On behalf of Law Offices of Mauro Fiore, Jr. posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, January 16, 2019.
People often neglect to use their turn signals. Sometimes, they just forget. Other times, they ignore them on purpose because they don't see other traffic. Still other times, they know they should use them for actual turns but they don't use them for things like changing lanes.
Regardless, failure to use turn signals is very dangerous. Some reports claim that it leads to "millions of crashes per year and may be more dangerous than distracted driving."
One thing to keep in mind is that forgetting to use a signal often happens because of distracted driving. For instance, a driver is talking on a cellphone while driving. They have one hand on the wheel and the other on the phone. When it's time to turn, they do not have any way to use the signal without setting down the phone or letting go of the wheel entirely. They decide to simply not signal and make their turn.
Even a moment of confusion on the road can lead to an accident. Things happen very quickly at highway speeds. When a driver doesn't signal and just starts merging or turning, they could get hit by someone in their blind spot who has no idea that they're about to switch lanes or by a driver who is turning and thinks that the other car will carry on straight through the intersection. Remember, other drivers cannot know what you plan to do unless you tell them, so you must use your signal.
If someone else fails to use theirs and you get into an accident, make sure you know what legal options you have to seek compensation.
To avoid such as accident, here are a few tips:
In short, ALWAYS SIGNAL when you are going to:
Updated June 23, 2020. According to La Feria News, these tips on using turn signals will surely aid you in driving safely and may even save your life.