alt Hacker NewsIts a matter of approach and I wouldn't say what I've found to work for me would work for anyone else.
In my experience, I'm best served by trying to reinforce awareness rather than relying on it. If I got into the habit of always using blinkers regardless of my surroundings I would end up paying less attention while driving.
I rode motorcycles for years and got very much into the habit of assuming that no one on the road actually knows I'm there, whether I'm on an old parallel twin or driving a 20' long truck. I need that for us while driving and using blinkers or my brights as motivation for paying attention works to keep me focused on the road.
Signaling my turns is zero cost with regards to that action. At least for me, signaling as a matter of habit comes at the cost of focus.
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This is all fine and good until you accidentally kill someone with your blinkers off and then you have to wonder 'what if' the rest of your life.
Seriously: signal your turns and stop defending the indefensible, this is just silly.
> Signaling my turns is zero cost with regards to that action. At least for me, signaling as a matter of habit comes at the cost of focus.
What do you mean by "comes at the cost of focus", there? Do you mean you are more distracted by having to use your indicators?
Maybe you're just not a very good driver, if you're so distracted by the basic controls of the vehicle.
The point of making signaling a habit is that you don't think about it at all. It becomes an automatic action that just happens, without affecting your focus.
I have also ridden motorcycles for many years, and I am very familiar with the assumption that nobody on the road knows I exist. I still signal, all the time, every time, because it is a habit which requires no thinking. It would distract me more if I had to decide whether signalling was necessary in each case.