This article was first provided to our media partners at the RTN. You can read new articles each week in your favourite English language newspaper, out every Friday…
One of the biggest annoyances of drivers in Spain is when other drivers fail to use their indicators. In Spain, failing to indicate is punishable by a 200 euro fine.
It is important to remember that indicators are there in order to “indicate” our intentions, and therefore must be used before any manoeuvre takes place, remember your driving school days, Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre. Indicating after you have started to slow down of change direction does not give sufficient warning. Equally, it must be remembered that they don´t give us priority over other road users.
We must indicate whenever we intend to deviate from our course or direction. In other words, if we are going to turn or change lanes for example. On a roundabout we must signal our intention to leave the roundabout immediately after passing the exit before ours.
Pulling out from a parking spot or changing lanes can allow other drivers to assess if they are able to safely alter their course, although caution must still be exercised.
Overtaking is one of the most dangerous manoeuvres we can do, especially when the move involves invading the opposing lane. It is important to indicate our intentions to warn other road users who might be considering doing the same thing, especially more vulnerable road users such as motorbikes.
Turning into or out of a minor road must always be indicated, whether left or right, in order to also advise other road users, including those we may not have seen, such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Remember though, always indicate first and always remember that indicating does not give us a right to move, or change our priority on the road, it simply indicates our intentions to other road users.
