By Chris Cosci

Thanks to technology, new features are appearing in our cars and trucks that help make driving safer, more comfortable and more enjoyable. But with all of these modern, space-age features battling for attention, drivers are forgetting about some of the old school features - like the turn signal.

The concept of the turn signal is remarkably simple: by merely moving the appropriate handle, the driver operates a set of blinking lights indicating that he or she will be making a turn or changing lanes. This lets others know the driver's intentions and eliminates the need for guesswork. It's amazing!

But for some reason, an increasing number of drivers refuse to take advantage of this wonderful device. Maybe people don't realize how beneficial the turn signal is. Let's say you're driving along and you suddenly remember you have to make a right turn. Flipping on your turn signal will let the person behind you know why you are suddenly screeching in front of them to a near-halt.

Without the turn signal, the driver behind you will think you're some sort of reckless, insensitive clod who doesn't know how to drive. