Visible indicators

[Hybrid21]

Had a near miss yesterday at a T junction.

I was waiting for a break in the traffic to join the main road to turn right.

Clear on my right and one guy approaching fast from the left, I edged out to go when he passed, but he suddenly turned right across my path to enter my exit road 😮 As he turned in front of me he did have his indicator on, but I'm 99% sure it wasn't on as he approached ( although my wife said he did 😕)

A bit disconcerting as I know my eyesight is not as good as it used to be, but does anyone find that indicators are not easily visible  in some car models ? This was a BMW suv by the way.

 

 

 

[Bper]

Hi Ian, 

It can be strange and disconcerting when this happens but I think sometimes your mind just doesn't register what your eyes actually see. How many times have you heard motorists who have been in accidents stating I didn't see the car or motorcycle etc.

I know many people including myself that either my wife or friends in the car have said look at that idiot and you just didn't see what they are talking about.

Even though you feel you are concentrating it does happen. Take for example how many pieces of information you are absorbing when driving including talking to your wife or listening to music or radio along with watching out for other motorists, signs, traffic lights etc.etc. it's normal.👍

[Rhymes with Paris]

Well the indicator could well have come on at the last second Iain, I've noticed a few drivers spot another car too late and then indicate, rather than indicating anyway as they should ,if at all.

Also DRLs I think can distract from indicators, bright as they are.

But I would suspect the former.

One thing that I do remember from motorcycle training is that the answer to the question "what does a left hand indicator mean on a car that is slowing down at a junction?"

The answer was "the bulb works "

 

[APS]

41 minutes ago, Hybrid21 said:

A bit disconcerting as I know my eyesight is not as good as it used to be, but does anyone find that indicators are not easily visible  in some car models ? This was a BMW suv by the way.

Yes - also on Toyotas. This is particularly true when the indicators are part of the same light cluster and sit next to the main/dipped lights. Something that happened in the late 90s early 00's. It was better in past when you often had separate clusters for sidelights and indicators. As always, the MR2 is the paragon of "enlightenment". Hail ye pop-ups!

[tfc]

A couple of years ago I was in my mgb and a transit van pulled out of a side street in front of me and I slapped my anchors on and stopped, the guy stopped and said sorry,  he said that he just focused on the car behind which had drl's and is mind completely  blanked my car out so he says , anyway when I got home first thing I did buy some aftermarket drl's .