User yer - bleep - indicators!

[Sir Trev]

How can anyone possibly guess what the traffic around them will do in all situations? If you don't give people warning of your intentions you are asking for trouble so I will always use my indicators. If you don't have time to use them in this way you're possibly not driving according to your road conditions.

If you're in collision with another vehicle and you did not indicate it's going to really go against you in any investigation as well.

I use mine when overtaking a car but when filtering I don't well actually apart from if it's a two lane road and I want to filter down the middle then let someone know I want to get in there lane.

I am quite shocked at that suggestion by the copper actually! I always indicate for numerous reasons:

1) Sometimes nutters on sports bikes fly up behind me and try to double overtake, so indicating shows that you are about to overtake and stops anyone behind you doing anything stupid.
2) As a cage driver when I have someone close behind me like a bike, I am ALWAYS checking my mirrors, its nice to know by indication of what they are thinking of doing. When they decide to go I keep an eye out for traffic ahead, or any reason to ease off the accelerator to make the pass quicker if they have mis-timed it.
3) As Philbut said, if you overtake into a shared area, the indys on greatly help to show that you are an overtaking vehicle coming the otherway, not a car behind the other but staggered. Its very important in the dark far away when perspectives are harder to guage.

The reasons against indicating given by the copper are pathetic, it is not hard to do, and I haven't forgotten to cancel an indy for years now. The benefits far outwiegh any disadvantages I'd say.

Originally Posted by Daimo

Even when overtaking...

Its not bloody hard, and when im doing the same travelling the opposite way down a huge gapped chevroned road, and you pop out from behined a car and nearly hit me from the front, I will get up and beat you with whatever debris is left and is solid

Even the car drivers can see you use them (and generally move over a bit to help you, even though its not usually needed), so take a tip, going to overtake, indicate. Really not that difficult to do and makes you far more noticable to all parties (bar ignorent other bikers on a race home who don't look).

Had a bad day have we? lol.

[keith_d]

Managed to give a cager a reminder to use his indicators yesterday. I',m coming up to a roundabout where Mr Clueless Driver is dawdling round. He's turning right, but not bothering to indicate. So I pretend I'm expecting him to go straight over and head towards to the stop line as if I'm going to continue onto the roundabout.

I was ready to stop because I'd read his road position and knew exactly what he was doing, but it was still entertaining to see him hit the brakes, and suddenly start indicating as he crawled around to his exit.

Maybe I'm just mean....

Keith

I had the same advice from a police rider about not bothering to use them. We (on the course) all thought it was mental, but he gave the same reasons.

I use them all the time, to ensure I stay in the habit of always using them.

I'm sure we could go on all day with stories of supposed bad driving .....

Fact is they'll never change anything ......... all we can do is anticipate, adapt and respond to what actually happens ....

Daimo sounds like he needs to sit down for 2 minutes ........... think about what the roads are for (getting around) ........ and ride accordingly ......

Really ........ indicator, or no indicator ......... he should be thinking ...... 'what if ??' .... slow down, move in ......... and anticipate ............ but, I'm sure that means he's 2 secs slower to the next junction *rolls eyes*

Just had a quick look in the Highway Code. It does state you should signal, so I shall be ignoring my riding instructors advice and indicating before every overtake from now on (even BMW drivers - the idiots who normally block you once you indicate your intentions ).

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163

Overtake only when it is safe and legal to do so. You should

• not get too close to the vehicle you intend to overtake
• use your mirrors, signal when it is safe to do so, take a quick sideways glance if necessary into the blind spot area and then start to move out
• not assume that you can simply follow a vehicle ahead which is overtaking; there may only be enough room for one vehicle
• move quickly past the vehicle you are overtaking, once you have started to overtake. Allow plenty of room. Move back to the left as soon as you can but do not cut in

FWIW I think you're all right, including the copper.

My understanding of the advanced riding thing is that you're advised to always consider whether an indicator could be of benefit, but there are many circumstances where, after consideration, you decide that it's not needed.

If you're moving into a shared chevron area alongside oncoming traffic, you'd consider indicators necessary.
If there's traffic in your RVM that may be able to overtake you, then you'd consider indicators necessary.
If you're going to cross in front of oncoming traffic, then you may consider indicators necessary (depending on how close you'll pass to the oncoming traffic, but especially if it's dark).

If you're passing a lone car with good visibility and no other traffic in sight, you'd consider that the indicator won't benefit the car you're overtaking, and so isn't necessary.

The argument I was given for not using indicators where safe to do so is that it's a distraction when I should be concentrating fully on other things. I kind of see that, but I'm not totally convinced: as many of you say, it's not a big thing to remember them. Actually, I think Spidey's no. 2 reason (forgetting to cancel) is better than that one.

Actually, now I think about it, I wonder if having people consider, but not always use, an indicator is to just to allow easier "assessment" of their riding i.e. teaching to a test? If you always use the indicator you're not actually any less safe, it's just that an assessor could think you're on autopilot. However, if you sometimes do and sometimes don't as appropriate, you give the assessor some confidence that you're paying attention to what's going on around you and are making good judgements. Sound plausible?

FYI for those having a whinge (esp the noobs.......), no I hadn't had a bad day (well, actually every day at my place is a bad day, so you just get one with it )..

No I am not hammering it. Its rush hour, I use the road every single day. It only takess a couple of people to put a complaint in against a bike with a very obvious private plate. I am being not only curtious to other road users by not hammering it every day, but also being safe and giving myself as much notice to other road users as I can.

The issue was the bike coming the other way pops out (plenty of room for both of us, as very wide chevrons), but just heads towards me causing me to dive out the way. If he'd of been using his indicators, I could see him more clearly in the on-coming traffic hence not being so starteld and moved myself back into the lane if need be.

End of the day, we're on a bike, we're far more vunerable to being taken out, so you have to ride in the fact (on a daily basis ride from work) that every bugger is out to knock you off. You don't expect another biker to go about the road like an ignorent car driver.

People not using indicators is a REAL pet hate of mine, just like middle laners...