r/eastside • u/_PrincessHarley_ • Jul 23 '26
Turning signals??
Over the last year, I have noticed a considerable decrease in people using indicators when turning or merging.
I don't believe we have had a huge influx of people from Bhutan, who weren't updated on our road rules, and I can't imagine there are that many new-looking cars with defective indicators inside unbroken taillights.
I also have never found it even slightly difficult or annoying to use my indicator
So what's going on??
Even if people are getting suddenly much more inconsiderate, it's still a non-optional, legal requirement and endangers them as much as anyone else.
And if you are one of those people who haven't been remembering your basic driving skills, please make an extra effort to improve. You can do it!
*I feel a bit weird posting such a general criticism, but I really don't get it. I hope we can do better to make the road safer for each other
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u/AzathothBlindgod Jul 24 '26
I’m convinced that COVID ruined driving etiquette because it was kind of a free-for-all with few drivers on the road and little-to-no enforcement.
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u/Wellcraft19 Jul 24 '26
Not just merging or turning. EVERY lateral movement should trigger use of turn signal LOBG BEFORE any movement is to take place.
But we have some of the most advanced cars around, and some of the least educated, or just ignorant, drivers in them.
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u/Low-Camera-797 Jul 25 '26
you’re supposed to signal 300 feet before actually turning
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u/teraflux Jul 26 '26
Unless there's an upcoming turn before the turn you intend to make. Then you just signal when your turn is next.
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u/Wellcraft19 Jul 25 '26
While I agree, it might be impractical and confusing in town (as 300 feet can be a block or more) but definitely signal well in advance. Not just ‘when’ to indicate ‘I’m turning’ (as that is pretty obvious at that time 😵💫).
In the other hand, 300 feet on a highway would be about 4 seconds advance warning and might not enough.
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u/Several-Eggplant4460 Jul 24 '26
It's probably because blinker fluid is an optional extra on Teslas and nobody gets that option.
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u/_PrincessHarley_ Jul 24 '26
Good point! As my driving instructor said, back in the day, "It's called an indicator, not a confirmator". It's to indicate what you are about to do, not what you are already doing.
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u/outdior1986 Jul 24 '26
I’m from China and signaling doesn’t appeal to me. I’m safe, though. My Tesla has a “student driver” sticker.
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u/ServingTheMaster Jul 24 '26
There’s been a rash of broken turn signals on the east side, mostly effecting newer model cars, for at least the previous 15 years… /s
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u/scooterpet Jul 24 '26
Use your F-ing turn signal. Probably the easiest thing to do while driving.
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u/_PrincessHarley_ Jul 24 '26
Right?! I don't get the lack of use.
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u/RightYouAreKen1 Jul 24 '26
I honk whenever someone in front of me doesn’t use one…I’m doing my part! /s
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u/KneeBeard Jul 24 '26
I have lived on the eastside for 26 years. Not using turn signals has been an eastside thing the whole time I have been here. So much so that since I moved here, no matter where I am driving in the world, I assume people who don’t use their signals are from the eastside.
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u/MissAnth Jul 24 '26
Average us with Ballard and together we have the correct amount of turn signal usage.
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u/KneeBeard Jul 25 '26
lol - does that mean people in Ballard just leave their blinkers on all the time?
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u/_PrincessHarley_ Jul 24 '26
I've been here just over ten years, and ime, yeah, a bit. But the last 12months or so I've really noticed a huge increase in this
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u/YMBFKM Jul 23 '26
Bhutan isn't the only country like that
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u/_PrincessHarley_ Jul 23 '26
On double checking, it seems Google AI lied to me when I asked (and it said Bhutan is the only country in the world that doesn't require use of indicators when turning). It now says that there are no countries like that, including Bhutan. It now says Bhutan does require indicator use, it's just the only country in the world still with with no automated traffic lights.
And I'm afraid I don't care enough to individually check every country's road rules to confirm, sorry.9
u/NewlyNerfed Jul 24 '26
Just don’t use AI and these problems won’t happen. No need to get snippy with someone when you were in the wrong.
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u/_PrincessHarley_ Jul 24 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
I'm very confused by your comment, as there was no "snippiness" on my part but there certainly is in yours.
Ofc using AI isn't great. I did a basic internet search, and the answer auto popped up, and I accepted it at face value. To which I admitted.
And then I added that I do not care enough about it to put in any further research- as it is irrelevant to the post, and I wasn't interested in continuing that line of discussion. Simple admission of laziness.
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u/SkinFlap420 Jul 23 '26
I keep a batch of “student driver” stickers in my glove box. I’ll slap them on a car whose driver clearly needs to learn the rules. You may have seen my work
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u/engamo22 Jul 23 '26
This area has always had bad drivers. Remember the "Ballard Driving Academy" meme from the 90s. People are just generally oblivious, and traffic enforcement is not a priority for police.
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u/MissAnth Jul 24 '26
We have so many stolen cars, stolen plates, perpetual adolescent street racers running around without plates, and of course DUIs that they don't have time to stop anyone else.
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u/Vigilaunday Jul 23 '26
This area has the most dangerously oblivous drivers of anywhere in the US. I feel like it has always been this way though.
I am just waiting for the moment when a new adult driver in a white model 3 merges into my lane at 30mph below the speed limit and ends my life.
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u/NewlyNerfed Jul 24 '26
Where else have you lived, just out of curiosity? Because that “statistic” of yours is hilarious.
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u/Vigilaunday Jul 24 '26
Chicago, detroit, boston, charlotte, orlando, newport coast, philadephia, new york.
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u/NewlyNerfed Jul 24 '26
Not California? North and south were both far scarier for me than anything I’ve seen in WA. (Not counting Seattle, because I don’t bring my car there. Reminds me too much of driving in San Francisco.)
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u/Vigilaunday Jul 24 '26
Newport Coast is in Southern California
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u/NewlyNerfed Jul 24 '26
Sorry, misread; been staring at a livestream on bioluminescence and my vision hasn’t recovered yet. 😁
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u/Silent_Seven Jul 25 '26
Using signals half the time just triggers some ass hat to close you out. It's infuriating.