do you live in mi? the drivers here are the worst! i can't tell you the defensive driving we do to avoid these bozos...

Oh that is one of my two pet peeves about other drivers. I always want to stop them and say, "That is a nice car/truck/van, maybe you should have spent a few more dollars and get turn signals on it!" My other pet peeve is tail=gaiters. Dottie

No, but my Dad lives there, so I've experienced it. I remember as a younger driver in MI, that it was a crazy place on the roads. I'm in MD, and our neighbor state talked a lot about MD drivers. BUT, I think because of commuting, MD drivers have picked up the bad habits of VA dirvers - driving in the left lane of a major highway and realizing AT the exit, that is't your time to get off. AND they do it, driving all the way over to the right lane and exit. I remember some of that in MI. That's just plain dangerous, and rude!

Yep, those folks who turn on their signal AT the corner instead of before are just asking for an accident. Better still are those who just stop! Yep, had that happen more then once. I wonder if these folks ever took Driver's Education? I remember when I took it our instructor was adamant about turn signals, checking your mirrors, tailgating and so on. I remember seeing a film where they identified drivers using bird names - like the migratory weaver bird. That's those who constantly change lanes because someone is going too slow for them.

Driver's Ed wasn't here when I got my lic. But, in my city, we tested on the actual street. If you did't use your turn signals, you were dinged pretty badly. Another major mistake, and you missed getting your permit.

There are more people here who don't use them than do use them. I just don't understand it.

Besides the danger, there have been many times when I could have let someone in front of me who was trying to pull from a gas station or parking lot, but didn't because there was too much traffic in other lanes for them to safely turn left, and I had no idea if they wanted to turn left or right.

Linda

Then there are those who have their signals on and don't turn. If you go, thinking they're turning and it is safe for you, then they don't turn, and you'd have hit them had you not waited. Gramma always said "Some do, and some don't". That's my rule of thumb now. I always wait.
Leslie

I don't know what the root cause is but drivers are extremely careless everywhere.
My pet peeve is the one's that leave their signal light on and you don't know if they are going to turn or not. I always wait before I pull out and many times the person has not turned, just forgot the signal light was on. It's an adventure out there on the roads everyday, I do alot of driving and consider it a major accomplishment when I make it home each day without a scratch on my van.
Suzan J

I think a big part of the problem is lack of education. I had a full semester of driver ed in school....first 6 wks were in the classroom, learning the rules. Then we went on side roads for another 6 weeks to learn the ropes. The last 6 wks were on the actual roads and fine tuning our skills. I won't say all this prevented stupid drivers, but I think it helped.

Shirley

I think part of the problem with rude and aggressive drivers is they drive like they are playing a video game!
Like it's a competition to see who gets "there first".
The worst 5 hours of my life were spent in a car with a driver like that.

I was always taught that even if they do use turn signals
that doesn't necessarily mean they intend to actually turn.
And I have seen turn signals for one direction but then
they actually turn in the other direction. Around here
turn signals mean nothing and you just can't trust them.

Pooh Bear

Now just how do you expect those clueless drivers to use their turn signal when they have a phone in one hand and an Egg Mcmuffin in the other. And who knows where their brain is! The best news I have heard since cell phones came into our lives is the present move to ban their use while activly driving, hand held and otherwise.

I know that cell phones are just a small part of what makes bad drivers, but getting them out of the drivers hand and conversations on them done only in a non moving vehicle can't hurt.

Here in Texas if we see a vehicle with a turn signal on, we assume the signal was on when the driver bought the vehicle. However, if the vehicle is equipped with fog lamps, they are on ALL the time!

i have found that no one in FL knows what those blinking lights mean or how to use them LOL seriously ~ liz

Here in SW. Pa, you can get a hefty fine for not using your turn signals...A friend of mine was coming home one evening and used the signal to turn one way and then didn't when she turned into her street...Right behind her was a police car, he pulled her over and told her, if he wrote her up, it would cost her $125.00 and he figured she couldn't afford it...She was lucky, that time....I have a habit of always using them, even if there's no one behind me.....

Let's add one more turn signal issue... just because you flip on your blasted signal doesn't mean you can immediatly shoot over you old fart!!! This happened again today. I've got news for you Ma & Pa Kettle, the home will keep a bowl of creamed peas for you so you can take 10 seconds and look instead of just turning on the signal and crank the wheel! Hard enough to eat a bowl of chili, sip my coffee, read the newspaper, pick out and change CDs and send a few text messages all while trying to scrape the frost off the windshield when I have to worry about some inattentative jerk purt-near ramming into me!

Women (OK, guys too) quit doing your d@mn makeup and hair while you're driving!

A co-worker once left our parking lot, turning on her signal. Another co-worker remarked, "you can tell she learned to drive in the north." I live in a southern area with lots of transplants, and you can tell without looking at the license plate who grew up here and who didn't. What do people think that lever thingy is for, anyway?