When would you use your indicators?

[ATG]

You're always taking a calculated risk. The only question is how much risk you think is acceptable.

[MikeM6]

Lost ranger said:

hiccy18 said:

You're going to end up moving at some point anyway, so your question isn't whether you move or not, but when.

When we're dealing with moving traffic we're anticipating how vehicles will move all the time: having "more confidence" means one scenario seems much more probable than others, so you make the decision to act sooner. If the cars speed, direction of travel, the way the driver is looking, indicating and maneouvering the vehicle suggests that they're pulling off at the exit before you, you'll be planning to pull away as soon as that looks confirmed, whereas if their behaviour was vague you'll be hesitating, waiting to see them hit a point of no return.

That's my point, I'd wait until they hit a point of no return anyway, otherwise you are taking a calculated risk. It's not unusual for a driver to be genuinely intending to take a certain roundabout exit then realise at the last split second that they actually wanted a different exit and carry on round the roundabout, even if they have already signalled.

Yep, there will always be exceptions and unforseen circumstances we should all be prepared for, but we have to expect that everyone else is an idiot that needs to be told what we are doing as clearly as possible.

Not indicating is inviting others to assume your intentions, as well as demonstrating a remarkably selfish attitude.

[ATG]

The most common howler I see at roundabouts is the "I'm turning right, therefore I shall indicate right all the way round including as I exit the roundabout" manoeuvre, usually conducted by people who are trying to be conscientious but are thick as mince. Conversation goes:
"But I was turning right!"
"Yes, but at the point that you left the roundabout, how was anyone else supposed to have known where you'd joined it?"
"But I was turning right!"

[hiccy18]

Lost ranger said:

hiccy18 said:

You're going to end up moving at some point anyway, so your question isn't whether you move or not, but when.

When we're dealing with moving traffic we're anticipating how vehicles will move all the time: having "more confidence" means one scenario seems much more probable than others, so you make the decision to act sooner. If the cars speed, direction of travel, the way the driver is looking, indicating and maneouvering the vehicle suggests that they're pulling off at the exit before you, you'll be planning to pull away as soon as that looks confirmed, whereas if their behaviour was vague you'll be hesitating, waiting to see them hit a point of no return.

That's my point, I'd wait until they hit a point of no return anyway, otherwise you are taking a calculated risk. It's not unusual for a driver to be genuinely intending to take a certain roundabout exit then realise at the last split second that they actually wanted a different exit and carry on round the roundabout, even if they have already signalled.

I'm not disagreeing with you in principle, but I can envisage a busy urban environment where, if you wait for them to hit that point of no return, you're waiting a long time, with a queue of impatient drivers building up behind you. Instead, if all the indications are that they are turning off, you'll take that gap with, as you said, the calculated risk, knowing that if you're wrong it may force them to brake, but it's unlikely to be an accident.

[Rotary Potato]

SpeckledJim said:

I'd agree with you here. If there's doubt, then indicate. It's the process of questioning who is around you that has the value.

What I'd ask you about is that it seems your decision as a pedestrian goes like this:

There's a car indicating who might run me over: I'll not cross yet
There's a car not indicating who might run me over: I'll cross now

Instead of:

There's no car at all: I'll cross now


Seems quite, umm, bold?

At certain times of day, if you waited until there were no cars at all, you would never cross that particular road.

However, regarding my personal decision making as the pedestrian in that scenario ...

Car indicating that almost certainly will come into conflict with me if I cross = I'll not cross (or cross quickly enough that I can clear the road before the car would arrive)

Car not indicating, that might come into conflict with me if I cross = I'll cross, but keep an eye on it, and if it swings round to come towards me, I'll speed up my crossing to avoid the conflict while inwardly casting dispersions about the driver's mental competence!

[911hope]

BOR said:

MikeM6 said:

Why is it worthless?

If I'm approaching a roundabout and you are on it, I would greatly benefit from you signalling, ...

Nope.

You can't rely on my signal because you don't know if I've left the indicator flashing since my last left/right turn by mistake, or if I've mis-judged when to activate the indicator or I've changed my mind at the last second and decide to continue around the roundabout rather than exiting.

You can do NOTHING until you see my car PHYSICALLY exit the roundabout before you pull out.

Are there cases, when you would indicate?

[BOR]

I indicate entering/leaving traffic islands/junctions etc. That's not the point, the point is that it's useless information for anyone relying on that flashing bulb to guaranty that I won't run into them if they move off into my path.

There is an element of protection for me, in that it might reduce my chances of being hit from behind/side if my indicator or brake lights are emphasising that I am leaving/not leaving the island/junction, but I don't personally rely on that to any great degree.

I ranted and raved at people not indicating until I gamed it out step by step and realised I never acted on their signal anyway.

[Foss62]

Two points are being missed by some contributors.
The first being that pedestrians crossing any road leaving a roundabout have priority over vehicles ‘turning into’ that road. The revised Highway Code makes that clear. For this purpose the roundabout can be regarded as a circular one way road that vehicles enter and leave. Fortunately most pedestrians have a strong sense of self preservation, but undoubtedly if a pedestrian is hit by a vehicle leaving the roundabout, the vehicle is 100% at fault irrespective of indicators or anything else.
The second point is that indicators just add to the available information. Driving can never be completely risk free, but a decision based on speed, approach angle, where the driver (or rider) appears to be looking, etc. etc. is enhanced if a signal correlates with all the other things, so might mean a go rather than a no-go. Indicators can’t be totally relied on, but they are not useless.

[911hope]

BOR said:

I indicate entering/leaving traffic islands/junctions etc. That's not the point, the point is that it's useless information for anyone relying on that flashing bulb to guaranty that I won't run into them if they move off into my path.

There is an element of protection for me, in that it might reduce my chances of being hit from behind/side if my indicator or brake lights are emphasising that I am leaving/not leaving the island/junction, but I don't personally rely on that to any great degree.

I ranted and raved at people not indicating until I gamed it out step by step and realised I never acted on their signal anyway.

How about changing lanes?

Any value in indicating to others there?

[911hope]

ATG said:

The most common howler I see at roundabouts is the "I'm turning right, therefore I shall indicate right all the way round including as I exit the roundabout" manoeuvre, usually conducted by people who are trying to be conscientious but are thick as mince. Conversation goes:
"But I was turning right!"
"Yes, but at the point that you left the roundabout, how was anyone else supposed to have known where you'd joined it?"
"But I was turning right!"

So at the point of exiting the roundabout, doing the exact opposite of what the indication says?

[Stephen120173]

Example 1 - option 1
Example 2 - option 1

The reasoning being “nothing said, straight ahead” applies to the intent to use exit 2.

Turning left into exit 1 would be self evident by use of left indicator.

Indicating right could mean you intend taking exits 3 or 4 so the use of the left indicator before exiting clarifies your intent.

Edited by Stephen120173 on Sunday 19th February 20:40