SIGNAL

Oh I can understand being wakened by those buzzing wasps..its usually the 50cc scooters, the youngsters take their exhausts off to make them make more noise.
I would love to have 4 wheels, but unfortunately just couldn't manage to buy a car let alone run one.Getting soaked/cold etc isn't pleasant and after being a car driver for 40 yrs it's tuff but at least it gets me from A-B, like today my mum invited me for tea, it was peeing down, so I rustled enough for the bus fare (£5-40) round trip of 8 miles ...then thought gosh! I can but a gallon of fuel in for that! which would take me on a trip of around 70 miles.So donned my lovely pink n black biker gear and off I went on my merry way. I'm really not a greasy scary biker lol but yes I know where your coming from... safe driving everyone

No thanks biker, Im terrified of the things, too noisy, too smelly and dirty I prefer my 4 wheels. I have a bike wake me up by roaring past my window at 5am every morning thats enough for me. I hate the greasy oily image bikers have as well as the tough guy image. Im glad someone of our age group is 'doing their own thing' however but I just hate bikes.

No Ethel not one of those anti social people who ride noisy monster lol (although I have a full licence which enables me to do)
Here is me (without my leather clad hell's angel gear on of course) lol. if you fancy a ride Ethel I am insure to take pillions

wind your neck in ethel.

A lot of drivers only use indicators as confirmicators. I.e. They only turn them on to confirm they are ALREADY turning.

biker i gather you are on of the anti-social people who ride those noisy monsters who disturb my peace, scare did and look aggressive. So please don't have a go at us car drivers.

I live in a narrow lane off a main road, just before the lane the road narrows to single file. I have lost count of the number of times I have driven through the narrow part, indicating I will be turning right, only for some idiot coming in the other direction stopping across the entrance to the lane! Recently I'm afraid my sarcasm button switched on and I called through the window that "the blinky thing means turning"!!

Ok Ethel you have made your point, and I am glad you now have a car with working indicators, but you are being a bit unfair talking about garages making money out of MOT testing, surely nobody can object to cars being safe to drive with adequate brakes and lights and such? Of course, I wouldnt abandon my car if my indicators failed, I would go home carefully as you did, if I was close to home, but if I was on a road which involved speeds of 70mph I would call breakdown recovery for it would be far too dangerous to be doing that speed without being able to let other drivers know my intentions. Glad you have got a newer car though!

I hope you drive faster than 30mph when you're on open roads Ethelbags. This in itself can cause dangerous situations to develop in queues of impatient drivers behind you. It could be seen as driving without due consideration to other road users.

Try riding a motorcycle/scooter behind these....*** who never indicate! leaving you to "guess" which way they are going to turn (if any)or changing their mind at the last second and coming close to knocking you off because you thought they were turning left but" the very last second they turn right (without indication)

No hopers on benefits...I was/am on benefits and yes it can lead you to have little hope after 60......but.! will post a new thread later.

I consider that certain posters on here are just too good to be possible. I know that having faulty indicators made me a better driver. I was much more observant of others and never got stopped nor had a crash, I kept my job because of it and I would do so again. It is a known fact that an experienced careful driver is a better risk than an inexperienced driver. After all I've had 40 years no claims.
Can anyone tell me what they would do if their indicators broke miles from home, do they abandon the car and get pubic transport, pay a garage to tow the car back-no they would drive carefully home. Which is what I did for a while

Anyone who drives without valid insurance is being anti social. People who scam others in deliberate crashes are anti-social. People who are lazy with indicating are also being anti social. I was not accusing any individual of anything..just giving my opinion!!

" Looked up the highway code and it says left lane for turning left. Right lane for straight on and right."

Which edition are you using? The current one says left lane for left, right for right, and for intermediate exits: "select the appropriate lane on approach to and on the roundabout" (Rule 186)

" I hate some of the roundabouts as they are so complex."

Have you tried Greenstead roundabout in Colchester? It has two way traffic round the island. Each entrance has it's own mini roundabout, so that you can go anticlockwise round the main island if it's shorter. There have been all sorts of innovative and novel designs there over the years.

Penstemmon I hope you are not accusing me of anti social behaviour. The "innocent" parties nowadays are using the most minor of accidents to claim huge amounts. I have always been a careful driver I rarely go over 30 mph, I slow down as a matter of course when on a busy road, I have had one claim in in 44 years and that was for someone smashing my car open and stealing the radio.

Gill my car always had an mot cert. My car was not dangerous as everything else worked fine and the MOT is only valid for the day that it is done it has no value after that (I worked in the motor trade). I now drive a car that is 13 years younger than that one and the indicators are fine. I hope that has settled anyones anxiety, I feel you are all making a mountain out of a molehill with my indicators. Things were much worse in days gone by. I remember driving an old banger with a hole in the floor and one of my passengers used to chuck his fag end out of it. New legislation does not save accidents it is just a licence for the garages to coin it in.

If the indicators are not working, surely you can do hand signals? Or have they been phased out of the Highway Code now that all cars have indicators fitted?

And then if you cause an accident the "innocent"party often has to fight for compensation. Anti-social behaviour.

ethelbags* you were fortunate you weren't pulled over by the Police. A fine would have cost more than the repairs. Let alone causing an accident. Sorry of course about your situation, but really no excuse for driving a dangerous vehicle, surely it wouldn't have cost that much to fix a minor electrical problem? Did you also realise ( many don't) that your insurance is invalid if you dont have a current MOT? Hope you have got your car all legal and fixed now!

Ethelbags1 So how did you drive for two years when we have an MOT every year?

No, you're not being unreasonable Penstemmon, it's one of my pet hates, something I'd put into room 101 if I had the chance.

I just don't understand why some drivers seem to think the rest of us are psychic and know which way they're intending to go.

I drove back from Newcastle to Durham today and believe me the aliens were out in full force. Overtaking on the inside, weaving in and out of lanes and a firm belief that with their glowing auras they have absolutely no need for indicators. Amazingly only two accidents we passed and saw one altercation.

Ok Ethel I acknowledge and respect the work ethic, but 2 years is a damn long time to drive without indicators!

Phoenix I couldnt afford to have the car repaired, what should I have done, If I dont drive I cant work, If I dont work I cannot keep my mortgage payments which in turn means I will lose my house.Therefore my car is my job, I dont want to end up on benefits with the no hopers and at my age thats what I would be, no one will employ a 60+ who is in remission from cancer. I had to drive very carefully and I had no incidents before the car was fixed. sometimes in life you have no choice but to take risks.

In my defence Legs55 my current car (a Toyota) has rubbish indicators. They do not turn off after coming off a roundabout (indicating left) and the tick,tick,tick sound they make is very very quiet. I didn't realise at first that they didn't always turn off and have on a couple of occasions had someone pull out of a side road as they thought I was turning left! Very scary. I have never had a car like this and I have been driving for 40 years and have had quite a few!

I do try and remember to make sure they have cancelled, but there is always the very odd time I have forgotten. So just a warning, if you see a Toyota don't believe them if they are indicating left until you see them actually starting the manoeuvre!

I too had to learn hand signals & they were part of your driving test. You are not required to indicate where road markings show correct lanes, I to was taught to use l/h lane for left & straight on, r/h lane for turning right. I hate some of the roundabouts as they are so complex.

Not using indicators is one of my pet hates but never assume the driver is going where/she has indicated - many don't go in that direction or forget to cancel.

Knowingly drive without indicators is irresponsible