Communication is Key

Communication is Key

There
are a multitude of actions we can all take as individuals and a
society to make driving safer and reduce car-related fatalities. The
one I want to talk about today, in particular, is proper use of turn
signals while driving. I don’t see many people highlight this
simple action, and I believe that it can and does go a long way in
making ourselves and others safer drivers – all with one flick of
the wrist! It helps keep our attention and intention on the road
ahead of us. We’re making a distinct intent on where we are going
next and that engages our senses and awareness, keeping us vigilant
and on the lookout of our surroundings. It also clearly broadcasts
our intention to those around us, allowing them to participate in
this increased readiness state.

Using
our turn signals ensures drivers around us begin modulating their
behavior in order to predict and take precautions of the future
outcomes. This works in both ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ driving
scenarios. In a safe scenario, when a driver in front of us begins
signaling their exit from the lane we’re in, it automatically tells
us that we likely may need to slow down in case they have to break
while attempting to change lanes. If they hadn’t, we remain unaware
until the moment they begin changing lanes, and if they should have
to suddenly slow down, we have a higher chance now of not slowing
down in time and creating an accident. In the unsafe scenario, we
face similar situations but with a higher likelihood of a crash. If
we are on a highway getting ready to signal into an open lane, we
give a lot of information to cars that may be coming down that lane.
Should someone be going unsafely over the speed limit in that lane,
although they are behaving illegally, we have now increased our
chances of preventing a crash significantly. They will now be aware
that we are attempting to change lanes, and it gives them a chance to
slow down, rather than continue barreling down the lane if we hadn’t
signaled at all while changing lanes.

It
is incredibly important that we not only use our signals but do so
appropriately. I often see people put their turn signal on in the
middle of their lane change or turn. While it’s great that they’ve
even thought of using it, it’s not much of a communication tool if
you’ve already initiated the action that you were supposed to be
communicating ahead of time! Remember to preplan and turn that
signal on around five seconds before you take any action. It gives
people around you time to adjust their driving as well as time for
you to double check your surroundings – keeping yourself and
everyone else all the safer! So again, among the numerous actions we
can all take to be safer drivers, I believe that more diligently and
effectively using our signals is one of the simpler, high return ways
of creating a safer road for all.

Safe signaling,

Chris