Are my turn signals invisible?

PortWentworthSam wrote:
One thing EVERYONE needs to remember..........The person in the lane YOU are trying to move into does not have a legal obligation to let you in. It is THEIR lane that YOU are pushing into.

That may be true, but they only own the real estate that they're occupying. The law says you can only make a lane change when it is safe to do so, and further defines "safe" as meaning that if someone has to take evasive action then it was not safe. But, if someone has to actually speed up so that they can take "evasive action" then it was probably safe for you to make the lane change. It's a common occurrence: you turn on your signal and the car that is many car lengths behind you squats in the rear as he's accelerating to get beside you. Doesn't matter if traffic is moving at 60 mph or 6 mph - there's john donkeys out there who don't want to let ANYTHING get in front of them.

I'll never forget one of my friend's logic on turn signals: "My turn signal is a warning, not a request"

I've only been on 3 (three) trips with my RV and have experienced everything described in the 6 pages of this thread. I take it easy, let them have an early heart attack from the stress. I change lanes when it's safe, or when I need to - both of these things don't always happen at once but that's why cars have brakes.

My solution is 3 blinks of the turn signal and then I start moving over. 95% of the time I am bigger and they will back off. Don't try this in front of an 18 wheeler! They USUALLY will let me over.

I have seen it many times.. A car is behind me but close enough I do not wish to change into his lane.. I turn the turn signal HE SPEEDS UP and lands beside me sort of like saying "The devil you are going to change lanes". It is called offensive driving and it is stupid.. I do not practice it.

I must be living in a different reality, Most of my travels are in the
western U.S., Most of the time, when my turn signals are on , others will allow me to merge, I always thank them with a wave.

Terry

I almost creamed a guy on a motorcycle weaving in and out of traffic at what appeared to be about 90 mph. I was changing into a left lane to pass an OTR truck and this guy literally came out of nowhere and "stole" the lane. I had my signal on but he obviously ignored it. Thank goodness I could get back in my lane before I ran him over. He continued up the road at a frantic speed passing cars between lanes. He obviously didn't care for his safety or others but I would have unfortunately been in horror had I killed him. I understand what the law is about having to yield until it's safe to move over into a lane, but other laws start to infringe on that. Like aggressive driving and speeding. What trumps what? If I have a clear lane change and someone speeds up into that space beyond the legal speed and I run them over, who is at fault? Even if the other driver isn't speeding, if I have a lane change and I am clear, signal and start to move over and someone - even going the speed limit - also moves into the same space, who is at fault? Are they at fault for ignoring my signal, or am I for moving over even at the time of the start of my change I had the space? The other driver actually created a situation and/or failed to avoid an accident.

One thing EVERYONE needs to remember..........The person in the lane YOU are trying to move into does not have a legal obligation to let you in. It is THEIR lane that YOU are pushing into.

YOU are driving a Monster size vehicle. That doesn't give anyone the right to think they can push other people off the highway or force them to let you merge in. Your vehicle is BIGGER and in most cases SLOWER.

When you allow your EGO to get involved and think you own the highway then it's time to hang up your keys.

The next time you want to push into another lane because YOU want to look VERY CLOSE in that mirror pointing along the side of your massive coach. Look for SMALL CHILDREN. They aren't driving that vehicle that won't let you in.

One last point......ANY CRASH that involves a vehicle mering into anothe lane is THE FAULT of the driver doing the merging.

As I read these posts I saw myself in several different ways. I have been forced to virtually stop on the roadway of a freeway and on an interstate because folks won't let me over. In CA is unlawful to stop in a traffic lane for anything short of an emergency or totally disabled vehicle. Recently I was trying to change lanes to avoid several slow vehicle exiting and entering the freeway. I had pleanty of room but a guy two lanes over wanted to go faster than the 70 he was going. The lane I was moving into was wide open and I changed lanes, turned my signal off and reset the cruise. A guy in the lane to my left was stuck in his lane because I was there and he didn't have time and space to move right to pass. I passed the tie up on the right looked in my sideview mirror, signaled and started moving over into a clear space. You guessed it, Mr speed demon changed lanes to the right behind me and while I had the front right side of my rig in the lane to the right he decided to pass me on that side.

It was too late to change back to the left safely, it would have been an extreme avoidance maneuver and I felt unsafe. I continued my lane change and he whipped around me on the left, pulled in front of me and slammed on his brakes, not once but three times. We were now doing about 35 MPH and creating a hazard to others. He would have been several car lengths in front of me if he had not tried to illegally pass on my right after I started my turn.

Two things I learned, one is to be very careful of people who show aggressive driving and two and most important of either, I should have had my Dash Cam recording. If I had and had hit the dolt, I would have been in pretty good shape with my insurance company. There was no one in my lane for at least 100 yards.

dieharder wrote:

rgatijnet1 wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Sometimes us "idiots" have to force the issue in response to a traffic directive such as a lane closure when no one will give us room to maneuver. I've generally found OTR truck drivers to be the most considerate in those circumstances.

I agree. I seem to remember an incident in Nashville a few months back where the driver of the Class A said that he was not able to switch lanes, because no other vehicle would "let" him in. A young Nashville police lost his life in that case because the RV driver did not force the issue when changing lanes.

That is just BS. Had nothing to do with no one letting him over, he went barrelling around a blind corner that said one lane closed and there were 2 lanes closed. He had nowhere to go because the one lane was jacked and he couldn't stop. I guess he was supposed to force the issue and barrel through a few cars...

Yep, you are right....better to hit the officer on foot than hit a few automobiles.
Unbelievable how you were able determine all of the facts and to appoint yourself the judge and jury on this incident since NO CHARGES have been filed against the RV driver.

rgatijnet1 wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
Sometimes us "idiots" have to force the issue in response to a traffic directive such as a lane closure when no one will give us room to maneuver. I've generally found OTR truck drivers to be the most considerate in those circumstances.

I agree. I seem to remember an incident in Nashville a few months back where the driver of the Class A said that he was not able to switch lanes, because no other vehicle would "let" him in. A young Nashville police lost his life in that case because the RV driver did not force the issue when changing lanes.

That is just BS. Had nothing to do with no one letting him over, he went barrelling around a blind corner that said one lane closed and there were 2 lanes closed. He had nowhere to go because the one lane was jacked and he couldn't stop. I guess he was supposed to force the issue and barrel through a few cars...