No turn signal on reverse

[meowsers]

I’m trying to think of a situation that you would want to have the turn signal on while in reverse. What kind of maneuver are you performing that requires this?

I think you’ll find this is an American thing (not signalling etc while parallel parking/ parking in general) I learned to drive in the US and have lived in Australia and Europe. US drivers are by far the least educated wrt proper driving etiquette.

Your turn signal indicates that you’ve “claimed” a parking spot so to speak, and is used also while reversing into a parallel parking spot particularly if you are coming to a stop in busy traffic so people don’t come right up behind you and keep you from reversing in.

It can also be used in the same situation for example in a shopping mall, by indicating even if someone hasn’t pulled out of the particular spot — you can “reserve” their spot.

 

[DopeGhoti]

I always wonder what a person is doing in a parking lot when their turn signals are on.

Are they turning backwards. Are they turning forwards.

The safe presumption you should be able to make is that they are intending to move the car in the direction of the flashing lights.

 

[Garlan Garner]

The safe presumption you should be able to make is that they are intending to move the car in the direction of the flashing lights.

Forward? Backward?

or sideways?

 

[DopeGhoti]

Forward? Backward?

or sideways?

Well, let's think about this rationally:

Forward of backwards? Well, are the car's reversing lights also on? Is there only one direction in which the car can travel?

Sideways? I don't think there are many Teslas equipped with such four-wheel steering modifications as that would require, so it's probably safe to discount that possibility.

Cars for essentially as long as folks alive today can remember have these lights on them that, shockingly, attempt to indicate, or signal, how the car is going to behave.

Brightly lit red lights on the rear of the car indicate that the car is currently either slowing down, or holding its currently stopped position.

White lights on the rear of the car indicate the car is poised to move in that direction.

Flashing lights on one side of the car indicate that the driver is signaling the intent to turn the car in that direction. In an uncharacteristically cogent move, the industry calls these flashing lights turning signals.