indidicators failed

[s2art]

What is the legal position when the indicators fail to work (fuse or relay gone)?

[fastfreddy]

If you're driving your car at the time, you're breaking the law.

HTH

[PeteG]

I'd imagine it's the usual "I checked them before commencing this journey" and "I'm going to get them fixed as soon as is reasonably practicable"... in the meantime, I'd be using hand signals whereever necessary.

[vonhosen]

PeteG said:

I'd imagine it's the usual "I checked them before commencing this journey" and "I'm going to get them fixed as soon as is reasonably practicable"... in the meantime, I'd be using hand signals whereever necessary.

Directional indicators are an obligatory lamp, saying you checked them before the journey doesn't mean no offence is committed. The course of action to be taken is at the discretion of the officer.

[Don]

VH Here's an interesting point.

Are you still allowed to make hand signals instead?

A couple of years back I was driving a mate's car and the indicator stalk bust - or I thought so at the time. Anyway - in order to drive home I wound the window down and made hand directional signals as described in the Highway Code.

I discovered two things.

1) We have indicator lights for a reason. They are very, very convenient in comparison. Especially when trying to indicate AND steer! (You can't. You have to stop indicating, first, IMO)

2) Absolutely no fecker understands the hand signals anymore

So I'm interested. Are they considered OK, still? Or in the event of indicator failure should one pull over and change the bulb immediately or, in my case, have my mate's car recovered to his house for repair?

P.S. It wasn't a BMW. I hated the fact I couldn't signal. I felt like everyone was going to drive into me...

[Dwight VanDriver]

Road Vehicle Lighting Regs 1989

Maintenance of lamps, reflectors, rear markings and devices

23.—(1) No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle unless every lamp, reflector, rear marking and device to which this paragraph applies is in good working order and, in the case of a lamp, clean.

(2) paragraph (1) applies to-


(b) every-

(ii) direction indicator,

(c) a defective lamp, on a vehicle in use on a road between sunrise and sunset, if any such lamp, became defective during the journey which is in progress or if arrangements have been made to remedy the defect with all reasonable expedition.

Arm signals shown in Highway Code 2007 under "signals to other road users".

dvd

Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Saturday 9th February 14:29

[Festisio]

Don said:

VH Here's an interesting point.

Are you still allowed to make hand signals instead?

A couple of years back I was driving a mate's car and the indicator stalk bust - or I thought so at the time. Anyway - in order to drive home I wound the window down and made hand directional signals as described in the Highway Code.

I discovered two things.

1) We have indicator lights for a reason. They are very, very convenient in comparison. Especially when trying to indicate AND steer! (You can't. You have to stop indicating, first, IMO)

2) Absolutely no fecker understands the hand signals anymore

So I'm interested. Are they considered OK, still? Or in the event of indicator failure should one pull over and change the bulb immediately or, in my case, have my mate's car recovered to his house for repair?

P.S. It wasn't a BMW. I hated the fact I couldn't signal. I felt like everyone was going to drive into me...

For turning left did you do the circular right arm movement? I can imagine that caused a fair amount of confusion for other drivers?

[Don]

Dwight VanDriver said:

Road Vehicle Lighting Regs 1989

Maintenance of lamps, reflectors, rear markings and devices

23.—(1) No person shall use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road a vehicle unless every lamp, reflector, rear marking and device to which this paragraph applies is in good working order and, in the case of a lamp, clean.

(2) paragraph (1) applies to-


(b) every-

(ii) direction indicator,

(c) a defective lamp, on a vehicle in use on a road between sunrise and sunset, if any such lamp, became defective during the journey which is in progress or if arrangements have been made to remedy the defect with all reasonable expedition.

Arm signals shown in Highway Code 2007 under "signals to other road users".

dvd

Edited by Dwight VanDriver on Saturday 9th February 14:29

Nice one, DVD. So - since it was during the drive and, upon the indicator stalk failing, we drove directly back to the car's home garage - did I do the right thing to continue using arm signals? It was daylight throughout...looks like it? No?

[Don]

Festisio said:

Don said:

VH Here's an interesting point.

Are you still allowed to make hand signals instead?

A couple of years back I was driving a mate's car and the indicator stalk bust - or I thought so at the time. Anyway - in order to drive home I wound the window down and made hand directional signals as described in the Highway Code.

I discovered two things.

1) We have indicator lights for a reason. They are very, very convenient in comparison. Especially when trying to indicate AND steer! (You can't. You have to stop indicating, first, IMO)

2) Absolutely no fecker understands the hand signals anymore

So I'm interested. Are they considered OK, still? Or in the event of indicator failure should one pull over and change the bulb immediately or, in my case, have my mate's car recovered to his house for repair?

P.S. It wasn't a BMW. I hated the fact I couldn't signal. I felt like everyone was going to drive into me...

For turning left did you do the circular right arm movement? I can imagine that caused a fair amount of confusion for other drivers?

Yes I did. And, yes, no fecker had any idea what it meant. It was rather an unpleasant experience actually - if informative and character building! The car itself, being a mate's Cerbera, was, of course, completely brilliant in every other way...