Reply to THIS thread
Start a NEW Talkback Thread
Talkback Home

When indicators don;t mean what they say. - A. Ryan (20th Sep 2014 - 09:39:40) I was indicating to turn tight out of Station Road onto the Midhurst Road. A very large HGV coming round the corner from the left started indicating to turn down into Station Road. Now this lorry could have never manoeuvred his vehicle down there with me sitting there, so I pulled out to the right to give him the space needed. BUT the driver changed his mind and continued on nearly hitting me and blaring his horn. I am afraid to say I stopped my car further round the corner jumped out and made him stop. I would have to say I have never had road rage like that before but I was shaking with rage. It seems the drivers in Liphook want to wipe me out!!

Re: When indicators don;t mean what they say. - Jan (20th Sep 2014 - 13:11:19) When I was learning to drive, my instructor always impressed upon me that you should never rely on another vehicle's indicator as a ssignal that it is safe for you to proceed. There aremmany occasions when drivers accidentally leave their indicator on or, as happened in your case with the lorry driver, the driver simply changes his/her mind, as they are perfectly entitled to do. Have you never approached a turning, thinking it was the one you needed, slowed down and started indicating, only to realise as you saw the street name that it wasn't the road you thought it was and so you abort the manoeuvre? I have! If waiting to turn right, the safest option is to wait till there is a decent size gap to pull out into. If someone is indicating to turn left, wait till the vehicle actually starts to turn, before moving out into the road. Here endeth the lecture!

Re: When indicators don;t mean what they say. - tony (20th Sep 2014 - 21:57:21) Jan, but you shouldn't, if you have given a misleading signal, you can't just change your mind and drive on, what about your duty of care to the poor driver who was trying to pull out, on a busy road we have to take in lots of information and we rely on each other to give proper signals! In that situation you'd probably be in the wrong, at least in part. But even then, I don't think it would make me angry enough to carry out a pit stop manoeuvre on a lorry, phew!

Re: When indicators don;t mean what they say. - Jan (21st Sep 2014 - 14:15:39) Well, yes I agree with you Tony. Personally, I wouldn't abort a turn if I could see that someone was about to pull out. But what if a driver has accidentally knocked the indicator on and doesn't notice, or puts the indicator on when they intended to put the windscreen wipers on? It happens. Indicators don't always tell the truth!

Re: When indicators don;t mean what they say. - BB (22nd Sep 2014 - 17:03:50) "Indicators are just that". All they do is give you an "indication" of what that driver is thinking of doing. You should never make a decision just based on an "indication". Other factors can be taken into account. The speed of the vehicle, the actions of the driver themselves etc. You had no "right" to pull out on the lorry just because he was indicating right I'm afraid. A good lorry driver would have hung back if the turn was too tight and given you a further indication to pull away allowing him to make the turn afterwards. Biggest piece of advice any driver can take away from this thread is "always expect the unexpected".

Reply to THIS thread
Talkback Home