When do you have to indicate

This is especially important for motorbikes which are less visible, and for heavy vehicles which might need to stay left in order to make the right turn if the intersection is into a narrow road or driveway.

If there's a lot of fast traffic moving behind you and you want to turn right for example, from a rural road , you can always indicate and pull over to the left first and wait for a gap in traffic until you turn right. This might reduce the risk of someone running into the back of you. Turning left should be treated the same way as turning right.

I had a debate with a friend about, If it is compulsory to indicate at round abouts or traffic lights if there is no other traffic around I. Most of the Highway Code is general advice, you tend to know the difference between a rule and advice by the way it written.

Indicating is as much to help those you cannot see just as much as those you can. Hello John, Please visit the driving hand signals page for information. If your at a set of lights and in a lane that only allows you to turn left and you have no other option do you have to indicate? When I want to join from the left lane to the right lane, when should I start to indicate? Hello Luke, You only indicate once you have completed all safety observational checks and that you are certain it is safe to complete the manoeuvre.

If this is in reference to a driving test, then the examiner will alter the route accordingly. Might as well remove the indicators altogether. No one uses them. The times I have waited at junction only to see a car turn off the road without any indication of their intention. When you do more advanced driving, such as in the Police, you are taught not to indicate if there is nobody around when driving on blues lights you do signal however!!

If there is nobody that can benefit from your signal, there is no need to signal. So, a signal is not obligatory and if used, it should be to advise others. If there is no one who would benefit from a signal, most advanced motorists would choose not to give one.

I go further and consider the distance between another motorist and me. Can someone make use of the advice or am I just telling everyone what I am doing? If my assessment of the speed and distance of other vehicles is accurate, my changing lane or turning in the road is obvious and it needs no fanfare. This is an opinion not shared by everyone, but I am an instructor and IAM examiner and I believe it can be persuasively argued.

You could argue that your opinion is correct if every driver was trained to your level and maintained that skill through life. But in reality, would all drivers maintain that consistent level of observation whilst driving?

So on a duel carriageway on the left hand side there are parked cars blocking lane 1 then after about car lengths there is a turn off on the left. I understand that the parked cars may cause you to alter your direction that you otherwise would not have done. As long as you cancel your signal as soon as you have completed the lane change, it should be fine. Could you perhaps wait until you have passed the left turn before changing back into lane one?

On our test route a left turn from traffic lights only enters onto a left lane which only goes onto a motorway so we have to get over into the right lane what do you suggest we do there because we cannot go on the motorway in the test so you have to indicate to inform other drivers you need to get over?

You have no choice? When you are parked up on the left stationary and the traffic behind you is queueing or moving very slowly in a queue can you indicate left your intention that you want to move out and wait for someone to let you out? Hi Sharon. Bicycle riders must give a hand signal when turning right.

However, they do not have to give a hand signal when making a hook turn to turn right. These vehicles may use more than one lane when turning right or left. Menu Close Menu. Back to previous menu Close Menu. On this page. Indicating and hand signals Indicating also called signalling is when you use your indicator to warn other drivers that you intend to move left or right.

You must indicate before you: turn right or left move to the right or left make a U-turn or three-point turn change lanes, including when overtaking merge with another lane pull over to stop or park pull out from the side of the road turn right or left at a roundabout go straight ahead at a T-intersection where the continuing road curves to the right or left leave a roundabout, if practical. Make sure your indicator is turned off after each turn or lane change.

When you're at the wheel, every road user that you come across—drivers, cyclists and pedestrians alike—will rely on your signals in order to figure out what you intend to do next.

By signalling correctly, you keep yourself and everyone else on the road safe. There are several key ways to signal your intentions on the road. The most obvious signal that we're sure you're familiar with is the use of indicators. Used by drivers to tell other road users when they intend to change direction or position on the road, they're probably one of the most important tools at the disposal of drivers.

When you use your brake pedal, the red lights at the back of your vehicle will light up to warn other road users that you're slowing down.

If a vehicle's driving too closely behind you, you can gently touch the brake pedal to light up the brake lights without altering your speed too much to tell them to slow down and increase the space between you both. The position you take on the road can be used to emphasise which direction you're going to take. If, for example, you're turning onto a right-hand side road, you can position your car towards the right-hand side of your lane as well as indicating.

Not only will this tell road users where you're going, it will also give them space to move into position if they're turning the other way. When you turn on your hazard lights, all of the indicators on your car will turn on and light up. Your hazard lights should be used sparingly and only in certain situations:.

While some drivers are often wont to use the horn in a fit of pique to tell off other road users, it should only really be used in one situation: when you're on the move and you need to warn other road users that you're there. You should not use your horn when your car is static, or if you're driving in a built-up area between 11pm and 7am.

Whether you're a learner or a qualified driver, you've no doubt seen drivers using their headlights as a way of telling others that the way ahead is clear and that they should go. This method can be very dangerous, however, as you don't always know if the way ahead really is clear. The Highway Code says that drivers should only flash their headlights in order to warn other road users of their presence. As such, it's a handy alternative to using the horn in situations where doing so is discouraged.

When you intend to change your position or direction on the road, it's important that you use the correct procedure to do so: the MSM Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre routine. If you intend to turn left at the end of a junction, for example, you need to check your mirrors to assess the position of traffic behind you. Is the driver behind you too close? Are there any cyclists nearby? Once you're sure of the situation, you need to indicate to warn other road users that you intend to change direction.

You must then manoeuvre your vehicle—giving your mirrors another check. You'd follow the same procedure if you intended to use your brake lights, for example, to tell the driver behind you that they're too close and need to make space. It's all well and good knowing what types of signals you can use to tell other road users what you intend to do, but if you don't know when to use them, you're going to be in big trouble.