Safe Speed Forums

I quite like it on my VW van, as a little nudge causes sufficient winks to indicate an ordinary lane change. Only problem is remembering that other vehicles don't have this facility.

I quite like it on my VW van, as a little nudge causes sufficient winks to indicate an ordinary lane change. Only problem is remembering that other vehicles don't have this facility.

What I don't like is the indicators on my father's 3-series, which don't stay in the left or right position: you push them to commence indicating and in theory they self-cancel, or else you nudge them off again, but I tend to end up then indicating the other way

While I'm on the Vauxhall hate, their CAN-BUS implementation sucks, it is slow and laggy. This in itself doesn't bother me but what the hell were they thinking attaching the accelerator to it. There is typically a half second lag between you moving the accelerator pedal and the car actually responding. Hope you didn't need to accelerate out of danger, not to mention the fact that it's now impossible to heel and toe, though I suppose that latter one is not something that will bother your typical Vauxhall Vectra driver.

I quite like it on my VW van, as a little nudge causes sufficient winks to indicate an ordinary lane change. Only problem is remembering that other vehicles don't have this facility.

What I don't like is the indicators on my father's 3-series, which don't stay in the left or right position: you push them to commence indicating and in theory they self-cancel, or else you nudge them off again, but I tend to end up then indicating the other way

As is my habit, this morning I was sitting at one of the roundabouts on the Blandford Bypass watching an endless stream of cars go by...

Said roundabout has a heavy weighting of traffic going from one side to another across my nose, so to speak, plus people from the opposite direction turning right, i.e. passing in front of me. I get very annoyed therefore when someone arrives at the turning to my right, then turns left into my turning without indicating, as this usually means I miss another opportunity to get out*.

A woman in an old Fiesta arrived thus - without indicating, but slowing right up - so I suspected that she might be turning left. She did, but as she did so, presumably to let me know that I could go, she flashed me.



So in summary: new method of indicating off a roundabout: flash the car waiting at the next turning instead.

Can we see it catching on?

The highway code clearly states that the flashing of headlights is an indication that the flashing vehicle is there and should not be seen as anything else. There are many grey areas in driving generated only by road users who simply do not know the highway code or who choose to be god and decide something has an alternative meaning thats better for us all and contrary to the highway code. Lack of knowledge, understanding and correct application is a major contributor to crash rates. Many people only find their interpritation is wrong when the insurers, police or courts point it out. At a roundabout you give way to traffic comming from your right ALREADY on the roundabout. Traffic comming from your right but has not yet entered has no more right than you do. ( however you should always drive safely and defensively and if you feel the approach speed of that veh may be a hazard or danger should you enter, then you should always take the safe option and wait!) Whatever drivers do at roundabouts you should always expect the unexpected. In my experience I would say only 1 in 50 drivers get roundabouts correct and a significant number are so bad they may as well see a roundabout as the best way to knock the earth out of its natural orbit using only a piece of chewing gum.......some would have more chance of achieving the latter than negotiating a roundabout.





*Equally people who come from ahead of me and turn right without indicating - but as I assume that they want me to think that they're going straight on, I pull out anyway if it's remotely safe

I vote for 4 flashes.

4 isn't enough. IF you miss a car coming up to overtake OR the dimwit in the outside lane decides to change to the middle lane without looking then 4 flashes isn't enough for their reaction time to kick in. A lot of the time 5 isn't enough.