supposed to slow down at yellow, 99% put pedal-to-metal, so that they can pass by the time the light turns to red. The other 1% are forced to pass, by the continuous honking from the 99%.

The main issue in traffic is time, and no one is ready to give up their few seconds, even if it matters safety and rules.

I have seen many vehicles keeping their turn indicators on even if they dont turn. The last minute change of plan does not make them change the indicator signal frustrating the following vehicle who was ready to make his move in the traffic.

In many cases I have seen the usage of parking lights while making a turn. They do make a turn but in the process slow down the entire lane traffic. :Frustrati

I guess its all about habits and awareness of road manners.
At the initial post by Dippy - this problem exists in many many developed countries as well. Here in Singapore, people are so well-mannered in keeping safe distance between cars, but once you put on the indicators to make a turn, the car behind you speed up, and pass you before you commit the maneuver.

Maybe this if off-topic, but the worst I have encountered is while driving in Kerala, especially in my hometown - the private buses flash headlights as if they own the road, and try to push you off the road with their might, and then the hilarious part during my last visit. I was at a super slow moving traffic, and had left one car distance with an Innova in front. A gentleman in a Chevy Beat was honking so badly from behind, and then he took the pain to jump off his vehicle, got to my window, and started shouting for 'wasting' so much of space in front! :)

I can tell you that use of indicators irrespective of the vehicle saves you more headaches than creating. Yes there are morons who want to have their nose ahead of you but there are other who adjust according to where you are heading and drive around you. The smaller the vehicle, the more the indicator usage saves you from the bigger counterparts.

I generally try and block someone who is merely trying to switch lanes to get ahead faster than everybody else. But if someone is stuck behind a slow moving truck or similar obstruction I usually yield. Heck, many times I have waited and honked to signal the guy to move over into my lane and overtake the obstacle!

I follow a simple rule - look in the mirror, see if there is space, tap indicator and go before the person behind even knows what just happened!

A big mistake I notice is that when most people switch lanes, they end up slowing down. By doing this, the car behind is also forced to slow down and depending how traffic is moving, this can get frustrating and will give rise to such behaviour as mentioned by Dippy. Whenever you're switching lanes, always try to match your speed to the car behind you in the lane you plan to switch into (i.e the car you are cutting :p)!

No matter what - I always use my lane change indicators, even if it means passing an vehicle. This is the process I follow:

1. Check ORVM(L or R) - depending on which lane I'm going to take.
2. Check RVM.
3. If all clear - Switch on Lane change Indicator.
4. Gradually and swiftly move over to the next lane.

All through this entire process - No braking, I ease my foot off the accelerator if required.

I follow this lane system both in city and in highways and i find it to be very very very safe and effective - trust me. :thumbs up

In B2B traffic, I very rarely switch over to the next lane and whenever i switch on my indicator, I have faced the same behaviour from fellow motorists as to what Dippy had faced and I expect them too! lol:

Rightly said and that's the tactics that works great, else you'll never have space to cut in. But do consider the scenario of another car also cutting in ahead of you. If your speed is way more, then you'll have to apply brakes suddenly after you're in the lane and that would not be safe at all. Do consider both the front and the rear of the car.

agree:

Many a times I have been a victim of such driving. I do give some time for the overtaking vehicle to pick up speed but many a times they just continue with slower speeds forcing me to slow down, sometimes coming up right behind the overtaking vehicle. (This is for 4-6 lane roads only). For undivided 2 lane roads, I do not overtake unless I have an unimpeded view of the road ahead.

Coming back to the topic, I think it does matter if you indicate via the indicators that you intend to switch lanes in traffic and highways. Of course, it goes without saying that switching on the indicators does not automatically give anyone a right to simply barge into the overtake/lane switch move.