Anyone know what this means?
I’ve got a theory, and it goes something like this: most of our problems on the road (congestion, road rage accidents) could be resolved if people added one action to their driving routine – turn signals.
Seriously, why can’t people do this?
Every car has turn signals. Everyone is taught how to use them when they learn how to drive. Use of turn signals is a requirement to pass a driving test. And yet, like cursive handwriting, once people grow up they forget how to use their signals and revert back to whatever is simpler – in this case, nothing.
And yet, when the appalling lack of turn signal courtesy is brought up in conversation, people hastily agree that it is a travesty this simple activity has been taken for granted. One must imagine these are the same people who are for a Federal government budget deficit reduction – assuming that reduction doesn’t come from a corresponding reduction to their particular favorite entitlement program(s).
Turn signal use is appropriate when…
- … you’re changing lanes.
- … you’re turning left or right at an intersection.
Turn signal use is INappropriate when…
- … you’re driving straight down the road, and you’ve had it on for the past 12 miles.
Pretty simple rules for a pretty simple activity. What I usually forget is this; most people have pretty simple minds, and a lot of their available brainpower is devoted to texting, or eating, or applying makeup or any number of other activities that are completely inappropriate inside a moving car.
So today, make a change – and make someone’s day; use your damn turn signal.
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LOL, I couldn’t agree more. I’d also like to add, “learn how to corner”. You do not need to cross over into oncoming traffic to turn into a driveway or side street, nor do you need to slow to three miles per hour on dry pavement. If I can corner faster, hauling unstable nitroglycerin while driving with bald tires on black ice, perhaps you need some re-training on how to drive.
How many times do you find yourself hauling nitroglycerin in the winter on bald tires? That sounds especially dangerous, albeit rather rare.
Amen!
If there’s money in it, I’ll drive anything to anywhere….
I am of the beleif that cars need more indicator lights.
I’d like to add the following:
* Accellerating/Coasting Indicators — These would be automatically activated by the car based on whether or not the car is accellerating or coasting and would be outwardly visible from the front and the rear of the vehicle. If accellerating, a green arrow would be shown and if coasting an orange dot.
* Braking Indicators on the front of vehicles — These would operate identically to the rear braking indicators in current use.
* U-Turn Indicators — These would be activated by pushing the stalk in the proper direction for a normal turn indication but would allow for one “click” past the normal position indicating “u-turn” and would be represented outwardly by the signal flashing at 2x the normal rate.
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