Communicating your intentions early prevents collisions. Other road users cannot read your mind, only your signals.
- Signal in good time before turning or changing lanes, so drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians can react.
- Mirrors are not enough: always shoulder-check your blind spot before moving into another lane.
- The sequence: signal, check mirrors, check the blind spot, move, then cancel the signal.
- Turning: from the correct lane, left turns from the lane nearest the centre line, right turns from the lane nearest the curb, and into the matching lane.
- Lane discipline: keep right except to pass; slower traffic stays in the right-hand lane.
Common mistake: relying only on mirrors before changing lanes. Every vehicle has a blind spot the mirrors do not cover. A shoulder check is the only way to clear it.
⚠️ Trap: Signalling does not give you the right to change lanes. You must still wait for a safe gap; the signal requests space, it does not command it.
Recall: What are the steps of a safe lane change, in order? Why is a mirror check alone not enough?