Indicators do you use them or not?

[ringway]

Probably just a Ford Escort with dodgy wiring...

IIRC the Escorts rear lights used to fill with water, you would see it swishing around the cluster when behind them after stopping.
May have been a problem on other models too.

 

[219]

Its interesting that we use the motorway example of joining from a slip road and I'd agree with Derek that its fairly obvious when you're going when your on the mway slip.

However thought should still be given to the signal, for example @ night time it may make a road user more aware of you joining or in adverse weather conditions when visibility may not be so good and the drivers on the mway may very well benefit from your signal.

merging onto a dual carriage way can be more hazardous than an mway, as when the slip ends, so does the road, in an emergency on an mway slip there is always the hard shoulder if you run out of slip and you're not on the mway.

Agreed - there are always 'unusual circumstances' where something different might be appropriate .

 

[Dieselman]

May have been a problem on other models too.

Not sure what mags you've been reading but models filled with water.....say no more...

 

[ringway]

Not sure what mags you've been reading but models filled with water.....say no more...

Jordan?

 

[st4]

Jordan?

Nah, silicon (in the middle) and air (in the head).

 

[ringway]

Nah, silicon (in the middle) and air (in the head).

They say Jordan isn't her real name.
I reckon she should be called Melony..
Oil git mi cowt..

 

[st4]

They say Jordan isn't her real name.
I reckon she should be called Melony..
Oil git mi cowt..

Could she spell it, she was on TG and by god she was dense.

 

[seenthelight]

Every one acts differently to situations, that's where common sense should come into play

 

[Gollom]

Indicators? Is there such a thing? Will someone please tell Gollom where they are!!!!!!

 

[Dryce]

ABS , by preventing lock up of the wheels either on an adverse surface , or on a good surface during VERY hard braking allows the car to stop in a shorter distance than one which is 'skidding' with wheels locked .

My recollection is of seeing test reports where it was demonstrated that there was no benefit from ABS as regards stopping distance. The primary benefit was increased control.

Now that may have changed with more modern systems that achieve a more optimal control of the exact point at the point of locking.

 

[219]

Flania 1 did mention that early ABS systems used by Ford ( and possibly others ? ) were pretty ropey .

However , the system co-developed by Mercedes-Benz and Bosch , introduced on the W116 450SEL 6.9 was always spot on and there were demonstrations showing similar cars with and without ABS performing emergency stops alongside : the ABS car would stop short of a strategically placed dummy in its path while the non-ABS car skidded on for a distance after it had knocked the dummy down . They also showed how the ABS car could steer round an obstacle while the non-ABS car could plough straight on with wheels at full lock .

 

[Dryce]

Should/must - makes no difference - the use of a signal in no way alters the rules of priority .
[/quote[

And I wasn't suggesting that at all.

The indicator only provides information.

If , as you come down the slip road , you are ahead of traffic on the carriageway , then they will clearly be able to see you and , since you cannot go anywhere other than onto the carriageway , the signal adds nothing to your presence , position and speed .

That's making an assumption about how other drivers are reading the situation.

Whilst I am sure this is not your intention , sometimes a trafficator signal given by a vehicle joining a motorway can be seen as aggressive by some drivers who will then 'close the gap' and this can be counter productive .

Again, that's making an assumption about how a driver might react to an indicator.

Motorway slips are not all the same. You can't assume that drivers on the motorway are paying attention. A flashing light indicating what you are doing does not detract from the situation and even though your intention should be obvious.

I'm much more worried about a driver daydreaming and trying giving them warning of my intent than the act of indicatign possibly being treated as aggressive.

 

[Dryce]

They also showed how the ABS car could steer round an obstacle while the non-ABS car could plough straight on with wheels at full lock .

This is definitely the prime selling point that I recall.

 

[Dryce]

the ABS car would stop short of a strategically placed dummy in its path while the non-ABS car skidded on for a distance after it had knocked the dummy down .

A quick hunt on the web shows mixed views with lots of ambiguous information.

However I'm guessing the old systems just pulsed the brakes whereas the advanced ones modulate them much more effectively.

 

[Antharro]

I indicate 95% of the time, unless there is absolutely no one around at all. This includes indicating when I am leaving a roundabout, when changing lane on the motorway/dual carriageway (both for the overtake and for moving back to the original lane).

I don't buy the argument about not indicating to pass parked vehicles. If I can get past safely then that's fine, but if I have to slow down to wait for a gap in the oncoming traffic before I can pass the parked vehicle, then I WILL indicate to prevent people from attempting to overtake me! (Which has happened once or twice before).

Drivers who *only* indicate right on roundabouts drive me up the wall. Why indicate RIGHT when you are going LEFT to leave the roundabout? It's inconsideration to other road users as well as utter laziness, and in my opinion causes delays because people who watch indicators will be expecting them to continue around the roundabout as they are indicating. If you watch their road position then you can sometimes work out what they're doing, but half the time their lane position is so awful that I often wonder if they even know what they're doing.

The other thing is people who don't indicate to move back to their original lane after indicating on a motorway / dual carriageway. It's not essential, but I see it as a common courtesy to the person I'm pulling in front of. Kind of like saying "Hey, I'm coming over, be aware of me".

Ooh, went on a mini-rant there!

 

[215m3]

true, but if in last in queue of mway I may also apply the hazards, epecially in the situation where the whole queue may not be visible (i.e. a hill or corner). Hazards are for exactly that, making you more visible to other road users (when you are in an unexpected situation) and this in turn may keep you safer.

By the dimmer argument, you could also if you're last in line in mway just press the pedal in hard so the brake lights are brighter

This is where the lack of awareness has come in where you are at the back of a queue and open to being hit at the rear by an also unaware driver.

I and advanced drivers would have spotted the slower/stationary traffic, slowed down earlier and stop at least 20-30m from the car in front and pressed my braked pedal on and off(like cadance braking) to highlight to the car approaching from behind. You also have the space in front and possibly to either side if needed.

 

[flango]

How does use of hazard lights (on a motorway for example, to warn of a queue etc) turn into automatic high-intensity flashing brake lights in emergency braking? I note that some vehicles (lorries) on the continent have this feature and Mercedes are harping on about it too; I assume it's legal within the vehicle lighting regs for this country?

My new volvo has this feature under emergency braking high intensity brake lights flash rapidly, when speed is below 15 mph they switch off and the hazards automatically come on.

 

[flango]

I suggested this one to Mercedes about thirty years ago , just after ABS was introduced . My thought then was that an ABS equipped car would be able to stop so much more quickly than 'ordinary' cars behind and that the following drivers would need all the warning they could get . My idea was that the brake lights should flash when ABS was activated thus indicating the car was braking HARD , or braking on a poor road surface . The flashing brake lights being more conspicuous than a constantly illuminated one and also symbolic of the on/off action of the ABS system . Yet to be taken up , unfortunately .

Misuse of hazard lights annoys me too .

Seems its been taken up by Volvo as above

 

[flango]

My recollection is of seeing test reports where it was demonstrated that there was no benefit from ABS as regards stopping distance. The primary benefit was increased control.

Now that may have changed with more modern systems that achieve a more optimal control of the exact point at the point of locking.

Modern ABS shortens stoping distance dramatically, this was not the case on the early systems which just allowed steering control around the hazard by pulsing the barkes in an attempt to replicate cadence braking.

Anybody wants a demo come with us to Hendon the training cars have switchable ABS. You will see what a difference it does make.

 

[280gee]

How about a few definitions?

A "trafficator" is...

An "indicator" is...

A "flasher" is...

and for any USA readers,

A turn signal is...