No Stupid Questions

It's normal to use it pulling out of a driveway and in parking lots, don't worry about peer pressure and other people's bad habit

I use it 100% of the time when the rules of traffic prompts me to use it.

Within a small single-lane housing area: I blink.

When exiting my driveway and the road reaches a dead end 100 meters in the one direction, so it should be very obvious which way I'll go: I blink.

The roundabout in town which is so tiny that it looks more like an intersection, and when heading straight through it: I blink.

It's so much better to have a habit of blinking and making unambiguous signals than to forget it. It helps with the flow of traffic and probably lets everyone get where they need to go quicker.

I use my blinker even when turning into my own driveway and the reason is simple:

The signal isn't for me. It's for others to know my intentions.

One major thing that makes driving with others safer is predictability and your blinkers can help with that.

Turn signals are not optional.

Yes even in parking lots and driveways, except sometimes when I'm pulling into a double turn lane and I don't want people to think I'm changing lanes

I've never understood how a simple hand motion can be beyond anyone's skillset. It's just part of driving.

I always use it because then I'll never forget to use it.

I don't drive a BMW, so yes.

First thing: the blinkers are for your own safety, but they're also for other people's safety and to help improve the flow of traffic (for example, if somebody waiting at a T-junction to go into your lane sees in a timely fashion that you're going to exit at the junction, they'll know earlier they can come in rather than have to wait to see what you actually do and this kind of thing times many such situations adds up to better traffic flow).

Second thing: it's a lot easier and cognitively simpler to just do it without thinking rather than considering the situation to see if you should do it or not and a good mental trigger point to train that as an instinctive movement is "if I'm going to turn out of my lane, I'll turn the blinker on for the side I'm turning to" - so, turning of the road -> blinker on that side; changing lane -> blinker on the side I'm moving to; going to stop and park on a side of the road -> blinker on that side.

Personally I just use the blinkers for all such situations and don't even have to think about it, and as for the first point I made, that just informs how early I do it (I've trained myself to do it quite a bit before I turn in order to help with traffic flow). This does mean that at times I'll use the blinkers when there is nobody else around to actually use that information, simply because I'm not actually thinking about "should I do it or should I not?" I'm just unthinkingly executing a trained impulse. Never had any problems with excessive wear and tear of blinker lights and since I don't need to think about the "should I turn the blinker" decision I can focus on more important things, so as I see it, even at the cost of at times using the blinkers when there is nobody to see it so there is really no point, I'm still better of having trained myself to do it like this.

That said blinker usage amongst drivers massively depends on the country and the general driving culture there. For example were I come from, Portugal, most people only use the blinkers in situations were they stand to gain from it themselves (for example when exiting a road to the left, crossing a lane, were others might give you way, out of good manners if they know your intentions), then of the rest most will use it for the safety of other cars but almost none will do it for the safety of pedestrians, whilst in The Netherlands (were I picked up my current habits on this) they're generally pretty thorough on using blinkers in all situations they should quite independently of seeing or not people who might use that information (possibly because of all the bicycles around, as they're often hard to spot using the mirrors when in certain positions relative to a car which are exactly the positions were knowing that the car wants to turn is important for the safety of the cyclist)

Got my licence a bit over 2 years ago. I ALWAYS use the blinkers. You never know when there's some other participant in traffic that you don't notice for which the information of what I'm about to do is important.

It annoys me to no end that a lot of drivers here won't signal for lane changes or turn offs.

Yes. I always use them. I hate when people don't. Oh, so you needed to come over? I would have slowed down if you told me. What are you slowing down for? Move- Oh. You're turning. Wish I would have known that. Dang, I need to pull out and make this turn. Let me wait until that car passes... Oh, they're turning.

It's such a small thing that makes driving safer for you and the people around you.

Even when I’m a pedestrian I fucking hate anyone who doesn’t use a turn signal. Usually I’ll yield to cars because they’re faster, and as an impatient person myself I wonder who’d want to wait six years for someone to walk across whatever but I can’t do that when the idiots don’t use their turn signal.

I’ve only been driving for 33 years, but I try to signal every turn.

Because the signals are for those situations where you don’t see something you should have AND those situations where someone else didn’t see something they should have.

