I use it literally everywhere out of habit, I got made fun of for using it when pulling out of my moms driveway once lol
The only reason I won’t possibly use it is when I’m in a turn only lane at a red light and don’t want to listen to it for 3 minutes
Most people I find only use it 75% of the time at best.
I’m 2.5 years into driving and am curious if it’s just what semi-new drivers do or if I’m the odd one out.
Always use the blinker. Remember it’s not a request, it’s a warning. The only time you might not is if you have to make a sudden emergency swerve and don’t have time and need both hands on the wheel. In this case, survival should be immediately followed by an apology wave.
When changing lanes in fast traffic, using the blinker will usually cause the car next to you to speed up. This is a feature, not a bug, as it opens a space behind them into which you can stick the nose of your car, ahead of the guy following them.
Adding in: if you routinely drive with your lights on, you will find that little extra visibility makes people slightly less likely to cut you off or more likely to let you in. Sometimes they don’t mean to be assholes, they’re just distracted, and being more visible helps. If you consider that “dingdingding” a reminder to lock it, it will turn off the lights and be safe.
This way of thinking comes across as a devil-may-care attitude, and a threat, even, whenever I see it. “Warning, I’ll do what I want. Stay out of my way!”
A turn signal doesn’t give someone permission to make an unsafe maneuver because they “warned” others. Your actions on the road should never be dangerous. Rather it’s an indication to others of your intentions, so that other people can act accordingly. Maybe it lets someone turn onto a road from an intersection ahead of you because you’re going to turn in. Maybe someone in the lane next to you will leave you space in front or behind them. Maybe the driver behind you will slow down instead of trying to pass, because they know you’re about to leave the lane. It does not give you undue permission to change lanes right in front of somebody who will have to brake to avoid a collision.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen “warning” used so I wonder if this is part of driver’s Ed somewhere, but it has always seemed like a dangerous way of approaching turn signals.
You’re right of course. You should drive defensively at all times, and with courtesy, remembering the humans around you. But it’s also dangerous and confusing to others if you don’t take the right of way when it’s yours. Or if you signal a move and then don’t do it. As with my example of lane changing, you can anticipate another driver not making it easy and use that to find your spot. You shouldn’t try to zoom ahead and cut them off, and you shouldn’t even be starting to signal if there’s not room. But soon after you start blinking, your car should at least indicate what you’re doing by changing position within your own lane, and then you should finish the move as soon as it’s safe.
You should also realize that the other person’s signals need to be treated as a warning. Even if the car and its driver look small and easily intimidated, you should allow them the space to make their move. Too many drivers don’t.
I’m going to add, if you see someone do something incredibly stupid, assume their GPS just gave them an impossible direction. Or their kid is kidnapped and they are hurrying to the ransom drop. Or whatever it takes for you to let go of your frustration and just add it into the day’s tally of crazy driving rather than getting angry.
I most likely agree with you, except I think we do this a little differently:
I disagree with this because I think it’s better to signal your intention to change lanes as soon as it’s practical to let others know. For example, if there is heavy traffic and I need to get over, I’ll put on my blinker and wait for my safe chance to merge. That way the person behind me knows why I’m slowing down, and the cars to my right can either speed up or fall back, if they notice at all. I may have to wait until it’s safe to change lanes, but I’m being courteous to those around me by signaling my intention.
The only time I wait is if there is a single car passing me: I’ll wait until they pass before putting on my signal, since I don’t have to wait long, and that car might misinterpret my signal as a warning :p and slow down. If it’s multiple cars passing, I’ll put on my signal so people can predict my actions: that I’ll change lanes at my first safe opportunity.