PATTAYA, Thailand –Many drivers leaving side streets, gas stations, condominium entrances, shopping centers, or parking lots believe they should activate the turn signal opposite to the direction they intend to travel. For example, a driver turning left onto a main road may switch on the right indicator, believing it alerts approaching traffic that a vehicle is about to enter the roadway.
Traffic safety experts say this is one of the most common misunderstandings surrounding turn-signal use. The purpose of a turn signal is simple: it tells other road users where a vehicle intends to go. If a vehicle is turning left, the left indicator should be used. If a vehicle is turning right, the right indicator should be used. Using the opposite signal can create confusion for drivers, motorcyclists, cyclists, and pedestrians attempting to predict a vehicle’s next move.
A common example occurs when a vehicle exits a side street on the left side of a main road and intends to turn left into traffic. Some drivers activate the right signal because approaching vehicles are coming from the right. However, other road users may interpret the signal as an intention to turn right, cross traffic, or move in a completely different direction. Safety specialists warn that incorrect signaling can increase the risk of side-impact collisions and near-misses, particularly involving motorcycles, which often travel close to the edge of the roadway. Conflicting signals force other road users to guess a driver’s intentions, reducing the predictability that turn signals are designed to provide.
The same principle applies when leaving petrol stations, shopping centers, housing estates, hotels, restaurants, and private driveways. Drivers should always indicate the actual direction of travel rather than attempting to create a special message for traffic on the main road. Equally important, a turn signal does not automatically grant a driver the right of way. Vehicles already travelling on the roadway generally have priority, and drivers entering from side roads or private property must wait until it is safe to proceed.
Traffic experts also advise against using hazard lights in place of turn signals. Because hazard lights flash both indicators simultaneously, they do not clearly communicate a driver’s intended direction and may create additional confusion. The safest rule is also the simplest: signal where you are going, not where the traffic is coming from. Clear, predictable signaling helps everyone on the road make better decisions and reduces the risk of unnecessary accidents.
