Yes really

In the continuing saga of how lazy drivers have become the STS (not the SCCA class) is here to save the day.

Turn signal neglect a real danger, study shows By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau Forget distracted driving. A new study says there’s a far more serious problem that’s responsible for as many as 2 million accidents annually.

When’s the last time you used your own turn signals? According to research by the Society of Automotive Engineers, drivers either neglect to use their signals when changing lanes – or fail to turn the signals off – 48% of the time. And when making a turn the failure rate is around 25%. That works out to 2 billion times a day drivers fail to use signals, or 750 billion times annually.

A lack of courtesy? Laziness? Poor training? Whatever the reason, the SAE study says the problem results in about 2 million roadway collisions annually. That’s more than twice the 950,000 accidents linked to distracted driving, which has become one of the central topics of the U.S. Department of Transportation under Sec. Ray LaHood.

“This is a first of its kind report on a subject that amazingly, has never been studied,” said Richard Ponziani, P.E., President of RLP Engineering and author of the report. Yet, despite the fact that turn signals are simple, ubiquitous and “extremely effective,” there is an epidemic lack of compliance even though “all drivers have an ongoing duty to use it, just as they have a duty to stop at a stop sign or at a red light.”

Anecdotal evidence suggests that police put little effort into enforcement, less than they devote to speeding, or running stop signs and red lights. Other than shifting priorities, the new study suggests an alternative that it dubs the “Smart Turn Signal.”

They “are the perfect complement to the Stability Control System since Stability Control predominately prevents single-vehicle crashes, whereas the Smart Turn Signal prevents multi-vehicle crashes,” suggested Ponziani.

Such a system would automatically shut off a turn signal, likely by timing out after a set delay or by detecting when a vehicle has finished changing lanes – much as today’s cars automatically cancel the signals after making a turn at an intersection.

For scofflaws who simply don’t use their signals, the system would work much like a seatbelt reminder. It would be able to sense if drivers routinely ignore their turn signals and start to flash what the study calls a “friendly” reminder.

Using the latest electronics, a Smart Turn Signal system would actually be simpler and less expensive than the current mechanical trip mechanism, according to Ponziani, a press release concluding that, “This breakthrough represents a perfect opportunity to significantly reduce multi-vehicle crash rates, reduce vehicle cost and make driving a lot more friendly and courteous across the U.S.”

 

If cops would just ticket people it would solve this. Same as the morons who drive with no lights on during a downpour....

 

Funny, i was just reading an article that was talking about those lane departure systems being linked to an increase in crashes. More technology isn't always the answer, will they ever learn?

 

Nope. As drivers become more in tune with all the gadgets in their car that have nothing to do with keeping the car on the road more technology will come out to keep it on the road. Because you know getting behind the wheel of a vehicle is so not important in comparison to everything else.

Safety innovations should be for human slip ups, not to encourage a driver to be lazy.

 

more technology = worse, more lazy drivers.

Too many people on the road already think driving is "easy" because we've built cars to be more and more safe to compensate for their lack of ability.
I don't think everyone on the road needs to have professional level skills, nor training, but people do need to be more aware of the fact that driving isn't easy and should take the majority of their focus.
One of the best tips i got from my father teaching me to drive was that nothing, should ever be a surprise when you are behind the wheel of a car. you speed, your position, everyone around you, their speed, their position, the retard stepping out into traffic, the dog, chasing the kid into the road, the biker who can't stay straight, the traffic signals, etc etc etc. You should be aware of every detail, at all times. Far too often, people get surprised when they happen to glance up and see someone else on the road.

 

My girl and I were driving on 275 for about 10 minutes behind a guy who had his turn signal on and I said, "I'm going to patent a new feature for cars, if a turn signal is left on for longer than 30 seconds, it cuts all power to the car." My idea was slightly more radical, but damn those people piss me off.

 

I don't use my turn signal to change lanes because it gives information to the enemy. Deal with it.

 

When I change lanes, I give other drivers plenty of room and the signal is probably
irrelevant to that other driver.

Psychologically, a blinking signal indicates a faster car, even if you are passing
cars that are under the speed limit. Some people don't enjoy the unwanted attention
of cops who only "saw" someone pass, but did not clock anyone......and now with no
evidence of wrong doing, they want to discuss it.-Bob

 

I'm all about more technology for safety in cars but this just sounds annoying.

 

nice technology introduced for the careless car drivers as it will help a lot to crazy drivers to pay attention while driving their cars