Takes a flick of the pinky to do something that could save you thousands of dollars and wasted time, or even save someone’s life. So why not do it?

I would rather overuse it than under use it. Funnily enough I do use mine in turn only lanes too, it’s just background noise to me at this point, but I never used it while pulling out of a low traffic suburban/rural house.

I use mine so often that sometimes I accidentally turn them on in sharp curves.

Always, because I’m not a lazy git or self-centered arsehole.

I don't drive a BMW, so yes, I do use my blinker.

Turn signals are cool. But let's ignore the fact I live in a very rural area and there is often no one within miles of me when driving. In that case, who am I going to signal to? That suicidal deer in the ditch? That's the last SOB I want to have any clue about where I'm going. But anywhere I meet or see traffic I do use them. And definitely the once a month trip I make to a real town.

I do not, as a rule, place any great amount of faith in turn signals. And that paranoia has saved me more than once. Far too often I have seen a driver with a turn signal blinking merrily blow past me either straight ahead or turn in the opposite direction. Had I believed those signals, I would have been tee-boned.

The only thing I believe in is the direction your steer tires are turned. Turns out your vehicle will go in the direction they are pointing. Any of you new drivers, this is an excellent safe driving tip. Pay attention to the steer tires. Those tires will tell you the truth about the real intentions of another driver.

In any case always remember-- it's just as easy to be dead being dead right as it is being dead wrong. Be safe out there........

Mirror, signal, manoeuvre. This is the way.

Yes. You're supposed to use it anytime you're about to turn or change lanes, including if you're sitting in a turn lane at a red light or backing out of a drive way or parking spot.

Not doing so makes you a road hazard.

I live in Atlanta so no. If I turn my blinker on that means they need to block me so I just shoehorn my way into every turn and lane change.

Yes, I use it. Over a million miles and nearly 40 years driving.

Fuck the haters, use that thing.

What kind of person shits on another for using a turn signal? My guess is it is someone who forgets to use it frequently.

Always use the blinker. Remember it's not a request, it's a warning. The only time you might not is if you have to make a sudden emergency swerve and don't have time and need both hands on the wheel. In this case, survival should be immediately followed by an apology wave.

When changing lanes in fast traffic, using the blinker will usually cause the car next to you to speed up. This is a feature, not a bug, as it opens a space behind them into which you can stick the nose of your car, ahead of the guy following them.

Adding in: if you routinely drive with your lights on, you will find that little extra visibility makes people slightly less likely to cut you off or more likely to let you in. Sometimes they don't mean to be assholes, they're just distracted, and being more visible helps. If you consider that "dingdingding" a reminder to lock it, it will turn off the lights and be safe.

Yup. All the time. There's a road I drive several times a week that turns left. No intersection, it just makes a 90deg turn. I use it there out of habbit.

Yes. You're moving heavy objects with meat in them very fast. You should always clearly indicate your intentions.

Yes what the fuc

Just use it all the time including turn only lanes. Deal with the clicking, it’s fine.

Yeah; because I don't want someone to end up hitting me if I turn unexpectedly. I want them to expect it. I mean, I don't wanna be hit either way but you know what I mean.

Always always signal your intention. I heard a woman complaining that her new car had lane control, which forced her to indicate when changing lanes. "It's so annoying, I mean it's obvious I'm overtaking, I don't need to indicate!"

Also, as a frequent pedestrian I appreciate when drivers and cyclists indicate and judge heavily when they don't. So frustrating to be waiting to cross the road and someone turns without indicating.

There are specific directives for Audi, BMW and Mercedes which void their warranties should you ever even think such scandalous thoughts as using the indicators individually; not using them to say that you know you're parking in a stupid place, angle across a pavement but you're only buying some chocolate from that corner shop.

My car has lane detection such that my steering is 'corrected' if I don't use an indicator. It gets confused on country roads and often tries to steer into the hedge or ditch. Fucking thing. It can't be turned off long term, but only ever time one turns on the ignition.

I don't use turn signals when driving around a roundabout unless I'm exiting because I'm not psychotic.

But seriously, they are for signifying intent, not blinking idly, and they should be used plenty.

I put a turn signal on when I back into my underground parking spot when I'm literally the only person down there. Force of habit that I'm totally cool with.