> The whole point of indication is to signal my intention to move, so that the car in my blind spot creates room for me to merge into their lane.
That is definitely not the point of a turning signal. The car that's already in the lane has right of way and it's your responsibility not to plow into them. If they opt to make room for you, great (that's just courteous driving), but it's not an obligation.
If you can't see the car in your blindspot when changing lanes, you're not doing a proper shoulder check, hence the blindspot warning.
> That is definitely not the point of a turning signal
Incorrect. The turning signal is called an Indicator, because it give other drivers an indication of your intentions. So you first look and check that it's possible and likely safe to merge. Then you indicate your intention. You then merge if/when safe.
Indicating an intention to merge into a narrow gap is fine - as long as you only merge when there is sufficient room to do so.
But if the car beeps at you just because you indicated - then there is a design issue.
> If they opt to make room for you, great (that's just courteous driving), but it's not an obligation.
Absolutely - I was not implying it was an obligation. I am only saying that you use your indication to indicate to other drivers your intention. It is totally valid to turn off your indicator and not merge after indicating.
That said, I still think it's a generally good feature. If a person is distracted and fails to see the vehicle in their blind spot during their inital shoulder check, that beep might prevent an accident.
On my vehicle that warning can be disabled, which I think is the right way to provide features like this. People who find it useful can leave it on and people who find it distracting can turn it off.
The one time I rented a car with this feature, it claimed there was a car in my blind spot when there was none. It seemed to be reacting to a car that I had already determined was clear of my path.
That is definitely not the point of a turning signal. The car that's already in the lane has right of way and it's your responsibility not to plow into them. If they opt to make room for you, great (that's just courteous driving), but it's not an obligation.
If you can't see the car in your blindspot when changing lanes, you're not doing a proper shoulder check, hence the blindspot warning.