This one bugs me on a daily basis.
Seriously people, how hard is it to use your indicators when you want to turn left or right? You know the little stick by the left hand side of your steering wheel? The one right next to your hand?
I don’t understand why people don’t indicate. It’s not easier not to, it doesn’t take any effort to do it, and it makes the people around you less likely to crash into you or get run over by you.
This falls into the category of micro-laziness for me. Like not taking your empty plate through when you’re going into the kitchen anyway, or leaving cardboard on top of the recycling bin instead of putting it inside.
These things take literally zero extra effort. It’s just as easy to do it right as it is to do it wrong. Yet, inexplicably, people decide to do the annoying thing rather than the helpful thing. Despite the fact that doing the right thing asks literally nothing more of them.
So I have one desperate request: learn to use your indicators!
Indicators Help You As Well As Me
If you are one of these non-indicating types reading this – and statistically, about 40% of you must be – let me explain a few things to you. Stop laughing at me first though. You done? Good. Now listen.
Just because you know what you’re about to do on the road, it doesn’t mean anybody else does.
You might think that slowing down or drifting slightly to the left is enough to telepathically inform everyone else that you are turning down Balmoral Road, but it’s not. We can’t see what you can see, because you’re in front of us, in the way. For all we know you might be slowing down for a pigeon in the road, or because the car in front of you is too close. Maybe you are drifting slightly because you aren’t paying attention, or you are dodging a pothole (and with the amount of potholes in the UK that’s not exactly unusual).
The worst one is when you wait to come out at a junction because a car is coming, then they turn left down the same street you are waiting to come out of, meaning you could have gone, but you didn’t because you thought they were going straight on. I’m getting angry just typing this 🤬
And no, indicating as you go around the corner doesn’t count, you have to do it before. That’s why it’s called a indicator. It’s an indication of what you are going to do, not what you are already doing. If your indicator only comes on as you turn it serves absolutely no purpose, does it?
The beauty of the indicator is, it tells us what you are about to do so we can adjust our driving accordingly. That way, we don’t have to slam the breaks on, or explain why our bonnet is on top of your boot. In other words, it’s not just something you do for other people, you do it to limit your own chances of an accident too.
Or an insurance claim for that matter.
So come on people, hit that little indicator stick next time you’re turning a corner. It’s not hard, and it will make everyone around you that little bit less angry.