EV story

[stuffedpike20]

I was in my minor yesterday giving way at a T junction, wanting to turn right. There was a bit of traffic on the main road, and it was taking a while. Three or four cars were waiting behind me. Finally there was only one car on the main road, coming from the right. It was a brand new electric BMW, and was going relatively slowly.
I was staring at his indicator to see if he was going to turn left, or go straight on. No indicator, so I stayed where I was; then he turned left! No indicator!
I threw up my hands and rolled my eyes. He mouthed something at me and shook his fist.
Thinking about it afterwards; he was either driving slowly and not indicating because his battery was about to die....or he just did not want to indicate for a scruffy old car.
What would be your guess?

[rocco]

I'm not sure about this one. When I learned to drive, my instructor would tell me that indicating is for people behind me, not in front. He also told me that I should indicate when overtaking on a motorway but that it was not necessary when returning to the left hand lane because I was obviously going faster and therefore a slower vehicle would never be impacted by my manouvre.

After living in Germany for many years, I get the feeling that they do things differently. A German driver is so obsessed with rules that he'll indicate to turn at 3am in the morning, on a country road when there is absolutely nothing else about!

I also see every single morning that when they approach a roundabout, they will always drive the longest distance around it when taking more than a 180 degree turn. In other words, they won't hug the inside line and it's completely senseless.

In your case, I would have indicated to turn left out of courtesy, as I do over here as well. I do not believe that I need to though. I may be wrong.

[stuffedpike20]

In Australia, it is an offence not to use your indicator within 30 metres of a junction.
Many years ago, when Jack Straw was Home Secretary, I wrote to him and suggested that we adopt the same law in the UK.
His reply was...'who would police it?'.

If the bloke in the EV had indicated yesterday, I would have been able to turn right, and so would the drivers behind me.

[Biggles1957]

I understood that BMW's left the factory without the indicators being activated and you have to pay a subscription to make them work...

[Bill_qaz]

I wouldn't pull out if his indicator was on ,it doesn't guarantee he is turning were you think or pulling in after the junction or just left it on by accident, I wait until they are actually turning, what diffence does waiting a bit longer make to your journey in our slower cars. Rather protect my moggy and its contents, no side impact protection and curtain air bags for us

[myoldjalopy]

As a pedestrian, I notice many, many drivers do not indicate when they are about to turn into a road which I am about to cross. And I agree with Bill - the presence or otherwise of indicators flashing is no guarantee of what is actually about to happen! You have to drive quite defensively these days because there are so many careless and inconsiderate drivers around. And having said that, I must admit to occasionally leaving my own indicators on after turning out of a junction as they are not self-cancelling

[olonas]

He was probably looking for the next milk delivery address.
We all know about the biggest safety recall in history. It involves mostly Teutonic vehicles. The concern is non operative direction indicators upon delivery.

[simmitc]

The Highway Code (when did you last read the current version?) Rule 103 states that you should ALWAYS give signals. It covers pulling up after a side road, and cancelling signals. There is no exception for drivers of BMW cars. Elsewhere the code observes that good driving requires consideration.

[King Kenny]

I always use my indicators weather I need to or not. It costs nothing and may prove to be useful to other road users, if I can see them or not.

[stuffedpike20]

The Highway Code (when did you last read the current version?) Rule 103 states that you should ALWAYS give signals. It covers pulling up after a side road, and cancelling signals. There is no exception for drivers of BMW cars. Elsewhere the code observes that good driving requires consideration.

I bought the latest version after the recent changes giving cyclists and pedestrians more protection.

But the Highway Code is not Law is it? I'm pretty sure that the bloke shaking his fist at me would not have been bothered if I had quoted the Highway Code at him.

[Chipper]

I always use my indicators weather I need to or not. It costs nothing and may prove to be useful to other road users, if I can see them or not.

Me too, unless I can see that the road is completely clear, with nothing behind me either. Even then, I'll still sometimes indicate, out of habit!

[les]

I thought you always needed to, when do you not ? Apart from travelling in a straight line !

[stuffedpike20]

I thought you always needed to, when do you not ? Apart from travelling in a straight line !

It would seem...when you are in an EV, and your battery is nearly dead...or if you hate old cars.

[geoberni]

I would never pull out in front of a moving vehicle that is indicating to turn off, unless there were other clear and obvious indications that the turn was happening, such as significantly reduced speed and positioning on the road.
And even then, you have the risk that a following vehicle to the one you are intently watching decides to overtake ....
Too many accidents have been caused by such reliance on other drivers behaviour.

