I’ve been passionate about their use since I was sixteen.
They save lives.
You can do it with one hand.
You can do it without looking (in fact, it’s preferable that you do.)
Turn signals.
Yeah.
You would wonder in a world with crisis, disaster, abandoned animals, inadequate educations, chemical-laden foods, religious transgression, that I would latch onto something so much simpler.
But heck no. turn signals it is.
Well, they must be important, since the colors are specified through the 1968 United Nations Convention on Road Traffic. The United Nations, people.
(Like they need any more red lights in Amsterdam.)
It is such an easy, such a basic, everyday way to save people lives, sanity and acheive more peace in the world.
But sadly, turn signals have been ignored by many drivers since Buick put the first ones on in 1938.
It seems so many drivers are so self-centered, they just assume any driver will just let them go first and do whatever they will, ignoring the rule of sharing the road.
Two cars facing each other in an intersection can go at the same time if one is turning. In fact the one going straight gets to go first! So if you don’t have a signal on, do not flip me off through your window or call me names my toddler can’t say yet when I go straight while you try to turn into my path.
And do not assume that I will just ‘know’ you plan on turning as you sit there in the middle of the road, instead of wondering if you’re texting or just changing the channel on your radio.
The turn signals are conventiently located on the steering column.
Right by the steering wheel.
The little lights even show up inside the car too! You can tell not only if it is in fact on but which way it is pointing! And cars nowadays turn off the turn signal for you, making your job half as hard.
See? The car is rewarding you for taking care of it, for respecting it and showing your intentions on the road.
I’ve heard using your turn signals can actually lead to better gas mileage, longer lasting ‘new car smell’ and an improved sex life (that has, actually, nothing to do with your car. Unless you like it there. Have fun with that.)
I can’t stand when people don’t use their turn signals!!! It’s one of my biggest driving pet peeves! I’m on a 2 lane highway, the person in front of me (with no one in front of them) is braking and I have no idea why – then they turn. Ahhh, the mystery is solved. Dolt! There is no reason not to use a turn signal. It’s not like the lever is out of reach or weighs a ton. I even had my oldest asked me (years & years ago) “How does the car know which way you’re going to turn?” because of the subtle flick of the finger on the lever, he thought the car turned the signal on itself. How sweet & how very easy a thing to do…people!!
Awesome post!!
LOVE THIS! Not only do I agree with everything you wrote, but I get nervous that people aren’t going to pay attention to the turn signal I AM using. Also, I really love yellow!! Visitng from Mama Kats…gonna take a few minutes and hang out with you on your blog.
Yay! Another yellow lover!
Just about nothing makes my eye twitch more than a driver who doesn’t use turn signals. This is super creative!
Stopping by from Mama Kat’s,
Tori
It is also annoying when you are waiting at a stop to turn onto another road and the person you were waiting to drive by…turns down the street you are on…meaning if they had USED their turn signal you could have pulled out onto the road. *sigh*
Oh nothing drives me crazier!
I absolutely LOVE your passion!! I am anal when it comes to use of turn signals! Found you via Mama Kat and I’m glad that I did!
[...] Not too sure exactly what this is, but it was on display at the museum and I was so drawn to the colour and shape that I guess I forgot to read the description. Also you can read this related blog page: http://sunshinewonderland.com/2011/06/can-you-just-please-use-it/ [...]
what irritates me even more is when a) someone uses their turn signals BUT do not turn or b) when they (by accident – I am hoping) put the wrong signal on ie: use the right signal but go left.
Really, a lot of road deaths can be curbed if people could heed the simple rule of turn signals. I could write a book of rants about this.
Omg. One of my biggest pet peeves ever.