When to indicate?
- Thread starter Dustydog
- Start date
At the first countdown marker, ie 300 metres/yards away - only exception is if there's a turn before your intended turn as that can be confusing - but countdown markers not usually present in such layouts.
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- Nov 11, 2009
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Are you talking motorways here?
An example you are probably familiar with. Cirencester dual carriageway. Going from the Tesco in direction of Cheltenham I start indicating when I go under the bridge and see the island sign appear. I’m turning right at island to follow. Similarly when heading from opposite direction I indicate right when the island sign appears. I may be in the right hand lane already. Depending on traffic.
In motorways I start indicating at first ( your number 3) marker sign. But don’t decrease speed dramatically as don’t want rear end shunted. Tend to reduce speed on slip road.
- Jun 16, 2020
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I see the purpose of indicating, and positiong on the road. Is to demonstrate, as much as it practibly posible, my intensions. I am therefore, to a large extent, dictated to by the roads and other road users proximety as to exactly when I indicate. But on a motorway I would generally start indicating at the 300 yard marker.
I also see that indicating is a simple, extremely low cost, part of driving. So I make the best use of doing it without overdoing it and possibly confusing others.
It fasinates me how many people just can’t be bothered. I often follow a car and determin from their position on the road and speed, that they are going to manover. Then their break lights come on, followed by indicators!
John
I also see that indicating is a simple, extremely low cost, part of driving. So I make the best use of doing it without overdoing it and possibly confusing others.
It fasinates me how many people just can’t be bothered. I often follow a car and determin from their position on the road and speed, that they are going to manover. Then their break lights come on, followed by indicators!
John
- Jun 20, 2005
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Don't you just love the "I've already turned left/right" signallers? Along with those who take up position in the offside lane on the approach to a roundabout and only indicate as they enter it?
Indicators are there to show other road users your INTENTION to do something, not to show you have already done it!!!
Indicators are there to show other road users your INTENTION to do something, not to show you have already done it!!!
I think I recall my driving instructor told me somewhere between 3 and 2 marker.
- Nov 11, 2009
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Buy an Audi or BMW, no need to indicate with them, in fact I don't think they have them fitted do they? 
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- Nov 11, 2009
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For some drivers even if the car could read brain neuron activity the indicators would still not be activated
- Mar 17, 2007
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I thought it was; brake hard at the last minute, start turning and then indicate; although the last part was optional.
mel
mel
- Nov 16, 2015
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This is a very interesting thread, I live near to J 13 and J14 of the M1 and probably use the Motorway every 3rd day. How many people indicate when joining the Motorway.
I find it infuriating when drivers do not get up to a decent speed before blending into traffic. I try to get up to 60mph with the caravan, only to catch up with someone at 50 waiting for a huge gap to join into the motorway traffic.
I find it infuriating when drivers do not get up to a decent speed before blending into traffic. I try to get up to 60mph with the caravan, only to catch up with someone at 50 waiting for a huge gap to join into the motorway traffic.
As part of my Advanced Driving training I was advised to accelerate up to 60 mph part way along the slip road so that I could then accelerate or decelerate to match my speed and slip into a gap without obstructing traffic already on the motorway.
- Jan 3, 2012
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To enable other road users to know my intentions I begin indicating as soon as the markers commence at Marker 3.
- Jul 18, 2017
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I start indicating when the 1st sign is visible. My beef is those that see you indicating to turn to the left, but because you are slowing down they overtake you to turn left also causing you to brake a bit harder than anticipated.
The other is when you are in the inside lane going straight ahead while towing and the driver in the outside lane decides that they are going to turn in front of you causing you to stand on your brakes to avoid hitting them up the rear as they brake to drop their speed down from +70mph to about 40mph so that they can take the turn off! I now have dashcam camera in front and rear.
The other is when you are in the inside lane going straight ahead while towing and the driver in the outside lane decides that they are going to turn in front of you causing you to stand on your brakes to avoid hitting them up the rear as they brake to drop their speed down from +70mph to about 40mph so that they can take the turn off! I now have dashcam camera in front and rear.