If he had been indicating, how do you know that it's not been on for a while and the self cancel isn't broken??

I don't think the few micoamps of an LED Indicator being used is going to affect the range by more than about 1 mtr.....

[geoberni]

But the Highway Code is not Law is it? I'm pretty sure that the bloke shaking his fist at me would not have been bothered if I had quoted the Highway Code at him.

You are very wrong there.
A great deal of it certainly is Law, but written in a readily understood manner; other parts are 'best practice' and not following those can still result in charges such a Driving without Due Care & Attention.

For example:

Rule 116

Hazard warning lights. These may be used when your vehicle is stationary, to warn that it is temporarily obstructing traffic. Never use them as an excuse for dangerous or illegal parking. You MUST NOT use hazard warning lights while driving or being towed unless you are on a motorway or unrestricted dual carriageway and you need to warn drivers behind you of a hazard or obstruction ahead. Only use them for long enough to ensure that your warning has been observed.

Law RVLR reg 27

The reference to RVLR Reg 27: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/198 ... on/27/made

[Guildbass]

I was in my minor yesterday giving way at a T junction, wanting to turn right. There was a bit of traffic on the main road, and it was taking a while. Three or four cars were waiting behind me. Finally there was only one car on the main road, coming from the right. It was a brand new electric BMW, and was going relatively slowly.
I was staring at his indicator to see if he was going to turn left, or go straight on. No indicator, so I stayed where I was; then he turned left! No indicator!
I threw up my hands and rolled my eyes. He mouthed something at me and shook his fist.
Thinking about it afterwards; he was either driving slowly and not indicating because his battery was about to die....or he just did not want to indicate for a scruffy old car.
What would be your guess?

Instructors of the Police Roadcraft Class 1 driving system say indicators should be used whenever there are other people in range who might need to know a direction change is going to happen. Conversely indicating when no one is going to need that information is a black mark because you as a driver should be aware of people around you and their potential manouvers so indicating unnecessary suggests a lack of awareness.
So he should have indicated....

[stuffedpike20]

I would never pull out in front of a moving vehicle that is indicating to turn off, unless there were other clear and obvious indications that the turn was happening, such as significantly reduced speed and positioning on the road.
And even then, you have the risk that a following vehicle to the one you are intently watching decides to overtake ....
Too many accidents have been caused by such reliance on other drivers behaviour.

If he had been indicating, how do you know that it's not been on for a while and the self cancel isn't broken??

I don't think the few micoamps of an LED Indicator being used is going to affect the range by more than about 1 mtr.....

Thanks for the interesting replies everyone.

Not everyone has your electrical knowledge geoberni; I know I don't. I am sure there are some EV drivers who would think that not using the indicators would save the battery. There are some very thick and ignorant people out there.

[stuffedpike20]

I am not surprised that many young people of today are not interested in driving. They see it, quite rightly, as madness.
Get up to the speed limit as fast as you can accelerate...go above it if you like; there is nobody to stop you.

It is no good making Laws if there is nobody to enforce them. In 2014 it became illegal to smoke in a car if you are carrying children. Has anyone ever been convicted of this?
I think it is now an offence to sit parked in a vehicle with the engine running for more than 4 minutes. There are roadworks on my street at the moment. Yesterday, a 'worker', reading a paper, sat in his diesel pickup with the engine running for 4 HOURS. The windows were open..so not for the air con.
One million illegal E scooters, and many de-regulated E bikes in use every day with impunity.
The other day I saw a man riding an illegal E scooter down my road. It was completely worn out. It would not go much more than walking pace, and the wheels were worn down to about two thirds of their original size. He was carrying a dog.
It annoys me that he has been allowed to wear out his E scooter on England's roads and footpaths illegally with impunity.

I will be glad when I have had enough of driving.

[rocco]

Blimey mate, you went from a geezer not indicating to waiting on the day you have had enough of driving in just over 24-hours!

There are thousands of driving indiscretions every day meaning it can be dangerous for us even when we obey the rules. We just have to live with it and don't let others grind us down!

[M25VAN]

Thinking about it afterwards; he was either driving slowly and not indicating because his battery was about to die....or he just did not want to indicate for a scruffy old car.
What would be your guess?

Maybe he was actually trying to save a few microamps? I've noticed quite a lot of EV's have combined sidelights and indicators such that when they indicate the sidelight goes out. As the indicator is flashing on and off it likely saves electricity.
I'd have waited until he was turning as well, especially if there was traffic behind him.