Random Rant: What about those indicators?!

I have these things on my car. They are great. I use them prior to turning corners, prior to changing lanes, prior to exiting roundabouts, prior to pulling out of a parking space.

You know what I’m talking about right? Yep, indicators.

There’s a pretty key word when you’re going to use these as far as I’m concerned: prior.  Or just to be really clear we could use ‘ahead of’, ‘before’, ‘preceding’, or ‘in advance of’. You get my drift.

I can’t help notice how many people either don’t use indicators or use them as/after they’ve started their manoeuver.

Let’s go over the function of an indicator shall we? Just in case one of the many many many people who I see on my daily commute who is unaware they have them, or just plain doesn’t use them, is reading this. Your indicators are there to signal your intention to other drivers to change your course of direction. Using your indicator does not give you the right to change your course then and there. The official rule states we must indicate for at least three seconds BEFORE making a change of direction.

Once you have indicated you must check your blind spot so as not to veer into the car already in your destination lane. You must wait until someone lets you into the lane, not just assume that because you have your indicator on you can barge your way in (especially in busy moving traffic). Oh and if you don’t use your indicator, and someone slams on the horn as you cut them off when pulling out of a car-park with no regard to other traffic, you are just a plonker.

I come across all these examples daily. It plain frustrates me. Consideration people, get the basics right and we can all be happy and safer on the road!