indicating.............

[scissors32]

my last instructor told me to indicate on any road even if there were no other cars or pedestrians, my new one says you don't have to indicate if no other cars or pedestrians as there is no one to warn, im confused? help!!!

[chazza]

You dont have to indicate if there is no-one about to indicate to, thats what I was taught anyway

[happyskyper]

If in doubt about anything in life I always chose to do the safer option, especially if it doesnt cost me anything!

I can not believe that you are that lazy to indicate?

If you are a learner driver than you might want to know that there is "this thing" called motor actions and skills.

That means that given a certain situation you will complete a sequence of actions that you have preconditioned yourself to do without thinking about them (driving or at least control of the vehicle becomes one of them)

These exist to make your life easier and are there through a bunch of complex evolutionary reasons.

In any case if you are having to consider should you or should you not put your indicators on you will be interfering with the motor actions and in turn make your life that little bit harder in the long run.

Now all that said and done just put your f*ckin indicators on and accept that should this be a question in your monday night pub quiz you will get it wrong whichever way you answer!!

[NORMANTHEDOG]

put it this way,if you dident indicate on your test,it would go down as a failure mark.

[Toureman]

I can't believe you are so lazy that you cannot look to see if anyone will benefit from you indicating HAPPYSkiper.

[redhead23]

i indicate regardless , every time , sometimes a kid could appear , i do my upmost to be seen and let others know i am around

[derekpara]

Zacmaster has given the answer recommended by the Institute of Advanced Motorists. You should be thinking and assessing all the while you are in the car, and nothing should be done ' automatically.'
There is no need to indicate if there is no-one around who will benefit from such action.

[dilligaf]

The main idea here is "if no one is about" a signal is not necessary.

How do you know if there is no one about?

Other road users may see you although you may not have seen them.

On how many occasions has the saying "sorry I didn't see you" crop up after an accident?

If you approach a junction / roundabout or any situation that may require a signal to indicate your intentions give one. You will find it far easier to do it automatically than ask yourself each time "should I give one"

If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a RTA one of the questions the insurance company will ask is "what signals were given?"

[Panic Button]

Agreed diligaf. In my opinion you are indicating partly to inform those you are aware of, and partly to warn those that you have failed to notice. I always indicate regardless.

[happyskyper]

forgive the pun but early yet timely indications are that some people obviously understood very well the point I was trying to make.. others unfortunately failed to do so...ZACS and Toureman.

How many of the advanced drivers out there make a conscious decision to change gears? I am sure a driver in a police car out on a chase is appropriating his resources to far more important things like assesment of the situation and actual dangers involved rather than to question whether he should change gear progressively or slip shift.

Zacs... being involved in an accident is no measure of a man but admitting ones faults and taking it on a chin does say a few things. Cheap jibing says a few things about people too (as amusing as it might be).

However our question author is none the wiser by your contribution and he is certainly no closer to becoming a better driver.

I still think that he will get the question wrong in a pub quiz.

[scissors32]

hi to you all i only ask the question about indicating as i have so many different people telling me one thing then another!, don't want to over/under indicate on test day, im a really nervous person, and would appreciate only helpful and sensible comments, cheers, sarah.

[Panic Button]

Norman is right. You will fail your test for failing to indicate.

You will not receive any faults for indicating if there is no one to see it.

The only criticism you will receive for indicating is if it is misleading. EG indicating too early which gives the impression you are taking an earlier exit than you are, or continuing to indicate after pulling out to go past a row of parked cars when you are not turning into a side road.

I don't agree with your new instructor.

[happyskyper]

Not much luck with this crowd then hey?

i dont think you could overindicate but there is always a danger that you might fail to indicate.

[scissors32]

thankyou panic button,that's what i wanted to know, i would have thought there should be no penalisation for over indication, but for under indication, i'm a worrier that's all, and needed advise, don't want to fail because ive listened too much to the new instructor, as there is so much difference between her and my last one advise wise!, thanks all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Panic Button]

Over the years I have passed tests for car, coach, rigid lorry and articulated lorry. None of my instructors ever suggested to me that indicating was voluntary.

About three years ago I did my lorry training, and the only time I was permitted to not indicate was when going straight on at a mini roundabout.

[derekpara]

I would qualify my original answer by saying that if I were taking my basic driving test I would use my indicators even if there was no-one around - even in the middle of the Sahara ! But on the IAM test, where you are encouraged to give a commentary whilst driving, I would state that I do not intend to indicate if there is no-one who would benefit from the action, and then drive accordingly. If you are using your mirrors efficiently and have all-round observation you should be aware of everything and everyone around you.

Likewise, on the IAM drives you would not be expected to indicate if you are in a clearly marked filter lane.