When should you activate your turn signal?

Activating your turn signal at least 100 feet before making a turn or changing lanes is crucial for ensuring safety on the road. This advance warning allows other drivers and pedestrians sufficient time to recognize your intentions and respond accordingly. It helps prevent potential accidents by giving everyone on the road the opportunity to adjust their actions based on your movements.

Using your turn signal well in advance is especially important for larger vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, which require longer stopping distances and have larger blind spots. By signaling early, you communicate with other road users about your next move, facilitating smoother traffic flow and reducing the likelihood of surprises that could lead to collisions.

In contrast, signaling at the exact moment of turning does not provide adequate warning to others, which can increase the risk of accidents. Waiting until other vehicles are present is also risky because it assumes that drivers are paying full attention and are aware of your maneuvers, which may not always be the case. Therefore, signaling early is the best practice to ensure safety for everyone on the road.