Forgetting your turn signal is a relatively common offense. But it still exposes you to significant penalties. Find out which ones.
It has happened to us all not to put our turn signal. Often forgetting, sometimes laziness, thinking that no one will see you anyway. And then there are those that it’s a real mode of operation, and we’re sure you’ve got some people in mind at that point. Either way, forgetting your turn signal is one of the most common traffic violations. But just because everyone does it once in a while doesn’t mean you risk nothing by doing it too. Because in addition to being unpleasant for the person following you or that you meet and who would like to know where you are going, it can also be very dangerous. No one can guess your intentions, and failure to warn other road users of your lane change can create serious accidents. So many reasons that explain why the flashing is mandatory and its absence strongly verbalized by the police.
However, its use is clear and provided for in the Highway Code,article R412-10 stating that ” any driver who is about to make a change in the direction of his vehicle or to slow down its speed must warn other users of his intention, in particular when he is going to turn to the left, cross the road, or when, after a stop or parking, he wants to resume his place in the flow of traffic “. According to Road Safety, in 2017, 7% of accidents involved at least one vehicle making a dangerous overtaking that was not reported, which then represented no less than 6% of fatal accidents on the road. Hence the importance of this small, simple gesture, which 50% of French people admit forgetting to do from time to time. There is only one exception, in the case of the end of an overrun. According to the article R414-10, it is in fact not compulsory to put your turn signal on the right to signal that you are falling back after having passed another vehicle, since traffic on the right is in any case compulsory.
What are the sanctions
As you can see, forgetting the flashing light is a real violation of the Traffic Laws, which can be extremely dangerous for you and for others. Logical therefore that it is strongly sanctioned. If you do not activate your turn signal, whether to overtake, turn or exit your parking lot, you will therefore incur a fixed fine of € 35, as well as a loss of three points on your driver’s license. But that’s not all, because depending on the situation, you also expose yourself to an additional penalty of license suspension for a maximum period of three years, which can be modified depending on the situation. ” Any driver guilty of this last offense also incurs the additional penalty of suspension of the driving license for a period of three years at most, this suspension being able to be limited to driving outside professional activity ”.
Also read on Auto-Moto.com:
Traffic on the left lane: what rules?
Middle lane on the motorway: what does the law say?
Inconvenient, dangerous, abusive parking: what’s the difference?
Forgetting your turn signal is a relatively common offense. But it still exposes you to significant penalties. Find out which ones.
It has happened to us all not to put our turn signal. Often forgetting, sometimes laziness, thinking that no one will see you anyway. And then there are those that it’s a real mode of operation, and we’re sure you’ve got some people in mind at that point. Either way, forgetting your turn signal is one of the most common traffic violations. But just because everyone does it once in a while doesn’t mean you risk nothing by doing it too. Because in addition to being unpleasant for the person following you or that you meet and who would like to know where you are going, it can also be very dangerous. No one can guess your intentions, and failure to warn other road users of your lane change can create serious accidents. So many reasons that explain why the flashing is mandatory and its absence strongly verbalized by the police.
However, its use is clear and provided for in the Highway Code,article R412-10 stating that ” any driver who is about to make a change in the direction of his vehicle or to slow down its speed must warn other users of his intention, in particular when he is going to turn to the left, cross the road, or when, after a stop or parking, he wants to resume his place in the flow of traffic “. According to Road Safety, in 2017, 7% of accidents involved at least one vehicle making a dangerous overtaking that was not reported, which then represented no less than 6% of fatal accidents on the road. Hence the importance of this small, simple gesture, which 50% of French people admit forgetting to do from time to time. There is only one exception, in the case of the end of an overrun. According to the article R414-10, it is in fact not compulsory to put your turn signal on the right to signal that you are falling back after having passed another vehicle, since traffic on the right is in any case compulsory.
What are the sanctions
As you can see, forgetting the flashing light is a real violation of the Traffic Laws, which can be extremely dangerous for you and for others. Logical therefore that it is strongly sanctioned. If you do not activate your turn signal, whether to overtake, turn or exit your parking lot, you will therefore incur a fixed fine of € 35, as well as a loss of three points on your driver’s license. But that’s not all, because depending on the situation, you also expose yourself to an additional penalty of license suspension for a maximum period of three years, which can be modified depending on the situation. ” Any driver guilty of this last offense also incurs the additional penalty of suspension of the driving license for a period of three years at most, this suspension being able to be limited to driving outside professional activity ”.
Also read on Auto-Moto.com:
Traffic on the left lane: what rules?
Middle lane on the motorway: what does the law say?
Inconvenient, dangerous, abusive parking: what’s the difference?