- Nov 11, 2009
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When I did a police driving course the advice was not to slow down before the slip road as following drivers may not be aware because there would be no brake lights. It could then lead to them either having to brake unexpectedly or as many do just shoot to the right into lane 2. Either action could cause an accident. The slip roads give ample time to slow down and following drivers are, or should be, attuned to vehicle decelerating. Mind you that advice was circa 1986 so has probably changed.
- Jul 18, 2017
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In the late sixties we were taught by a Hendon driving school police instructor to start slowing down and then start braking gently so rear lights illuminated when turning off a main road. Mind you in those days we never had any motorways only dual carriageways. I still do that today when towing as you are doing 60mph so are already "slow" and the nearside lane is geneally occupied by HGVs who are limited to 58mph.
- Jul 18, 2017
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It is all about anticipation, observation and being considerate to other drivers no matter if they are perfect drivers or total morons.
They aren't common but some motorway slip roads are very short with a sharp turn - so necessary to slow from 70 mph in lane 1 before moving into the slip road.
- Nov 30, 2022
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There are VERY few motorway slip roads that have sharp bends on them and those that do tend to have large chevron boards to give plenty of warning of the fact, but of course that requires drivers to look more than 20m in front if them!,
If I am planning on leaving a motorway/dual carriageway and I am in lane 1 travelling at the same speed as following traffic then I will usually indicate at around the 200m marker post but maintain my speed until I am fully in the deceleration lane at which point I will start to slow down The lanes are (nearly always) of sufficient length to lose most speed by "acceleration sense" rather than braking. Many slip roads are built on gradients which aids both speed loss and gain. I simply cannot understand why some drivers feel the need to brake to a much lower speed before entering a deceleration lane.
To my mind it shows a total lack of thinking, a bit like those who overtake on single carriageway "A" roads and then signal left to return to their "correct" side of the road! Do they really think I need telling they have no intention of remaining in the opposing carriageway ?? They will be travelling faster than te vehicle they have overtaken so the gap will be increasing and the overtaken vehicles progress will not be effected (unless it is a "Pleeeease let me back in, I have misjudged this overtake and didn't see the oncoming car" type of signal)
Likewise those who indicate and pull out to overtake when there is NO following traffic, who benefits from the signal?
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If I am planning on leaving a motorway/dual carriageway and I am in lane 1 travelling at the same speed as following traffic then I will usually indicate at around the 200m marker post but maintain my speed until I am fully in the deceleration lane at which point I will start to slow down The lanes are (nearly always) of sufficient length to lose most speed by "acceleration sense" rather than braking. Many slip roads are built on gradients which aids both speed loss and gain. I simply cannot understand why some drivers feel the need to brake to a much lower speed before entering a deceleration lane.
To my mind it shows a total lack of thinking, a bit like those who overtake on single carriageway "A" roads and then signal left to return to their "correct" side of the road! Do they really think I need telling they have no intention of remaining in the opposing carriageway ?? They will be travelling faster than te vehicle they have overtaken so the gap will be increasing and the overtaken vehicles progress will not be effected (unless it is a "Pleeeease let me back in, I have misjudged this overtake and didn't see the oncoming car" type of signal)
Likewise those who indicate and pull out to overtake when there is NO following traffic, who benefits from the signal?
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- Jan 20, 2023
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There’s a few exiting dual carriageways like that near me, one exiting the A5 approaching Tamworth and one exiting the A50 near Burton on Trent. The very sharp bend has caught a few drivers out in the past.
- Nov 30, 2022
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Dual carriageways yes, but motorways are constructed to very strict standards. (French motorway slip roads however can be VERY short with VERY sharp bends on them.
I recall going over that bridge that collapsed in Genoa Italy about a week before it fell down, I left E27 via the slip road to join the A7 , the slip road onto the new one was about 60m long and there was a fuel tanker in lane one! Much enthusiastic application of the brakes on my part. See below! (The truck is at the end of the slip!!) The picture is from Google earth not my dashcam
I recall going over that bridge that collapsed in Genoa Italy about a week before it fell down, I left E27 via the slip road to join the A7 , the slip road onto the new one was about 60m long and there was a fuel tanker in lane one! Much enthusiastic application of the brakes on my part. See below! (The truck is at the end of the slip!!) The picture is from Google earth not my dashcam
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