Signaling

Remember - "signal does not give you the right of way". Proper signaling communicates your intentions to other drivers. When you make clear signals, the drivers you share the road with will be able to give you space you need. When you fail to signal properly, accidents are more likely to occur. Always signal when you are planning to make a turn, change lanes, enter a lane of traffic, slow down suddenly or stop.

Signal your intention to turn well in advance. It is particularly important to signal early when you are traveling on rural roads where there are no exit ramps to allow for a slowing transition and traffic flow moves rapidly. It is also important to signal in advance when driving in urban or residential areas, but you should be careful not to signal so early that other drivers misinterpret your intentions.

Remember to signal prior to changing lanes. Often drivers signal as they move into another lane, but not before. Warning drivers that you will be changing lanes before you begin to move over will help traffic flow smoothly.

Although your brake lights do a good job of warning drivers behind you that you are slowing or stopping, in some cases it is a good ideal to provide additional warning. In heavy traffic, stopping distances may be short. By using a hand signal, you may be able to help avoid a rear end collision.

Hands signals must be used when your car's signals or brake lights have failed. Hand signals may also be useful in situations where you need to make sure that the driver behind you knows what you are doing.

the above article was contributed by
Simon Ong,
Instructor for SAMP Advance & Defensive Driving School