You also should understand what other drivers and cyclists are signaling to you. Anyone operating a vehicle with a broken, missing, or obscured turn signal is required by law to use hand signals when changing lanes or turning. But it’s important to understand hand signals too. Of course, when you’re driving a car, you’re most likely to use the electric turn signals to communicate with others on the road. Some states, such as California and Idaho, require drivers to signal five seconds before switching lanes to give anyone in traffic around you time to react. Western states also mandate using a turn signal before changing lanes. Blinkers and Hand Signalsĭrivers are legally required to signal at least 100 feet before turning, using a blinker or a hand signal, in every state in the West.
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Here’s how and when to use blinkers and hand signals, hazard lights, and other safety gestures to communicate on the road. “Traffic will flow much smoother when there is communication among road users, and the risk of a collision will be much lower if there’s communication as well,” he says. Signaling is a vital way to help prevent crashes, says William Van Tassel, manager of AAA Driver Training Programs. Nearly 40 percent of a vehicle’s outer perimeter is hidden by blind spots, which means drivers may not always be able to see other traffic in the vicinity. Even when it's not illegal, failing to signal can compromise safety.Įlectric turn signals or hand signals let everyone on the road, including cyclists and pedestrians, know your intentions. Yet most states in the West require signaling-with either a blinker or a hand-at least some of the time.
Department of Transportation statistics show that one in four drivers fails to signal when turning, and twice as many neglect to do so when changing lanes. Are you breaking the law without even knowing it? U.S.
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