I felt dumb using it at a roundabout because nobody does there, then I looked it up and found it's something you're supposed to do. No harm in over communicating when you're in control of a few thousands pounds of metal.
this post was submitted on 13 Apr 2025
328 points (94.6% liked)
No Stupid Questions
39957 readers
1177 users here now
No such thing. Ask away!
!nostupidquestions is a community dedicated to being helpful and answering each others' questions on various topics.
The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:
Rules (interactive)
Rule 1- All posts must be legitimate questions. All post titles must include a question.
All posts must be legitimate questions, and all post titles must include a question. Questions that are joke or trolling questions, memes, song lyrics as title, etc. are not allowed here. See Rule 6 for all exceptions.
Rule 2- Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material.
Your question subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material. You will be warned first, banned second.
Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.
Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.
Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.
That's it.
Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.
Questions which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.
Rule 6- Regarding META posts and joke questions.
Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-question posts using the [META] tag on your post title.
On fridays, you are allowed to post meme and troll questions, on the condition that it's in text format only, and conforms with our other rules. These posts MUST include the [NSQ Friday] tag in their title.
If you post a serious question on friday and are looking only for legitimate answers, then please include the [Serious] tag on your post. Irrelevant replies will then be removed by moderators.
Rule 7- You can't intentionally annoy, mock, or harass other members.
If you intentionally annoy, mock, harass, or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.
Likewise, if you are a member, sympathiser or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people, and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.
Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.
Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.
Let everyone have their own content.
Rule 10- Majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here. This includes using AI responses and summaries.
Credits
Our breathtaking icon was bestowed upon us by @Cevilia!
The greatest banner of all time: by @TheOneWithTheHair!
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
I always do. Feels wrong not to. Just get in the habit of ALWAYS using them and it becomes a no-brainer. It's just a good habit to have.
Only assholes don't use their blinkers. Anyone making fun of you for using yours is a selfish turd.
It's always good to communicate on the road, the more information the better. I'm not sure why anyone would give you a hard time about this, unless they're insecure (about what, I couldn't analyze). Signals tell everyone around you what you're about to do. Keep up the good work.
Its the only way you can signal your intentions. Being predictable is the best way to ensure the safety of yourself and others on the road. Combine these two and its a no brainer. Always use them.
Sure. It's better to develop this habit and use them automatically, without thinking. Sometimes there are no cars around, but pedestrians want to know your intentions too. And even if you don't see anyone, it doesn't mean there's nobody around.
Sometimes when I'm feeling adventurous, I will change lanes without using a turn signal (only when I am 99% sure there is no one around). For the other 99% of the time when I am feeling non adventurous, I will use my turn signals.
as a pedestrian i have to say that i never use my blinker.
joke aside, there's not much that aggravates me more than drivers not using their signals when they can turn either left or right, but cannot continue forward, like near the street i live in that i frequently have to cross. since they HAVE to turn, i have to wait for them to either remember that they have turn signals, or wait until they have enlightened me about their decision by making them a fact.
don't be an ass, use your turn signals to make your intentions known for the weaker parties on the road.
Your eyes must be really dry
Yes and that's how it should be. It shouldn't even be conscious. I signal into and out of parking spaces, I signal every lane change, hell I signal for sharp corners sometimes.
It seems to me if you are choosing to signal or not, then the use of turn signals isn't that heavily ingrained. Before I turn the wheel I'm instinctively touching the signal lever.
Keep up the good work!
If you ever think you are useless, remember people are paid to install turn signals in new Lexuses
If a BMW has a turn signal on, rest assured, it was purchased in that condition.
I drive a BMW
I never get bent about other people using them when they don't need to. It's real fucking old sitting at a busy light where I could have gone five times if someone would have had a moment to flick a switch.
Yes. Because people are horrible drivers and I want them to know what I'm up to. At least one of us can be informed about the other...
The only time I don't is when there is no one behind me and I'm turning onto my home street. Or if I'm sitting in a turn only lane. If I'm in a turn only lane, then I'm turning so...
I'm the road a lot as a cyclist. Like OP, I'd estimate that at least a quarter of vehicles rarely or never signal.
Ah, but do you follow the rules as well? Ride with traffic? Give hand signals for turns?
Not picking on you, but as a truck driver, I see far too many people riding against traffic, all over the middle of the road, and generally creating their own demise.
Yes, even in clearly marked turn only lanes. I wish more people were ticketed for not using them.
All the time. To the point of if I don’t use it I really kinda have a “Shit, forgot my signal” moment.
That said I don’t get too bent out of shape about other people not signaling unless it’s these two situations: making a tight lane change, or with a speed differential where I’m overtaking. Basically just short of cutting me off. Signal and I can compensate. Cut over with no warning and fuck you. Second is braking before signaling a turn, say into a driveway or side street. IDK what the hell they teach in driver’s ed these days but we got drilled that you signal first and then brake because the signal is a warning to the driver behind you that you’re gonna slow for a turn and gives them time to prepare for what you’re gonna do. Be predictable. Seems like 3/4 time people just hit their brakes in the middle of the lane leaving you wondering wtf they’re doing or if they’re just an idiot.
