# 12 Second Lane Change Rule?



## sop (Dec 21, 2011)

Is this 12 second lane change rule really successful?

1st 4 seconds - Look in your mirrors.

2nd 4 seconds - Turn on your turning signal and check the lane you wish to enter.

3rd 4 seconds - When clear, change lanes and turn you signal off.


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## FourLoko (Dec 21, 2011)

Never heard of it, sounds like a long time though. Around here it's more like:

1st 4 seconds - Check mirror, see it's clear, signal on, hope it's really clear.

2nd 4 Seconds - BONE OUT!!!


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## shfd739 (Dec 21, 2011)

12 second lane changes...Im gonna keep quiet on this one.


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## Joe (Dec 21, 2011)

its not rocket science. look in mirror, signal, change lanes... taking longer than 4 or so seconds really pisses people off. c'mon man its driving. just do your thing


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## JPINFV (Dec 21, 2011)

Never heard it, and it sounds more like a guide for people who have no actual ability to drive, like the "stop for 3 seconds at a stop sign or it doesn't count" BS. You should already be monitoring your mirrors, so you should already have an idea if someone is over there or not. With that in mind.

Turn signal on as soon as you decide it's time to merge*
Check blind spot mirror.
Check regular mirror.
If both are clear, merge.
If one of them isn't clear, wait for lane to clear, then merge.

*Note: People who turn on their turn signal a split second before merging have no clue how a signal works.


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## Joe (Dec 21, 2011)

JPINFV said:


> Never heard it, and it sounds more like a guide for people who have no actual ability to drive, like the "stop for 3 seconds at a stop sign or it doesn't count" BS. You should already be monitoring your mirrors, so you should already have an idea if someone is over there or not. With that in mind.
> 
> Turn signal on as soon as you decide it's time to merge*
> Check blind spot mirror.
> ...



ha! or the person who signals halfway between lanes! i think there just doing it so the road safety program will record that they signaled


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## FourLoko (Dec 21, 2011)

Joe said:


> ha! or the person who signals halfway between lanes! i think there just doing it so the road safety program will record that they signaled



Or the idiot (non-ambulance) that cuts me off from two lanes over, then pulls into the left turn lane I wanted to be in, has only the slightest remnant of a single brake light on their hoopty Mercedes and THEN this :censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: flicks the turn signal on as the light is turning yellow to red and she makes the left.

AMAZING! WHY BOTHER!?!?!


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## mycrofft (Dec 21, 2011)

*Yeah 12 seconds works.*

Especially returning with a pt on board.
If you make something like this your "habit and practice" as they say on the witness stand, it will help protect you and make any potential legal defenses easier.
However, watch out for exceptions. And remember if you overshoot, you can always go back using a legal method.


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## sop (Dec 22, 2011)

I rest my case


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## firetender (Dec 22, 2011)

In my book, behind the wheel while responding to an emergency TWELVE seconds is a lot of time to work with. So much so that you shouldn't limit yourself to the awarenesses spoken of; for example, how about double-checking blind spots?


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