Drivers who don’t use their turn signals: they invariably make the top 5 of annoyances in traffic. Now Touring has started counting these offenders on the highways. A number of drivers were also followed in the sample. “There are those who categorically don’t use their turn signals”.
“We started working on bridges over the E40, E17, E19 and the Brussels ring, and counted all vehicles that changed lanes in half an hour. The observations are sobering,” said Touring spokesman Danny Smagghe.
“Almost half of motorists do not use a turn signal to change lanes. About 4 in 10 do not do this to enter or leave the highway. At roundabouts, more than half do not use the indicator to exit the roundabout, although this has been mandatory since 2004.”
nonchalance
This survey was first conducted in 2005 and has been repeated regularly since then. Touring repeatedly called for correct use of direction indicators and respect for other road users. But the Belgian driver remains nonchalant. “Is it distraction? Don’t they think it’s such a big mistake? Or do they not know enough about the traffic regulations?”, Smagghe wonders.
Touring suspects that the traffic police have other priorities and do not get around to checking this consistently. “But if other road users are not aware that a driver is staying in his lane or not, road safety can be compromised. It is also dangerous for cyclists and pedestrians on a roundabout. It would be worth finding out how many accidents this leads to.”
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