The Earlier You Signal, The Better For Everyone…

One of the first things you learn in driver’s education class and a point that will be reminded again when you take a defensive driving course is that signaling your intentions is  essential to safe driving. A large number of accidents that occur are a result of drivers failing to notify surrounding vehicles of their lane changes.

We’ve all experienced an incident at one time or another when a someone suddenly cut in front of us from another lane without using their turning signal. Even the most alert drivers are often forced to hit their brakes when this occurs and that, of course, can set off a chain of events during particularly congested traffic. Some drivers feel they’re properly signaling by doing so a split second before they make the lane change but that simply isn’t sufficient in most cases.

The best way to inform other drivers of your plans to change lanes is by doing so with as much notice as possible. This allows your fellow drivers to make any adjustments to their speed that might be necessary to safely accommodate your maneuver. It’s always better to turn your signal on when you’re trying to make a change of lane in tight traffic because it often leads to another driver letting you in. This is something you should be sure to repay the next time you see a driver in need of a little help in this area. It should also be noted that early signaling is important when making a turn or exiting to on an off ramp as well as lane changes.