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Turn signals are used world wide as a measure of safety in alerting other drivers of your intentions and how you proceed driving down a road.

It is considered a law and common sense to let drivers behind your car know what you intend to do that may affect their access to the road ahead.

When a cyclist arrives behind you very quickly who maybe in your blind spot and you determine that you will turn right, if you do not signal can you see what happens to the cyclist? They will be hitting the right side of your car and assuredly you would be at fault and pay their medical bills plus a major law suit.

Signals are a normal everyday necessity to safe and intelligent driving so why do so many people forget to use their signals? To pass any drivers examination to get your license the use of turn signals is always given the necessary attention both on the written exam and the driving test. There is a universal sign of your upheld left arm to indicate you are going to turn that most people do not utilize even if your rear turn signal bulb has burnt out.

When to Use Your Turn Signals:

1) Turn signals must be used when you are making either a right hand turn or left hand turn into another street at an intersection.

2) Turn signals must be used well before making lane changes in the city or on the highway and leave enough time for the drivers behind you to slow their speed.

3) Use your turn signals even though you are in a turning lane for added safety it permits drivers further behind you to know there is a turning lane.

4) Use your turn signals even if there is no one around since drivers can come behind you suddenly and it keeps you in the habit of their usage.

5) When approaching an intersection it tells pedestrians who may walk too close to the curb that you are now going to turn to give them advanced warning.

A nationwide survey conducted by the Response Insurance Company a few years ago indicated that over 50 percent of American drivers acknowledged they do not use their turn signals. The survey questioned 1,000 drivers and is rather humorous especially the answers as to why people did not use their turn signals when driving. Here are some of the answers:

42 percent said there was not enough time
23 percent they were just too lazy
17 percent said they would forget and leave it on
11 percent said it was not important
8 percent said they did not because other drivers don't
7 percent said it added excitement to their driving
Now I did not quite agree with the 17 percent that said they would forget to turn it off since cars now have an automatic shut off of the turn signal thermal flasher after the turn is completed.

The survey indicated that men were less likely to use turn signals than women.
Younger drivers used their turn signals less than older drivers.

Car manufacturers that care about safe driving have now installed the turn signals into side mirrors in the form of an arrow indicating a turn is in progress which is a great idea for added visibility.

Especially for transport commercial vehicles, RVs, and larger trucks that require time and space to make turns turn signals must be used and it's the law.

If the survey is correct, and you are driving behind an older woman you can rest assured she will use her turn signals and you won't have to guess where she is going to turn her car.

Learn more about this author, Teris.
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