Yes, and I really wish cops would aggressive ticket every motherfucker who doesn't. ESPECIALLY the fucking morons who switch lanes without them, but when they're in the turning lane with literal no other option, THEN they fucking find their blinker.
Like hello fuckwit, I'm not a damn psychic, but thank you so fucking much for using that blinker in the least important place of everywhere your dumb ass drove.
There is 0 scenario where a blinker should be used that I won't use it, and fuck anybody who doesn't use theirs. If you can't handle the simple act of flicking a stick with your finger, you sure as fuck shouldn't be able to operate a land torpedo.
I just wish people would use it on roundabouts and not use it until after they pass anything that comes before their intended turn.
load more comments
(2 replies)
I would rather overuse it than under use it. Funnily enough I do use mine in turn only lanes too, it’s just background noise to me at this point, but I never used it while pulling out of a low traffic suburban/rural house.
Turn signals are cool. But let's ignore the fact I live in a very rural area and there is often no one within miles of me when driving. In that case, who am I going to signal to? That suicidal deer in the ditch? That's the last SOB I want to have any clue about where I'm going. But anywhere I meet or see traffic I do use them. And definitely the once a month trip I make to a real town.
I do not, as a rule, place any great amount of faith in turn signals. And that paranoia has saved me more than once. Far too often I have seen a driver with a turn signal blinking merrily blow past me either straight ahead or turn in the opposite direction. Had I believed those signals, I would have been tee-boned.
The only thing I believe in is the direction your steer tires are turned. Turns out your vehicle will go in the direction they are pointing. Any of you new drivers, this is an excellent safe driving tip. Pay attention to the steer tires. Those tires will tell you the truth about the real intentions of another driver.
In any case always remember-- it's just as easy to be dead being dead right as it is being dead wrong. Be safe out there........
I don't drive often, living in a city and therefore not owning a car. But when I drive in the countryside, I use my blinkers whether there's someone around or not. Just like I stop at red lights whether there's someone else or not, etc. I just do what's supposed to be done. Not having to wonder if there are others is one less thing to thing about.
Use your blinker, return your cart to the corral, and mind your business
I'm sure I've missed it sometimes over the years, but if you make it a habit it's harder to forget or ignore
Yes. Don't listen to people who tell you not to.
The indicator is for communicating your intent to change the position (which lane you're in) or direction (turning in or out of a road, parking space, etc.) of your car.
The safest thing you can do as a driver is to be PREDICTABLE to other drivers. The indicator communicates necessary information for other drivers to predict your actions.
Not using one when changing the position or direction of your car is inconsiderate and dangerous to other road users. It is also illegal.
Use them. Please.
Not just to drivers.
There's nothing more annoying as a pedestrian than a vehicle whose driver has seemingly decided to run into you because they 1) didn't think to use their signals and 2) mostly just checked for car traffic until you're right in front of their bumper.
load more comments
(1 replies)
...i always use my signals to unambiguously communicate intent; the only time i've been embarrassed is after carrying that habit onto the track, but it's tough to break...
...my wife uses her signals to ask permission, which i feel can cause confusion, but she feels the same way about me...
Yes even in parking lots and driveways, except sometimes when I'm pulling into a double turn lane and I don't want people to think I'm changing lanes
I live in Atlanta so no. If I turn my blinker on that means they need to block me so I just shoehorn my way into every turn and lane change.
Yes, in Texas a turn signal is a challenge to other drivers.
Always. Driveway? Blinkers. Parking? Blinkers. On an empty road with no one in sight? Believe it or not, blinkers.
It's a muscle memory. When you get used to using them, you just do. If you have exceptions, you might forget it when it matters.
Sometimes when I’m turning a sharp normal turn in a parking lot or ramp, I’ll instinctively signal, even though there’s no need to.
load more comments
(10 replies)
It's actually easier to just use it every time. Deciding whether you need to is cognitive load that's better spent on other things.
load more comments
(1 replies)
Obsessively. I've been driving German autos since college, including BMW's and most BMW owners are jerks. The only exception is when I hung out with the local BMW club one summer. They drive crazy fast, but are some of the most courteous drivers on the road.
I use it 100% of the time when the rules of traffic prompts me to use it.
Within a small single-lane housing area: I blink.
When exiting my driveway and the road reaches a dead end 100 meters in the one direction, so it should be very obvious which way I'll go: I blink.
The roundabout in town which is so tiny that it looks more like an intersection, and when heading straight through it: I blink.
It's so much better to have a habit of blinking and making unambiguous signals than to forget it. It helps with the flow of traffic and probably lets everyone get where they need to go quicker.
I always use it because then I'll never forget to use it.
I have never used it backing up. That's just weird and confusing.
Only sickos don't use their blinkers
I don't drive a BMW, so yes.
I do, but I am slightly discouraged from doing so by the drivers in my area. People are always so terrified of not being the first waiting at the next red light, they see a turn signal as a warning to 'speed up and go past this car before they can get ahead of you.'
view more: next ›