The little lever beside the steering wheel does the same job everywhere. But knowing exactly when to flick it can depend on where you drive.
In South Korea, the rules are based on distance. Drivers must activate their turn signals at least 30 meters before turning or changing lanes on regular roads and 100 meters on expressways.
California requires drivers to signal at least 100 feet (about 30.5 meters) before turning, roughly the same distance as South Korea's regular-road requirement.
For freeways, however, California's driver handbook advises signaling at least five seconds in advance, rather than setting a fixed distance.
Pennsylvania, meanwhile, bases its signaling requirements on driving speed. Drivers traveling below 35 miles per hour must signal for at least 100 feet before turning, while those traveling at 35 mph or faster must signal for at least 300 feet, or about 91 meters.
Unlike South Korea's distance-based rules, some U.S. states rely on time or speed, but the principle is the same: signal before making your move.
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