Irrational Driving Law

I recently learned about a law in Georgia that, to me, makes no sense and could quite possibly cause many accidents, some potentially fatal.

Apparently (according to a state trooper), if a driver is in a lane that is designated as a 'left-turn lane" (either with a left turn traffic light/arrow, or with painted arrows on the road surface), that driver does NOT have to use their turn signal. The trooper explained that it's "understood" that the vehicle is going to turn left, so the signal is unnecessary. WHAT??

Okay, if there's a left-turn traffic light/arrow at the intersection the vehicle is approaching, I can almost agree with the law; just about everyone around the vehicle, drivers as well as pedestrians, should be able to safely assume that the vehicle WILL turn left....at the intersection? Or, maybe they will turn before the intersection, into a driveway or parking lot. Then there's the matter of the vehicles and pedestrians who are traveling toward the vehicle & can't necessarily see whatever traffic light is facing the opposite direction. How do they know that/if the vehicle approaching them is going to turn left (in front of them) at the intersection?

The ONLY way they would know that for certain would be if the driver turns on the turn signal. The same applies to a pedestrian waiting to cross the street/intersection the vehicle is approaching. Personally, I have stood in the rain, waiting to cross a street as a vehicle is approaching, getting wet, only to have the vehicle turn before it reaches the place I was standing. In other words, I waited in the rain for no reason other than the fact that the driver of that vehicle didn't think it was worth their time to inform me of their intention to turn. How rude!!

In the case of the white arrows on the surface of a road/lane indicating it as a left-turn lane, it's even less clear to other drivers & pedestrians that the vehicle is going to turn left (unless they are ALL very familiar with that particular road, which might be the case in smaller towns, but in Athens, every year we have a brand new group of a few thousand people who are new to town [mostly called UGA students], and they are just learning their way around town, never mind which lanes have white arrows on them.)

In addition, most of the other drivers (in the traffic crossing that street/lane, or approaching it from the other side of the intersection) can NOT see those arrows and have no idea that the driver intends to turn left once they reach the intersection. Those painted arrows can fade/wear off over time, and they can be very difficult to see in the dark and/or rain, even if you are IN that lane.

WHY is it so "difficult" for so many drivers to refuse to use their turn signals? It is an important way to communicate with other drivers, pedestrians, & cyclists with regard to where you plan to go, a courtesy as well as a safety measure. I drive around for a living & I'm amazed at the indifference (putting it kindly) of the majority of drivers about using their turn signals. I have learned to watch the body language of drivers who are near me---glancing in thier mirror(s), looking to the side/next lane, speeding up or slowing down---to anticipate when & where they intend to change lanes, exit a highway, turn into a driveway, etc. I shouldn't have to do all of that since it detracts from MY ability to concentrate on my own vehicle's "situation." New drivers haven't yet learned how to pick up on those "unintended body language signals" from other drivers, and most pedestrians can't see them from where they're standing/walking.

I would be interested in learning how many vehicle accidents are caused by someone's failure to use their turn signal. How many caused fatalities? Using a turn signal is NOT a difficult thing to do; it's a flick of a finger, up or down. Can we PLEASE start to communicate with the other people around us, while we're hurtling around at 30 to 60 mph in machines that weigh thousands of pounds?

I don't understand why so many drivers just don't "get it", and why the police/Highway patrol don't enforce the law and, as far as I know, never pull a driver over for "failure to use turn signal". Maybe if they DID, more drivers would take this more seriously AND fewer accidents would occur.