Blinker etiquette

The blinker is the most misused item in a vehicle. It’s a great tool to have when trying to communicate with fellow drivers. What an invention: a system that lets others know what you’re thinking and you don’t have to utter one word or make any other sound. So why are so many drivers afraid to let others know what they are going to do?

I know there aren’t that many shy drivers out there because I’ve seen a lot of them. They use the horn for everything. Tapping it to say “hi,” letting someone know the light is green or you cut me off. So, there should be no reason we as drivers should be afraid to use the blinker. I’ve determined there are several categories of drivers out there when it comes to blinkers.

The first group of drivers uses the blinker but don’t give other drivers enough time to react. When you activate your blinker the same time that you turn or change lanes, it doesn’t really give anyone any time to acknowledge your intent and take appropriate action.

Did you know that the proper and legal way to turn is not to apply your brakes first, but to activate your turn signal first for the direction you are going to turn? By activating your turn signal first, it gives the driver behind you a heads up that there is a good chance you plan to slow down to make a turn, thus avoiding a crash.

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