use your blinker

I have now been driving for over 34 years. When I first learned how to drive (last century), I studied from the book, took drivers ed., practiced driving with my parents (first my dad, then my mom when I couldn't quite master the art of the clutch), and then took the test (okay, more than once - and I got a much better score on both the written and the practical the second time).
On the written test, and in the rules of the road booklet from which I gathered all my driving knowledge, there were many entries about how and when to use the turn signal (whose technical name shall heretofore be "the blinker"), what to do if the blinker was not working (the alternate hand signals), distances from intersections and corner from which you should signal and so on.
I learned how to use my blinker from the very start and have tried to consistently use it whenever I change lanes, am turning and basically any time I want the people behind me (and sometimes in front of me) to know what I am going to do. I suppose you could say, I am communicating, in the most basic fashion, my intent so that others around me know what to expect and what action they may take in response (if an action is necessary).

Today, in my opinion, there is a decided lack of use of the blinker. The lack is felt not only around the neighborhood, where a driving neighbor could possibly be forgiven for rolling through the stop sign and not signaling their right hand turn. It is not only missing from some of driving around the town, where everyone is comfortable with the same kind of relaxed attitude around the Dairy Queen. Blinker use is lacking everywhere. In my daily commute, I would estimate that 50% or less of the commuters between the entrance ramp onto the highway and the exit ramp fifteen miles later use their blinker. There is such a lack of blinkering that I have often wondered if it is still a part of the drivers test. Maybe, maybe not but I think I figured out a couple of the reasons why people don't use their blinker.

To whit:
Everyone has two or less hands to drive with. One of the hands needs to be on the wheel at all times (ideally). The other hand could either be on the wheel (where it should also be) or occasionally moving the blinker up or down to signal a right or left hand turn. On many occasions in these modern times, the second hand is otherwise occupied and cannot be used to signal. Hand occupying activities while driving have been documented and are, in increasing astonishment, the following: changing the radio station, holding a cigarette, holding a cell phone next to the ear (which sometimes leads the driver to use the hand on the wheel to gesture, leaving no hands for the wheel OR the blinker), reaching into the back of the car to discipline a child, turning the page of a book the driver is reading, applying mascara and even shaving legs (one of which is on the dashboard).
I get that today's life is moving faster and that we need to multi-task whenever possible to stay current with everything we need to do. I'm not sure that multi-tasking has a place while you drive the car. Save multi-tasking for work, home, church.

When you drive somewhere, use both hands for driving and use your blinker. You might save yourself from being rear ended as you pull into the gym parking lot (because the car behind you saw your blinker and slowed down, giving you time to turn in). You will make every trucker on the road happier because they enjoy seeing people obey the law and keeping the roads safer for them. You will make your spouse and children happy because the little blinker, blinker, blinker sound is almost musical and kind of fun. You will make the policeman hidden behind the bush happy because he doesn't have to interrupt his day with a small law break and will be ready for the big one (he may even wave to you as you drive by).

So use you blinker, it's good for you and the rest of the world (the cumulative effect of everyone using their blinker might even create a greater world peace) and have a good one. KipK