TRANSPORTATION MATTERS for IOWA

Message Monday - Did you run out of blinker fluid?


4-17 message mondayWhy don’t people use their turn signals? Is there some magical solution that seems to have run dry or is it that the little lever on the side of your steering wheel have yet to be discovered?

When reddit asked the question of “Why?” to “People who don’t use your turn signal,” these are some of the responses.

  • I don't care.
  • I forgot to use it.
  • I didn’t know I was supposed to.

So what’s the big deal about not signaling? According to a study by The Society of Automotive Engineers, turn signal neglect in the United States causes about two million crashes per year.

SAE observed a total of 12,000 lane-changing and turning vehicles, concluding 25 percent of drivers neglected to signal when turning and a whopping 48 percent neglected to do so when changing lanes. Applying these percentages to U.S. drivers as a whole translates to 750 billion instances of turn signal neglect per year – or more than 2 billion instances per day, according to the study.

In case you were wondering, using your turn signal is mandated by Iowa Code section 321.315.    

The fatality count of 78 is an increase of ten since last Monday. Preliminary number show that in all of 2016, 404 people were killed on Iowa highways. To see statistics published daily by the Office of Driver Services, go to the daily fatality count

Activating the turning signal when you begin turning is not good enough. People know when they are going to turn,when they get approximately 10 car lengths from their turn, turn the signal on! Make it a habit, after a while you don't even think about using it, you turn it on automatically.

I notice a lot of drivers activating their turn signal when they have already began to turn like it is an afterthought or in their minds, that is good enough.

Verify your Comment

Previewing your Comment

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Working...
Your comment could not be posted. Error type:
Your comment has been posted. Post another comment

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Working...

Have a comment?



NOT FINDING WHAT YOU NEED? WE CAN HELP.

©  Iowa Department of Transportation.  All rights reserved.