Turn signals - Statement of intent or request for permission?

A statement of intent.

It’s a statemnt of intent. but i’m just glad if someone uses them!

Both.

The traffic in the main lanes has right-of-way. Like all rights, they can insist on exercising it or not. It’s within their rights to not let someone in. Whether or not they’re being a dick about it is, legally speaking, beside the point.

So the person is signaling that they intend to merge, but they have to wait until someone in the main lanes accommodates their intent, so it’s also a request for permission.

It is a statement of intent; however, in a merging situation you also need to wait for someone to allow you the time and room required.

I see it as, “I intend to merge as soon as one of you is kind enough to let me.”

The use of turn signals is a law in each state. This is why the car maunfacturers install them at the factory. With that said, lets answer the question.

Each state has its own governing laws with the use of turn signals. Some states you have to yield to a vehicle upon entering the interstate, other states you do not.

Is this a drivers intent or asking permission? Like I said, it all depends on the state in which you live.

As a general overall answer, in order to drive defensively, I would say its asking permission to switch lanes.

This is the law in my state. Once permission is given, by a hand signal, slowing down or flashing your healights, this settles the question to the other entering or lane-switching driver. This has not been a major problem in Tennessee. This is defensive driving.

Remember, the vehicle already in a lane of traffic, has the right-of-way.

If you drive a Smart for Two it’s a request for permission. If you drive a GMC Yukon, it’s a statement of intent.

@john65pennington, Thank you for the excellent and informed answer.

What about lane changes? Who has right of way, the guy who gives a signal, or the guy who gets all pissy and accelerates to close an otherwise perfectly safe gap because they apparently view the act of changing lanes in front of them an affront to their sensibilities?

The driver, in an already occupied lane, has the right-of-way. Lane-changing safety is entirely up to the driver changing lanes. I agree some drivers take this personally as a slap in thier face and some do speed up to disallow this to happen. In this case, the driver, already on the road, is guilty of reckless driving. “The willful wanton and disregard for the lives and property of others”.

Statement of intent, unless the traffic is really packed in and in that case when you need to get over, it is more of a request for permission, since someone else needs to take action for you to complete your move.

Statement of intent.

If you had to wait for permission, lane changes and merging would be nearly impossible. Figure, you share the road with people that will pull up behind you at well over the speed limit, pass you, and then slow down to a speed slower than you were going previously just so they can be in front of you and feel superior. Do you think they will give you permission?

@john65pennington People must be a shitload more courteous in TN than anywhere I have ever lived. Then again, I think we both know that there is a big difference between the traffic laws and the actual rules of the road; if there weren’t, you wouldn’t have had a job!

I have a pretty nasty big-city commute in rush hour traffic, but I’ve got to say that I find most people surprisingly accommodating. We just tend to notice and remember the assholes better.

Statement of intent. I’m letting you know I’m about to cut you off lol.

Statement of intent. Although, it depends on the situation often times.

Different people have different ideas about what is “a safe gap” between vehicles. I often find people cutting me off, because I believe in maintaining a minimum two-second interval between myself and the vehicle I’m following. In most urban areas when traveling at speed that seems to be an open invitation for anyone who wants to fill the gap. So I tend to get annoyed when people do that too frequently, but I don’t take any foolish action against those who do.

However, if someone is really intent on suddenly taking all of that gap for themselves (pulling in right off my front bumper and leaving a good gap in front of themselves), then I may be one of those drivers who closes that gap considerably to prevent that, so that I can fall back into my comfort zone when I’m past that unsafe driver. On the other hand, given ample warning, then I’m more often than not polite enough to widen the gap so that they can pull in, and I’ll retain my gap behind them.

It all depends on circumstance and context.

@thorninmud Must be nice. Around here, people either ignore you or intentionally block you. I’ve seen too many people that were quite a distance away speed up as soon as they see your blinker just to block people.

Why do I seem to always live where drivers are aggressive?

Both. It may be a statement of intent, but if the other car doesn’t see you or can’t adjust their speed to let you in, it’s a request for permission.

Drive defensively, not aggressively.

@jerv You wouldn’t happen to live in Austin would you?

Drivers around here are nuts!

@YoBob If you knew me better, you would know why that is a bad question to ask.
Since you didn’t know, let me just say that I am rather proud of having spent most of my life as far away from Texas as one can get without leaving the 48 contiguous states. And trust me, they are nuts in most places.
Rural NH wasn’t bad, but less than an hour away in Eastern MA, anything less than 10MPH over the speed limit is slow enough to cause a traffic jam, and they don’t always change lanes when they want to pass you.
Seattle has a different type of insanity; a more solipsistic one. They drive considerably slower (generally no more than 5 over, and often slower), will use any excuse to slow down (a traffic stop is good for three miles of 20MPH rubbernecking), and generally act as though they are the only ones on the road.
But at least when a Boston driver almost hits you, it’s because they were actually aiming for you, and I have to say that I would rather die due to someone else’s malevolence than ineptitude; I’d rather die in a fight than because someone couldn’t stop texting.

totally a statement of intent. Um…we don’t rely on people giving us permission to get where we need to go…right?

Most of you are incorrect about the turn signal, the official industry name is Directional Indicators and this is a KEY TERM.
DI’s can only be amber/yellow or red and the reason why they are yellow or red is because “to create a standard of driving that follows traffic signal definitions that will enable safer traffic flow during directional changes”

A quick reminder of traffic signals
Red Signal – Prohibits any traffic from proceeding, i.e. red break lights, if someone puts on their breaks it is NOT OPTIONAL for you to apply yours. A Flashing Red means stop.
There are on going discussions at FMVSS to make all DI’s Yellow, maybe in the future.

Amber/Yellow Signal – If safe to do so, prepare to stop short, a flashing yellow means CAUTION, crossing or road hazard a head!

If someone turns on a blinker they have the right to change lanes if it is safe to do so provided they have signaled, mirrors, over shoulder and go i.e. SMOG. Once you SEE at Red or Yellow Light no matter if it’s in your lane or NOT you must prepare with CAUTION.

The design intent of the color of the DI’s is allow everyone to get to the PROPER destination in the most efficient manner possible. The ONLY way this is possible is if people are allowed to move between lanes with minimal delays.

1. You do not own the road in front of you, only the road your vehicle occupies
2. You see a yellow or red light (DI) you must error on safety which means MAINTAINING SPEED OR SLOWING DOWN and allowing the vehicle a head to merge or change lanes. The ONLY known exception to this is when merging on to a freeway. Those on the freeway should maintain speed and the merging traffic should vary their speed to merge with traffic.

Basically a DI/blinker does NOT ask permission it is a Directional Indicator and is RED or YELLOW for a REASON.

The over all rule is if the lane changer thinks it’s safe, it is in their judgment and if you rear end them in 99% of the cases it will be your fault.

caution is warranted and advised for both merger and mergies ;-)

@rr1024 Sadly, many people seem to think they own the entire road :(

It’s not only people who think they own the road but people who think they are asking permission to change. Both of those cases add to traffic problems like slowing down and speed up…which i really hate….I’d much rather go one constant speed.

Statement of intent, safely but firmly