Re: On Topic? Cars, anyway: 55 MPH speed limit...

On Thu, 31 Jul 2008 17:12:11 -0400, Willy wrote:

> "Mortimer" <me@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
> news:9pKdndkEHv15ewzVnZ2dnUVZ8hednZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> "CharlesTheCurmudgeon" <n5hsr@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message 
>> news:saidnU8q7qMcMgzVnZ2dnUVZ_uSdnZ2d@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>>
>>> There was a law passed in 1965, too, that cars in Illinois changing
lanes 
>>> had to signal.  As far as I know, they haven't repealed it, but nobody

>>> enforces it anymore.
>>
>> Do people generally not signal when they change lanes in the US? Here
in 
>> the UK I'd say that about 90% of the time people indicate to move to an

>> overtaking lane (on the right in the UK) and about 75% of the time they
do 
>> so when they move back to the "slower" lane again. OK, so a lot of the 
>> time they indicate as they start to move, rather than giving a couple
of 
>> seconds' notice before moving - lorry drivers are very bad at this:
they 
>> seem to think that if they indicate, the car on their right which they
are 
>> about to hit will magically disappear!
>>
>> I'm not sure of the precise rules on indicating in the Highway Code,
but 
>> I'm sure it's one of those things which is very strongly advised even
if 
>> it isn't strictly policed. It's also something which would almost 
>> certainly count against you if you were involved in an accident and
didn't 
>> indicate in a situation where the other driver would have taken
avoiding 
>> action if he'd seen that you were indicating to move into his lane 
>> directly in front of him. People who fail to indicate in 
>> borderline-dangerous cases often get hooted at and flashed.
>>
> 
> 
> 
> In some but not all states, the rule of thumb is you MUST signal when 
> changing lanes, 3 blinks if you're a car, and six blinks if you're
towing a 
> trailer, and / or a tractor trailer.
> 
> Willy

Wow. Is that to save electricity? That's the only reason I can think of
for not using blinkers.

I do 5...by that time I'm in the lane I want to be in. If not, I do a few
more.

I want people around me to KNOW what my intentions are! That way, if they
dent my car, THEY have to pay for repairs!