Indicating when joining the motorway.

[Frane Selak]

I'm sure this must have been asked before but how many people do it, and why. Personally I don't normally if its obvious what is happening, occasionally I do if its a complicated junction just to make my intentions clear but most of the time I don't see a valid reason to indicate at all, there is only one way you can go. It's a choice of carry on up the hard shoulder, smash into the barrier or join the motorway, why does it need explaining more than that to other drivers.

I only ask this because Friday evening's journey was yet another misery laded one caused by some muppet crashing on my journey home further up the motorway. This resulted in a mile of queues just to get on the motorway and as I finally approached the slip road all 3 lanes were crawling but everyone was being pretty civil about it, the inside lane was letting cars merge in fairly from the slip until it was my turn, I tried to merge early on behind other mergers in front without undertaking them and racing to the very end of the slip road like several other cars did. I also left a decent gap in front so I didn't try to merge two at a time but even so some woman in a rangie decided to just carry on up the bumper of the car in front of her and not let me in.

Now I know she didn't have to, the line at the top of the slip is a give way line and you have to wait for it to be clear before you cross it, its not a merge point or anything like that so fair enough and it didn't really bother me so I just gave he a sarcastic thumbs up as in thanks for nothing. She then started chuntering away about something and gesticulating at me so I put the window down and so did she, she then started banging on about if I wanted to be let in I should have been indicating so she knew what I was doing, I kindly replied "where do you think I was going to go, into the fking trees". she then sped off blocking someone else from joining just in front into the gap she'd left arguing with me.

Can anyone give me a valid reason for the need to indicate when its obvious its the only way you can go.

[Rough101]

Eh, yeah, because no one’s looking where they’re going and a couple of flashing lights might grab their attention

[nordboy]

I do, the flashing light attracts peoples attention to you, movement, including lights, attracts peoples eyes and vision. I know to most people, you'd assume that other drivers should be aware of you and your intentions.

Personally, anything I can do to increase the chances of them seeing me and leave no ambiguity about what I'm doing then i'll do it.

[Frane Selak]

Rough101 said:

Eh, yeah, because no one s looking where they re going and a couple of flashing lights might grab their attention

what about the cars in front and to the sides, do they need flashing lights as well?

[pits]

Frane Selak said:

I'm sure this must have been asked before but how many people do it, and why. Personally I don't normally if its obvious what is happening, occasionally I do if its a complicated junction just to make my intentions clear but most of the time I don't see a valid reason to indicate at all, there is only one way you can go. It's a choice of carry on up the hard shoulder, smash into the barrier or join the motorway, why does it need explaining more than that to other drivers.

I only ask this because Friday evening's journey was yet another misery laded one caused by some muppet crashing on my journey home further up the motorway. This resulted in a mile of queues just to get on the motorway and as I finally approached the slip road all 3 lanes were crawling but everyone was being pretty civil about it, the inside lane was letting cars merge in fairly from the slip until it was my turn, I tried to merge early on behind other mergers in front without undertaking them and racing to the very end of the slip road like several other cars did. I also left a decent gap in front so I didn't try to merge two at a time but even so some woman in a rangie decided to just carry on up the bumper of the car in front of her and not let me in.

Now I know she didn't have to, the line at the top of the slip is a give way line and you have to wait for it to be clear before you cross it, its not a merge point or anything like that so fair enough and it didn't really bother me so I just gave he a sarcastic thumbs up as in thanks for nothing. She then started chuntering away about something and gesticulating at me so I put the window down and so did she, she then started banging on about if I wanted to be let in I should have been indicating so she knew what I was doing, I kindly replied "where do you think I was going to go, into the fking trees". she then sped off blocking someone else from joining just in front into the gap she'd left arguing with me.

Can anyone give me a valid reason for the need to indicate when its obvious its the only way you can go.

I see your point, and I get it as you don't indicate when it isn't necessary, however it is still a junction and you should indicate, especially with all the people on the road these days that can't drive and see everything as your fault even though they can't drive.

[Frane Selak]

nordboy said:

I do, the flashing light attracts peoples attention to you, movement, including lights, attracts peoples eyes and vision. I know to most people, you'd assume that other drivers should be aware of you and your intentions.

Personally, anything I can do to increase the chances of them seeing me and leave no ambiguity about what I'm doing then i'll do it.

Well yes but if there is a chance of crashing into them then it would be your fault for crossing a give way line when there wasn't a gap, not theirs. the way to join a motorway is to accelerate (or decelerate even) up to what ever speed the cars are doing on the motorway and fitting into a safe gap, which there always is, it doesn't really matter whether they have seen you or not really. And if you cant see a car at the top of the slip road in standing traffic then you shouldn't have a licence.

[sherman]

Do you drive a BMW ?

A a slip road is essentially a give way.
You should indicate and be prepared to stop if nessesary. Stopping should be unlikely unless traffic is bad.

