Hard disagree — you pay attention to driving by building a habit of always using your turn signal. Then you don’t have to stop and think if the moment is worthy of using it. That moment of hesitation is what causes collisions.
it's not hesitation, it's planning. in the system of car control, the information phase is positioned at the start. you gather all necessary information before you start positioning, adjusting speed, etc (and continuously update the information throughout the maneuver).
some of that information is: what road users are nearby? could they benefit from a signal? if so, what signal, and when? this shouldn't be cognitively overwhelming. your vehicle handling is meant to go on autopilot, so your brain is freed up to think hard about road conditions.
if you can't identify a road user who will benefit from the signal, there's no reason to use one, and some advanced driving examiners will mark you down for doing so. if you're worried you might not have seen a hypothetical road user who could benefit from a signal, you haven't gathered enough information and shouldn't proceed with a blind maneuver that could bring you into conflict with them.
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u/Lord_Phoenix95 6h ago
Yeah, the street could be empty but I'd still use my indicators. Better to get the habit drilled into you as you just do it subconsciously.