Say Goodbye to Pet Peeve #10

Does the sight of a blinker flashing on the car in front of you for miles and miles drive you crazy? You’re not the only one.

This annoying habit is so frustrating to drivers that it made the “Top 10 Driving Pet Peeves” list by a leading vehicle insurance company, which surveyed thousands of drivers nationwide. Nicknamed Morse Coders in the survey, these drivers often cruise for miles without realizing their blinker is on. Meanwhile, they are annoying everyone behind them.

Most annoying driving habits:

1. Distracted drivers talking on cell phones (28.5 percent)

2. Slow drivers in the fast lane (21.6 percent)

3. Pushy drivers who tailgate (18.1 percent)

4. Drivers who weave through traffic to gain one or two car lengths (12.5 percent)

5. Obnoxious drivers who speed up to keep you from changing lanes (5.5 percent)

6. Hasty drivers who change lanes without signaling (4.9 percent)

7. Road Rage (2.7 percent)

8. Motorcyclists who race down the middle of a lane, between cars (2.1 percent)

9. Women applying makeup and men shaving (1.7 percent)

10. Drivers who leave their turn signal on for miles (0.92 percent)

Source: Hagerty Insurance

Coming this summer on the 2011 Ford Fiesta
Ford’s three-blink lane change technology is simplifying the way drivers maneuver on the road. With a simple flick of the switch – either up or down, depending on which lane the driver is moving into – the turn indicator will blink three times and automatically shut off. The switch can be held in the lane change position longer for additional blinks beyond the three minimum.

To engage the turn signal, drivers move the switch into the standard position, one more press past the lane change mode.

For motorists who drive behind the Morse Coders, this is welcome news: “Driving behind a car that’s blink, blink, blinking is enough of a driver annoyance that we’re putting the technology in our full Ford line going forward,” said Murphy. “Customers say this is confusing – and it bugs them. So we’re doing something about it.”

Going on sale in the summer of 2010, the all-new Ford Fiesta is among the first vehicles in the Ford lineup to receive the new three-blink technology. The “annoyance avoidance” feature is yet another technology going into the expressive, fun-to-drive Fiesta that makes perfect sense.

With a projected best-in-class highway fuel economy of 40 mpg, Fiesta is designed to be versatile, personal and adaptable. In fact, Fiesta is expected to deliver best-in-class safety, convenience and connectivity with segment-exclusive SYNC® voice-activated communications system, an expressive color palette and available graphics.

The 2011 Ford Super Duty is also set to receive the three-blink turn signal technology when it goes on sale in 2010.

Quotes
“Most drivers have found themselves behind cars that have their signals on after changing lanes. This can be confusing because there is no way of knowing if the signal is a real indication of an upcoming turn or not. To reduce this confusion, drivers want vehicles to automatically disengage the turn signal after making a lane change.”
– Jim Thomas, Senior Vice President of RDA Group

“This allows the driver to let go of the switch and concentrate on driving. Instead of holding down the switch, they can give a quick tap, show a three-blink warning that they are about to merge and change lanes. It’s that simple.”
– John Murphy, Ford Core Switch Product Engineer