Whenever you turn/move to the right on the motorway you should indicate to show your intentions.
You dont need to move left as you should be keeping left anyway unless overtaking

I think you need to review your highway code on Motorway rules
The Highway Code - Motorways (253 to 274) - Guidance - GOV.UK https://share.google/OgwaJmEuYg9h62trA

[sixor8]

If there's a bump, and you're not indicating (dash cam footage much more prevalent now), it affects your liability. It's one of my pet hates on the motorway, changing lanes without indicating. Like we're supposed to be mind readers.

[Om]

If there is no other traffic I don't indicate, but if there are vehicles on the carriageway then I indicate.

Partly for courtesy, part so others are clearly aware of my intentions and part for safety - a flashing orange indicator is more visible especially in poor light/driving conditions.

Why wouldn't you? Unless you want to have a confrontation with someone whilst driving slowly along a motorway in stop start traffic...

[LivLL]

You don't have to indicate, many don't. I suspect the woman you encountered wouldn't have let you in even if you had.

[BlackTails]

I vaguely remember being taught that if you have no option over where to go, don’t indicate. Eg in a lane at traffic lights which has a right turn arrow, you don’t need to indicate right. Likewise joining the motorway.

That said (a) I’ve noticed there are a lot of people who really take exception full stop to the concept of merge in turn, especially if they are in the major road; (b) some people in those circs seem to think that the joiner needs to indicate in order to signal a polite request to join, and if the joiner indicates, fine, and if not the joiner can fk off. Sound like the OP encountered on of these; (c) if I’m joining a motorway in heavy but fast moving traffic I sometimes indicate, more to say “I am coming into this gap so pay attention and don’t be a dick”.

[Heathwood]

I get the OPs point but as alluded to by others, I don’t assume any other road user understands half of what’s going on at any point in time. Also, I indicate habitually, even when there’s nobody to indicate to. It’s just easier than assessing whether or not it’s necessary.

[Frane Selak]

LivLL said:

You don't have to indicate, many don't. I suspect the woman you encountered wouldn't have let you in even if you had.

I reckon she took exception that I didn't "beg" her to be let in. She probably couldn't believe that someone wouldn't plead for a favour from someone who drives a range rover or disco or what ever it was.

[BertBert]

BlackTails said:

I vaguely remember being taught that if you have no option over where to go, don t indicate. Eg in a lane at traffic lights which has a right turn arrow, you don t need to indicate right. Likewise joining the motorway.

Yes my driving instructor had similar views on that, but I think it's wrong. Just because you can see the LH lane turns left, doesn't mean that other people who could benefit from the signal have the same view and come to the same conclusion. It's more about seeing if anyone is there who could benefit from that information. If there is then signalling is good. Also the observation required to make that decision is a good discipline.

To the OP's question, in that circumstance it actually feels more polite to indicate your intention rather than not signal. But it's pretty marginal. The Rangie would have blocked you if you'd got out on your hands and knees and said "pretty please" anyway so it makes no odds there!

[pits]

BlackTails said:

if I m joining a motorway in heavy but fast moving traffic I sometimes indicate, more to say I am coming into this gap so pay attention and don t be a dick .

That however is always taken as "you're not getting in front of me, a car let someone in 3 ahead so you can bog off" then closes the gap.
I had a very unpleasant drive up the M5 the other day in rush hour traffic, and it reminded me why I hate driving in the UK, there are just too many angry and selfish people, you let people out these days and never a thank you, I sat behind someone in the outside lane for about 10 minutes, not enough room to pass on the left but plenty of room for them to either speed up or slow down and pull in, sat at the same speed as the car he wasn't overtaking for a few more minutes traffic now piling up with an indicated speed of 68mph on my speedo, not sat up their arse at all, cars distance between us, eventually gave him a flash and got flipped the bird, called a wker, to then him speed up, pull in, cut the guy he wasn't overtaking up, only to try and pull out behind me and almost sideswiped the car that was up my arse that had been up my arse waiting for me to get past this guy.

People are so angry on the roads, no courtesy any more, at least indicating gives me some hope there are still decent people left, apart from those ones who indicate whilst moving.

[Mr Penguin]

People are more likely to see a flashing orange light than not, and a lot of people do not pay as much attention as they should do. No harm in doing it when everyone has seen you anyway but every now and then someone will not see you, especially if you are in a grey car on an overcast day.

[Dolf Stoppard]

I do, because indicating is a good habit to have, and it’s easier to just do it all the time rather than thinking about whether to bother.

[Frane Selak]

What I don't get though is granted most people do seem to indicate joining from a slip road when the manoeuvre is patently obvious but quite a few people don't indicate right on a roundabout, or indicate when leaving a roundabout. some don't even indicate when turning left into a side road that you are in when they are coming from your right and you are waiting for them to go past.

[mikeiow]

sherman said:

Do you drive a BMW ?

[mac96]

Surely the point is that with a reasonably long merging area and crawling traffic the joiner chooses exactly where to join lane 1.
Therefor he should indicate at that point to tell the vehicle he intends to go in front of ' I am joining here'.

Of course if the joiner comes charging g down the slip road with I indicator already on, that is unhelpful.