Please settle an on going argument between my wife and I....

[schmalex]

Whenever we drive to my sister's place near Aylesbury, there is a junction between two A roads that is at an extremely acute angle, rather akin to a motorway slip road, where we have to turn left on to the other road. As we are driving up to the junction (where we have to yield) to turn left on to the other main road, I always indicate left, as I am turning left. My wife, however, (and pretty much every other car we follow through the junction) indicates right, as she says we are merging into the traffic on the other road. I vehemently disagree with this, as my argumentation is that if it were a 90 degree junction, I would indicate left to turn left and right to turn right, so just because it's a very acute angle, this doesn't change the way I should indicate. She (and, seemingly everyone else) indicates right signal the merge.

Please settle this, as we have a massive argument every time we go through the junction!!!

[Horse Pop]

Post a pic?

Of the junction, not your wife.

[mike9009]

Post a pic?

Of your wife and the junction

[JREwing]

I know a very stubborn woman who indicates when entering every single corner if it's sufficiently tight. I don't get involved in these arguments.

[lightthefuse]

The settler is - double broken lines across (give way) or single?

If the latter, she is right, since it is a merge. If the former, you're right since it is technically a T-junction.

A pic of the junction would sort this tout de suite.

[jamei303]

Do whatever won't confuse other drivers and will be most helpful to them.

[schmalex]

Can't find a pic of the junction, but will keep searching.

There are double broken lines at the junction where you give way. It is laid out exactly as per a normal junction, only a very, very acute angle, which makes it look like a motorway slip merge.

[m0isty]

Post a pic of your wife's "junction"!

[m444ttb]

We had a similar local T junction. I indicate left on approach. Then as I turn 90deg so I'm parallel with the traffic I indicate right as if it's a slip road.

[Face for Radio]

Ask her if she wanted to turn right, what would she do.

[motco]

There's a junction near where I used to live on the A40 west of Beaconsfield, and I wondered what angle of junction flips people into this mode. This particular one is a 'Y' shape:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=beaconsfield&h...

By the time they switch from left to right indicator, there's nowhere else to go but into the traffic on the A40

[schmalex]

Face for Radio said:

Ask her if she wanted to turn right, what would she do.

I tried that. She said she'd indicate right. I then questioned her on why she indicates leighton to go left, then and got "one of those looks".

I can't post an image, as I'm on crappy iPad. For anyone who knows it, it is the junction between the A40 and A418 just East of Oxford....

[daemon]

schmalex said:

Whenever we drive to my sister's place near Aylesbury, there is a junction between two A roads that is at an extremely acute angle, rather akin to a motorway slip road, where we have to turn left on to the other road. As we are driving up to the junction (where we have to yield) to turn left on to the other main road, I always indicate left, as I am turning left. My wife, however, (and pretty much every other car we follow through the junction) indicates right, as she says we are merging into the traffic on the other road. I vehemently disagree with this, as my argumentation is that if it were a 90 degree junction, I would indicate left to turn left and right to turn right, so just because it's a very acute angle, this doesn't change the way I should indicate. She (and, seemingly everyone else) indicates right signal the merge.

Please settle this, as we have a massive argument every time we go through the junction!!!

We would need to see the junction. Can you find it on google maps?

You might be able to tell by the road markings as to whether it should be treated as a junction or a slip road.

[stevensdrs]

I posted the very same question on a driving instructor forum, same type of junction joining a dual carriageway. The concensus of opinion was signal right or no signal at all.
However, I disagree with that and like the op I signal left as that is what I would do if the junction was at 90 degrees. If the road planners wanted you to signal right they would have made the junction a merge and not a give way.

[schmalex]

This is the junction

[DrTre]

TBH, I can see your POV easily and I'd tend to agree with you (it wouldn't feel right to me to be indicating right, no pun intended) but if pretty much everyone else is doing one thing and I'm not then I'd anticipate my actions to more likely to cause an issue, e.g. people behind me assuming I'm pulling over and overtaking me etc.

One of those things where being technically correct could cause more of a problem than not just going with the flow.

[Jenx]

You can't have a BMW or you wouldn't have a problem...they don't have indicators apparently.

[schmalex]

It does make more sense to indicate right. However, the argument we have is about who is technically correct!

[jeremyc]

Here?

[furrywoolyhatuk]

For an easy life, the wife is always right