Failing to indicate has been in the top 10 of road frustrations for years. Your indicators, or turn signals, are the only means you have to communicate with your fellow road users. Therefore, use them correctly.
Lateral displacement
You basically use your indicators for every sideways manoeuvre: when pulling away, turning, exiting a roundabout, overtaking, merging and exiting, and changing lanes. You use them to indicate what you are doing or intend to do, so that others know your intentions. For all sideways manoeuvres, you first check your mirrors (interior/exterior) as well as over your shoulder to check for blind spots. And don’t forget to also observe what is happening in front of you.
Trade directly
Many drivers actually use their indicators incorrectly. They indicate their intention *first* and only then check if they can safely carry out the manoeuvre. It's the wrong way round. It's important to act immediately after indicating. Except if you want to merge into a traffic jam, for example. Then you can use your indicator as a friendly request to be let in. However, do not demand ‘your’ spot and wait for someone to let you in.
Inhale
When overtaking, or changing lanes, you not only signal to the left, but also to the right when you return to the right-hand lane. Many older drivers sometimes ‘forget’ this, because it wasn't compulsory in the past.
Execute
When leaving the motorway, indicate in good time. My driving instructor taught me to indicate a little past the second-to-last sign announcing an exit, about 300 metres before the exit. Leave your indicator on until the white point. This is especially important on combined slip roads.
Rotunda
There are (still) many misconceptions about the correct use of the indicator on a classic roundabout. When approaching the roundabout, you indicate. Are you taking the third exit? Then indicate left. ON the roundabout, you switch off the indicator. When leaving the roundabout, you indicate again, to the right of course.
Would you like to know more about the correct use of your indicators? Please refer to article 55 of the Dutch Road Traffic Regulations (Reglement verkeersregels en verkeerstekens – Rvv).
So, now your knowledge has been completely refreshed! Did you learn anything from this blog post? If so, what specifically? Let us know in a comment! Car hire in the Stein region From the side? Use your indicator!
2 responses
I can totally relate to this blog post regarding giving directions.
In my opinion, the situation regarding signalling is sad; they seem to appear out of nowhere.
They suddenly add up, often you can see it coming and you are alert.
I'm getting a few cars, I'll keep an eye on the first one, then suddenly he puts it in front of me.
Sometimes I wonder if you're actually qualified to drive a car.
At roundabouts, I really focus on the car that's approaching, sometimes they help and still indicate, but there are also idiots who don't.
Professionally, I am not on the road; this experience is solely as a road user.
When you want to turn left at a roundabout, indicating is not compulsory; in fact, it's undesirable. There are at least two reasons for this.
– There is (hopefully) already enough pruning
– At the second exit, you still signal left, and other road users don't know where you're going, as they also don't know where you entered the roundabout.
When no one indicates to turn left, everything is much clearer.