

Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac would offer the turn signal option for an additional cost of $7.95 in the 1940s. Many companies would advertise it as an optional feature to add like how we would add a GPS navigator today. Other car manufacturers followed Buick after they added the self-canceling mechanism, including Cadillac, LaSalle and Hudson Country Club. And, then in 1939, Buick, the American car manufacturer, introduced turn signals as a standard feature for cars. It was not until the late 30’s that a man named Joseph Bell patented the first device that flashed. This is a huge portion of crashes compared to the estimated 950,000 crashes from distracted driving. As a direct result of this issue, they report over 2 million crashes.
#Auto turn signal drivers#
As trivial as the turn signal can be, compared to other larger car component such as brakes, the engine, or air bag, it’s a very important communication tool for drivers to indicate their intentions.Īccording to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), over 25% drivers neglect to use the turn signal when turning, and 48% ignore it when changing lanes. During this long minute, have you ever looked for a different car whose car signals blink at the same rate as yours? Or, ever wondered why it makes that tick tock sound that we are all so familiar with now? Starting a signal is something that drivers do every day.

Then, you have to wait for what feels like forever for the traffic light to allow you to turn. You move to the left most lane and ignite the left turn signal. You are driving down a street and you need to make a left turn.
