3mo ago

Why do some drivers turn off the signal sound so quickly?

I'm not talking about not using signal, but instead referring to drivers who turn off the signal so quickly.

Example when changing lane: Flick Signal on - Lane change - Signal off, literally 2 seconds and the car is not even moving fast to change lane.

Another example for when making a turn: 0.5 second to do Signal On - Turn - Signal off...

I swear on both of my nuts that these drivers arent even looking at the mirrors (any mirrors) or looking over their shoulders.

If you happen to do this, no offense but why? Is it to show the cops you did signal? Or there exists a signalphobia , i.e. the tick tock sound can annoy passengers?/

47 comments

On my car, when I push the stalk half way the lights blink 3 times then turn off automatically
- Personally that tech shouldn’t exist. People rely on it and don’t give others around them enough time to realize a lane change is about to happen.
  Turn it on. Let it blink a few times to make sure others know you are moving. Change lanes. After you are in the lane then turn it off.
  
  I don't cut anyone off in busy ass traffic man. There's no reason for me to flip it on all the way. I've also seen hundreds of cars turn their blinker on then it stays on for miles. Double edged sword. Look behind you, flip the stalk and move over. No point in thinking about it too hard
  
  My driving instructor told me that you should blink to indicate that you're now going to move when changing lanes (exceptions excluded). So check if you're safe to go, and if you're sure, use the short blink and go.
  
  It exists because too many idiots turn it on, forget about it and then drive along for another 5 miles signalling a turn they're never going to make and confusing everyone around them. Personally, I'd much rather someone signal for "too short" an amount of time than have this happen.
- Same, and I think this feature is called "change lane", I can even set it on my car to disable/3 blinks/5 blinks, I set it to 5.
  
  Oh that's cool. I can only change the volume of emulated sound haha. Pointless
- Same. This runs for 3 seconds and blinks 3 times. If the car behind you is not paying attention to you for longer than that, that's their problem. Your first priority when driving is looking where you are going before anything else.
  
  I disagree, someone not seeing your signal and action is still your problem. The percentage of legal blame will possibly be more on them if you can prove you did signal, but it is every driver's duty to ensure their movement does not cause a problem for others, right-of-way or not. It it's deemed preventable, it's a driver's fault to some degree. That's why it's called defensive driving.
- And I think on some cars I've had in the past, it was only 2 times even.
Do you signal before you observe what may or may not be where you are wanting to go? Maybe I'm doing it wrong, but I don't signal until I've observed where I'm going and determined if it can be done safely. People driving for miles with their turn signal on make me worried (you can never tell if they are planning to go now, later, after their invited, or if they just forgot it was on).
- "Mirror, signal, manoeuvre" is what we're taught in the UK. So according to our highway code you're acting correctly,but obvs that may be different elsewhere.
  Basically you only signal after you've confirmed there is space and that it is safe to do so, therefore the time between indicating and actually acting is minimal.
  The main problem you see is some people drive aggressively and use signalling as a demand that others make space for them, move out of their way etc. That's not how it's meant to work.
  
  In the US highway driving, sometimes the traffic is so heavy that if you waited for a safe opportunity to put on the blinker, you might not be able to get over at all. But you have to because your exit is on the other side and you have limited time to get over, etc.
  What I've had to do is put on my blinker indicating my intention, and then wait, and change lanes when it is relatively safe to do so -- sometimes only if people let you in. Otherwise you have to cut someone off or trust that they will stop in time. Obviously this is undesirable.
  But while I'm waiting for my chance, the drivers behind me will know my intention and can better predict my future actions. They won't think I'm driving slow and unpredictably. They'll understand what I'm doing and why.
The tick-tock sound annoys the driver. Dated two women in a row who did this and both had "repetitive noise disorder", misophonia. My wife has a sort of thing like that were she can't stand the rhythm or noise of the wipers.
I completely made up "repetitive noise disorder" years ago on reddit. Now Google AI returns it as a legit result. Am I famous now?!
- Make a reddit post once and suddenly has hundreds of citations for medical journals. Imagine that
You should use the blinker to advise your intention and when you have the possibility then do the manoeuvre. After its completion then turn off blinkers.
Cars younger than last century have two modes of indicator available.
[ BMW, Merc and Audi drivers: nothing to see here. Not in this whole post and comments. ]
A soft push in either direction gives a brief - I don't know what the definition/legal requirement is - period where the indicator flashes before cancelling itself.
A harder push has the indicator stay in that position until the steering wheel or the driver cancels it and it stops.
Maybe you're complaining about people using the soft mode.
In my country, there is no requirement to indicate when moving back to your lane after moving into the/a overtaking lane. I think that's a little weird tbh. I've always indicated, wherever I'm going, on the basis that when I don't, someone will sideswipe me through my own negligence.
Of course, these days the sodding lane-change Nazi in my car won't let me pass any line, but happily forcefully steers me into the hedgerow/ditches on country lanes where there are no road markings. You can turn it off every time but not generally.
- ”cars younger than last century..." Is incredibly misleading
  Some vehicles have this feature sure, and adoption is gaining, but there's many many vehicles from the first 2 decades of this century that do not have this feature
  
