Comments on: Wrong: Brake lights

By: Lindy

Lindy — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:49:31 +0000

Adrian – thank you for clearing that up for me! A “turn signal” what the…?! It’s an indicator to indicate your intent to move. Turn signal made me think you meant hazard warnings! (I’m afraid to ask what you call them…)

Lindy, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:18:16 +0000

Very amusing. I came across this while trying to find out what Americans call indicators, the nearest I’ve found is “turn signal lights”.

By: PB

PB — Wed, 27 May 2009 06:56:02 +0000

It is amazing how local some people’s perspectives are. The author is right in that there is no national mandate for any kind of vehicle inspection in the U.S. As a result, like so many things, the state of inspections varies a great deal from state to state (i.e. California, New Jersey, and Virgina have state inspections; New Mexico and Washington do not). There is nothing new about red turn signal lights in the U.S. (a 1969 VW Beetle manufactured for the U.S. market has red turn signal lenses), both amber and red are permitted (this craziness of people having white turn signal lights is probably illegal in most states). I am not sure that the author isn’t joshing a bit as it has been more than a decade that new cars have been required to have a middle brake light.

By: BC

BC — Fri, 15 May 2009 15:32:12 +0000

thus the reason for keeping 1 car length for each 10 mph behind the vehicle in front of you and keeping your eyes on the road and traffic, what annoys me is peole who think that 3 or 4 car lengths between me and the vehicle ahead of me is an opportunity to cut in, and worse, people behind me who change lanes to pass me ‘AFTER’ I have put on my turn signal to change lanes. I try to be courteous to others on the road, letting someone into or out of traffic ahead of me, keeping distance, etc. because I appreciate when others are likewise considerate. Most of the time the idiots cutting in front of me to get that 1 car length closer to where they’re going, speeding through traffic, only accomplish one thing, beating me to the next redlight,

By: James

James — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:30:36 +0000

My personal pet peeve (only slightly related to this post) is with how these turn signals are typically used here in America:

As someone above commented, many people don’t use them at all. This usually leaves me talking to them (as if they could hear me with all my windows up), “Too bad your shiny new car has broken turn signals…idiot”.

But I what I find especially interesting (ok, frustrating) about turn signal behavior is this:

When they actually get used, drivers do it more out of ritual than for the intended purpose, which is to inform nearby drivers they are about to make a lane change or turn off the current road.

So here is the part that truly bewilders me: many people do this *after* they’ve already started making the lane change, or *while* they are turning off the current road.

This defeats the intended purpose of the darn thing. Letting me know you’re turning or changing lanes *before* you actually do it allows me to adjust my speed and/or course appropriately. Doing it *during* or *after* you’ve begun this maneuver is obviously useless (and leads to accidents with–or because of–these morons), so why do it at all?

Hmmm…come to think of it, I think the reason why some people don’t bother is that by the time their tiny little conscious brains (currently overloaded by driving (badly), not watching the road, listening to the radio, texting on their cell phone, and fattening themselves up with a McDonald’s Super-Calorie-Size burger, fries, and fatshake) realize they’re coming up to where they want to make such a maneuver, their self-important (me, Me, ME!) subconscious little brains have already steered the car.

Idiots.

By: Jo

Jo — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 22:32:42 +0000

As others have mentioned, some US states do have inspection laws. I live in New York and for the most part on the major express and parkways, yes most adhere to the inspection. Get further into the actual cities, towns, villages, etc. and you will definitely see many autos that not only couldn’t pass an inspection, but are freakishly continuing to be operable! Just looking at some autos one has to wonder why they don’t get a citation – is law enforcement blind or simply not care? In my residential area, it is not uncommon for the police to drive down the streets looking for expired inspection stickers.

Nonetheless, the key issue when driving is if you see the red lights come on, flicker, whatever…take note and slow down!

By: Sandra Dodd

Sandra Dodd — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 01:23:37 +0000

New Mexico used to have vehicle inspections, when I was younger. We would go into a filling station and a guy would come out, see that the windshield wipers worked, the windshield wasn’t cracked, the headlights worked (high beams and low), that the turn signals and brake lights worked. He would himself test the brakes usually. Then they’d put a see-through sticker the shape of the outline of the state in the corner of the front windshield.

Now we have to have our cars tested for emissions in Albuquerque Bernalillo County, rather), but I don’t think it’s required in the rest of the state.

By: Cathy

Cathy — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 12:43:46 +0000

I agree with Chris in that the amber/red, brake/turn signal thing probably will confuse drivers not familiar with American craziness. My favorite gripe (2 actually) are drivers of stick shifts who use thier clutch to slow down, thus no brake lights show and you almost plough into them. My next favorite gripe is that, despite its not-to-be-missed location on the steering column, lots of people don’t bother to use their turn signals, requiring a certain degree of clairvoyance on the part of fellow travellers.

By: Alex

Alex — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 23:37:50 +0000

By: Marian

Marian — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:10:59 +0000

The book arrived from Amazon this morning, and I look forward to more laughter to share with ears of all and sundry.
Love Granny