Do I need to use turn signals when driving on a curve?
3 Answers
Turn signals are not required when driving on a curve. Situations where turn signals are necessary: 1. When changing lanes, turn signals should be used to alert vehicles behind. 2. When overtaking (according to regulations, overtaking must be done from the left, so first use the left turn signal, and when returning to the original lane after overtaking, use the right turn signal). 3. When making a U-turn, use the left turn signal to indicate to vehicles behind. 4. When exiting a roundabout (no signal is needed when entering, but use the right turn signal when exiting). 5. When entering or exiting main roads, ramps, or highways. 6. When pulling over to park, use the right turn signal; when leaving, use the left turn signal. 7. When spotting an available parking space in a parking lot.
I've been driving for decades and can share some experience on whether to use turn signals when driving on curves. Turn signals are mainly used to inform others that you're changing direction, such as turning or changing lanes. On regular curved roads where the path is fixed, there's no need for additional signaling. Using signals might actually mislead following vehicles into thinking you're turning off. However, there are special situations to note: if it's a long curve with divided lanes, use signals only when changing lanes; for large arcs like highway exits, always signal at least three seconds before changing lanes. When I was transporting goods on mountain roads, I once saw a novice driver mistakenly use signals, nearly causing a rear-end collision. The conclusion is: it's safer not to signal on regular curves, but always signal for lane changes. Developing good driving habits can reduce accident risks.
When I first got my driver's license, I also struggled with the issue of using turn signals on curves. The instructor said that turn signals are signaling tools to indicate driving intentions. During standard curve driving, the vehicle follows a fixed trajectory without changing direction, so using turn signals would be unnecessary and waste battery power. I remember at the driving school training ground, the instructor specifically demonstrated the S-curve exercise without touching the turn signal lever throughout. But back in driving school, some classmates got points deducted for randomly using turn signals in roundabouts—the examiner said it would cause ambiguity. Now that I drive myself, I understand that turn signals are only needed when changing lanes during a curve, such as when merging from three lanes to two, requiring advance signal activation. The same logic applies to large curves like highway on-ramps and off-ramps.
