Is Three Flashes Enough For A Lane Change?

[RunningInPleasePass]

The Auris Hybrid has that feature on the indicators to give you three flashes, for example, lane changing on motorways.

I've recently done a lot of motorway driving and I'm not sure that three flashes are enough, and perhaps five would be better, what do you think?

I'm going to ask my dealer the next time I'm there if it can be altered.

[cootuk]

Depends if it's a courtesy signal where you have a fair bit of room, otherwise would need more flashes until you see other drivers react.

[korat102]

I wouldn't have thought three flashes would be much use for anything. I wonder how they arrived at that number, and why they even bothered.The 'correct' way to use indicators is to keep them flashing until the manoeuvre is complete. They're also, contrary to the way some people use them, not supposed to be used as a 'make way for me' demand.

[PeteB]

I (voluntarily - not result of being booked!) paid for a one-to-one training session from a member of the Norfolk County Council Road safety team last year and he advocated three flashes of the signal before starting to change lane to give time for an extra mirror check and response from someone I might not have seen. Often on a roundabout though, three is about right.

Interesting to see how long it takes Toyota to pick up on some features - this has been on many European cars for at least 25 years!

Similarly, my two Gen 1 Prius and Gen 2s (and 2011 Yaris T-Spirit for that matter) didn't have heated door mirrors (finally arrived on the Gen 3 Prius) - I remember thinking towards the end of the 1980s I'd never have to drive without these again. [strangely, they were standard in places like Portugal - but probably never needed!]

[RunningInPleasePass]

The only time I have used this 'feature' is on a motorway, after overtaking, and checking for clear, I use it to show my intention to return to one of inside lanes, just thought 5 flashes would be better?

[Parts-King]

Well just put the indicator on then!

Seriously though........it can be programmed 3, 5 or 7 I think from memory

[timberwolf]

Who needs indicators when you're in stealth mode?

[MEP's Yaris GS]

Its a shame my PiP hasn't got this feature, as the previous Fiat Bravo I had done 5 flashes and was used daily on each journey. When in for repairs last summer I had a 500 courtesy car for 7 weeks and that done only 3 flashes, and wasn't right. The 5 was just right IMO.

@Parts-King can it be activated on the Prius Plug-in?

[timberwolf]

I really like gadgets, but I have to wonder sometimes if things have gone too far? What next? An Automatic Bottom wiper, and I could imagine the same complaint, Toyota's only wipes 3 times, but my previous car could be set to wipe either 3, 5 or 7 times and it also had a Talcum Powder Dispenser, why are Toyota so far behind.

[Aceshigh84]

Ah for the good old days, wind window down, stick out hand, bring hand back in, wind window up. Manoeuvre complete...

[RunningInPleasePass]

I really like gadgets, but I have to wonder sometimes if things have gone too far? What next? An Automatic Bottom Wiper

What, you don't have a Bottom wiper, for heavens sake what kind of car are you driving?

[cootuk]

The japanese are very keen on sophisticated toilets

http://www.engadget.com/2014/05/09/westerners-guide-to-japanese-toilets/

[Parts-King]

Its a shame my PiP hasn't got this feature, as the previous Fiat Bravo I had done 5 flashes and was used daily on each journey. When in for repairs last summer I had a 500 courtesy car for 7 weeks and that done only 3 flashes, and wasn't right. The 5 was just right IMO.

@Parts-King can it be activated on the Prius Plug-in?

Sorry I don't know, the amount of programming varies from model to model. I was asking a techy the other day about an Auris Hybrid, so we plugged one in and checked it out, it was available on that model. You would need to get your dealer to check it out for you

[johalareewi]

Ah for the good old days, wind window down, stick out hand, bring hand back in, wind window up. Manoeuvre complete...

Who needs a starter motor? If you are too wimpy to crank the handle you shouldn't be driving.

[PeteB]

Starting handle??? I get my red flag man to push...

[timberwolf]

The Prius does not have a separate starter motor. There are improvements that are useful and then there are those that are questionable e.g.timed head lights affer the car is shutdown.

[Sagitar]

It was a real blow when they stopped putting that keyed hole through the front bumper . . . .

[timberwolf]

The Prius does not have a separate starter motor. There are improvements that are useful and then there are those that are questionable e.g.timed head lights affer the car is shutdown.

[Uncle Buck]

I never use cruise control (no motorways up here or more than 3 mls of dual carriageway !), nor the automatic headlights option. Why ? Because after 27 years of driving I know when to switch the headlights on for myself thank you. I honestly believe there are a lot of lazy people out there. Why do we need cars that park themselves - if you passed a driving test then you should be capable of parking decently enough yourself ! Why do we need lane departure warnings ? Again, nannying comes into play with the current love for Health & Safety overkill and we get cars which tell us to wake up & stay in lane correctly. Ridiculous ! If you're tired - take a break. If you can't stay within a marked lane under everyday conditions, what are you doing on the road ?

In summary, some technology has been a great bonus to all of us - ABS, airbags (if you need them), better tyres, etc. But this current swathe of new features are mostly complete overkill & in most circumstances completely unnecessary.

I'm sure plenty will disagree, but that's my tuppence worth anyway :)

[korat102]

In summary, some technology has been a great bonus to all of us - ABS, airbags (if you need them), better tyres, etc. But this current swathe of new features are mostly complete overkill & in most circumstances completely unnecessary.

I'm sure plenty will disagree, but that's my tuppence worth anyway :)

I couldn't agree more. It seems that manufacturers (looking at Ford especially here) have run out of ideas so they're just adding lots of pointless junk so they can say their car has extra 'features'. Gives them an excuse to create a new 'higher option in a range' for any particular model - and charge more for it of course...

[Sooty]

Starting handle??? I get my red flag man to push...

I just feed hay into the bonnet and scrape up the mess from the exhaust.

[Cyker]

I normally let it flash 2 or 3 times then leave it on while I change lanes, flicking it off when I'm half-way into the new lane. Average is 5 flashes.

A big irony of all these new safety features is that they are going into cars that the crap drivers, who you'd want to have these features, wouldn't want and probably can't afford, but the good drivers would probably shun them as being unnecessary junk to go wrong and turn them off or not use them

[PeteB]

On my first car, the indicators didn't even self cancel.

The (single speed) wipers stopped immediately when the large lever type switch on the dash was turned off. If you wanted them parked, you had to flick the switch at exactly the right time.

Those were the days...

[RunningInPleasePass]

I agree that a lot of the new features are overkill, but I like this flasher thing, I just need to get it altered to 5 flashes rather then 3.

The other feature I like is the reversing camera, now I've had a car with it, I will have to have it in my next car!

[Ten Ninety]

I've had a couple of cars in the past which did 3-flashes on touch and I hated them, because the way they were programmed made it impossible to do a simple right-left-right 'thank you' signal.

Does the new Toyota system allow the indicators to flash just once if you push the stick all the way and then back up, or will it insist on a minimum of three regardless?