Modern vehicles are a delight to drive.

They come with all the conveniences, tons of safety features, and are far more comfortable than walking to the damn store in the rain.

One of the unique features a car comes with is something called a “turn signal”. This marvel of automotive design is often overlooked by the vast majority of drivers in the Spokane, Washington area, so I thought I’d jot down a few notes on it’s use for you.

There is a lever located on the left hand side of the steering wheel (photo A). Pressing this lever down will activate the turn signal on the left hand side of the car. Pressing the lever up will activate the signals on the right hand side of the car.

Photo A

You do this procedure when you would like to turn your car either right or left. It signals the other vehicles that you are about to change the direction of the 2 tons of metal you’re hurling down the road in. This gives them a chance to know your intentions and a chance to not attempt to fuse their vehicle into the side of yours.

A note: While using your turn signal is the appropriate way to show intent and a polite thing to do, using it excessively is not better. Driving down the road with your turn signal blinking for 4 miles doesn’t show intent, only your intelligence (which gets lower with each revolution of your tires). If you find that you have turned a corner and your turn signal is still blinking (as indicated by the dash lights), simply move the lever into the center position to cancel it.

I hope you’ve found this public service announcement helpful. Next time, we’ll talk about what those little footy things under the dash on the drivers side, what they’re for, and when to press them.