Car manufacturers Ford have bowed to mounting pressure and finally agreed to make indicators an optional extra on all cars produced for the UK market from 1st September this year.
While this might upset a lot of drivers, research indicates that more and more people are reluctant to pay for what they consider to be an unnecessary 'extra' on a car.
Surprisingly, it's not the younger generation who are most vociferous, although one young man who had just passed his test said, "Who needs 'em? You only need to learn that shit to pass the test and then you don't have to use them any more innit?"
Older drivers have a more realistic attitude. One said, "Why should we be expected to pay for gadgets we don't use? If you don't want air con, you don't buy air con. The same should apply to indicators."
When it was suggested to him that using an indicator might be helpful, he replied, "I know which way I'm going. I don't need to turn on an indicator to tell me. Do you think I'm stupid or something?"
Over the years, 'gadgets' that were once considered luxuries, such as electric windows and rear screen heaters, have become the norm on even the most basic cars. Although Ford have agreed to produce cars without indicators they fear it could be the first step back in the other direction.
Nevertheless their main rivals will no doubt be eagerly watching sales when the new '57' registration cars appear in September.
