Always use your indicators!

Yes indeed - it really annoys me too when drivers don’t realise that pedestrians are road-users too and need to know what cars are going to do.

When I had driving lessons back in the 1970s it was drummed into us, windows, mirrors, signal, manoeuvre.
Every single time.
I’ve never forgotten it and it would never occur to me not to indicate, even when there is no other traffic or any pedestrians.

I always indicate even when there’s nobody around for miles! Vehicles or pedestrians, it’s just automatic to do it.

I am certain, Curtaintwitcher, that the motorist should have given way to you if you had started to cross the road - that legislation was updated quite recently.

Either way, she should have used her indicator to advise all road users - and as a pedestrian you are a road user - of her intention to turn into the junction.

The poor standard of driving these days is alarming and 'there's never a bobby about when you need one' as may Mum used to say. Hence we have had dash cams installed, front and rear, to record anything that might ultimately cause an accident etc.

A friend said to me when I first learnt to drive' Always indicate, even when there is no one to see them. If you always indicate, you will never not indicate whan you should have'

I have always done as she said.

Yes, I'm another 'always indicator'! ...even if the road's empty.

Just about every time I go out, I'm irritated by fellow drivers not indicating especially at those horrid mini-roundabouts where you're never sure that the other driver knows what they should do.
The law has changed to give more consideration to pedestrians and cyclists but I'd bet 99% of drivers don't know that!
Standards have definitely dropped in recent years.

"The 2022 Highway Code says that if pedestrians have started crossing the road and drivers want to turn into the road, pedestrians crossing have priority, and the traffic should give way to them."
There you go....just Googled it

When I used to drive, I always indicated but I remember clearly being told by the driving instructor when I was indicating with clear road and no pedestrians that I shouldn’t bother. I agree, always indicating is a good habit. (Incidentally, stopped using said instructor after that but mainly because he kept putting his hand on my knee. DH then taught me and I passed my test.)

Astitchintime

"The 2022 Highway Code says that if pedestrians have started crossing the road and drivers want to turn into the road, pedestrians crossing have priority, and the traffic should give way to them."
There you go....just Googled it

But that rule has only been brought in recently, and for most of us, our driving life has been during times when the rule was different and pedestrians had to give way to turning cars.

Which is why we were all taught how important it was too always signal when turning.

Is it still part of learning to drive these days? I do wonder.

MOnica, it doesn't matter if the vehicle is indicating or not, although it should have been, the driver should have given way to Curtaintwitcher.
Had the driver been indicating I am sure Curtaintwitcher would have waited before attempting to cross the road.

It always surprises me that so many top of the range car makes don’t come with indicators 😂

Me too J52! I have wondered if they are now an extra, like heated seats and people think - no that's an unnecessary expense.

Mrd was trained response driver and had it drilled out of him when unnecessary. Have to say it irritates me as a pedestrian too.

I had it drilled into me even when you think there is no one there to indicate to.
At night it can be seen if you're waiting to say turn right but you are waiting to make sure nothing is coming towards you, a particular dangerous junction in mind here, not a v wide road but traffic comes quickly, many accidents there sadly. I want any possible drivers coming up behind to know I'm waiting to turn right

I'm another who indicates when nobody around.
A friend went on a driving refresher course recently and was told never to indcate when moving out to go around cyclists but she couldn't remember why, has anyone else heard of this?

Astitchintime

"The 2022 Highway Code says that if pedestrians have started crossing the road and drivers want to turn into the road, pedestrians crossing have priority, and the traffic should give way to them."
There you go....just Googled it

which is great....unless the driver doesn't know this ( yes I know they should) or doesn't apply the rule and runs you over......after they have not indicated

Many people in our small town don’t seem to know what their indicators are for !!! I am a driver myself and I am astounded by the moves that some make without any sort of indication.

Agree with M0nica and others, I ALWAYS indicate, whether or not anyone else is there or appears to be there whether a pedestrian, cyclist, scooter or car driver. This way it’s ingrained in my mind and muscle memory.

Whereas my husband only indicates if he can see another car or a pedestrian, and I think that this is a mistaken attitude.

I followed an Audi one day for some distance and not one indication. We both ended up in the same car park and I couldn’t resist saying “you would think on a car that expensive the indicators would work”. He just glared at me and walked away.

Unfortunately, the point here is not what we all were taught, but how to get it into the heads of those who have forgotten to use indicators when driving a car, and hand-signals when riding a bike that for their own and others' safety they must indicate before changing direction.

Oh, and let's add bicycle ligths to the list! The number of bikes being ridden at night or in the early morning with no bike lamps, and the cyclist never having heard of day-glo vests either, is quite unbelievable.

We need a massive poster campaign reminding people of basic road safety, both for car drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

Our car has some sort of lane control and if you go over a white line and not indicating it sort of twitches the steering wheel and beeps at you!

Aside from my blood boiling when other motorists fail to indicate is my despair at the amount of drivers here in the UK who do not know, or care, how to approach and correctly enter and exit a roundabout. Whilst of course, indicating their intentions.
Madness.

We’ve just returned from Krakow, wow what a difference being a pedestrian there. Stand on the edge of a pavement and cars automatically stop. Approach a crossing, cars stop. No hooting, no screeching of tyres, just a pleasant experience. Can’t imagine that happening in London.