  Oh ok.
  I haven't been to a circus recently. My knowledge in that area is wanting, I'll admit. 😳
We let stupid people drive. It's a problem.
Is this question about drivers that turn off their indicators while still mid-turn? Or about drivers that turn or change lanes in very little time at all?
IMO, the correct time to use indicators is precisely when in preparation for a turning or lane-change manoeuvre, during such manoeuvre, and that's it. Once the manoeuvre is done, the indicators should be extinguished to avoid ambiguity, unless a follow-up manoeuvre is planned.
I see no logical reason to enforce a prescribed minimum for indicator time, and it's why I see minimum-three-blink on some modern cars as an anti-feature. After all, there's no minimum (nor maximum) time to prepare and make a turning manoeuvre.
To use a USA example, the driving style of Los Angeles inter-city freeways is -- for better or worse -- going to necessitate fairly quick lane changes, because of the tighter spacing between cars. In hard figures, a lane change might be prepped and done in 3 seconds. Some might say that all these drivers are violating good driving behaviors for following each other so closely, but it's sadly a practical necessity when no amount of "just one more lane" can solve the systemic issues with regional road transportation there; it's why LA is doubling down on public transit building.
Compare this with changing lanes on a rural Interstate freeway to pass a semi-truck, where a lane change can be more sedate because there might not be any other traffic in sight except for the two vehicles involved. Smooth driving on a road-trip might have this manoeuvre prepped and completed over 10-15 seconds, as the car might also be slowly accelerating while also changing lanes. Sometimes on these two-lanes-in-each-direction roads, the driver might even continue using the left indicator, but it now unambiguously indicates that they intend to fully overtake the semi-truck, and will switch on the right indicator once fully ahead and they intend to return to the right-hand lane.
In both circumstances, the indicators should remain blinking while mid-manoeuvre. Anything short of that is "too quick" in my book.
But if your question is how far in advance should drivers begin indicating before the manoeuvre, that's a joint matter of regional convention and of law. And the former usually is the strongest influence.
TL;DR: indicators indicate intent, but some people have quick intent.
- LA has infamously bad drivers. In many parts of the country people will slow down and give you space to move over when you have your signal on. They'll also known how to do a proper zipper merge.
I swear on both of my nuts that these drivers arent even looking at the mirrors (any mirrors) or looking over their shoulders.
I use single-blink signals on the motorway (it's a function built into the thingy by my steering wheel and I find it handy) and I always use both mirrors and look sideways before doing it.
So yeah, I'm offended. Mildly.
- Yep. If I know there aren't any other cars within a quarter mile of me then the turn signal is just a formality. At best it tells other drivers the lane change was intentional, at worst it's a (miniscule) waste of time and energy.
I was actually just wondering about this earlier when I changed lanes. I don't know if the thing I see on the dash actually matches up with the outside light. It might have blinked 3 times for me inside, but only once outside. I don't know! I can't see it while driving! 😬
- Park in front of a window when it’s darkish out and use the indicator as you normally would in the car and see what the reflection of the light does
I have one thing to add, some vehicles you are not able to adjust the quick turn signal settings to allow more blinks before turning off. My mini Cooper does allow me which is a 2012, but my mom's 2025 Highlander I am unable or have not found a way to change it from 2 blinks to 4-5 blinks.
It's stupid and I hate it. No I am not covering for asshole drivers cause there are a lot since COVID happen. Like people forgot how to be fuckin civil in all grounds of civilization in the US.
- I have a 2nd gen Ford Fusion and was able to reprogram it via computer and software. 3 by default, now 4. Could do 1-7 IIRC
  
  Now that right there is ridiculous if I have to go that route on a new car. JFK they just make cars worse every generation.
Thanks everyone for replying. Looks like I wasnt clear on the OP: these drivers literally have their left hand (for left handed traffic) the entire duration of the turn - it almost seems like if they let the signal to "tick" for more than 1 second then a bomb would explode or something. And they always commit to the turn, the signal is just a façade. So the correct sequence is like this:
Signal on AND commit to turn at the same time. No delay. Thats why I mentioned these guys dont even look.
Car not fully into the other lane => signal off.
Everything takes place in 0.5 second. Or you blink and he's gone.
Regarding the autocancel signal, yeh I do know about that. On old cars like the 2016 Corrola - you flick the signal, it stays flicked until you flicked it off or finish a turn. On new ones like Mini Cooper / BMW, a gentle flick would signal for 3 sec then automatically turn off. This is something different lol.
I have an abbreviated one on mine thats three blinks for changing lanes, or push it all the way to leave on.
Just so you know, enabling turn signal does not automatically grant you right to do whatever you intend to do, whether it be changing lane, entering main road or whatever. I would just ignore them.

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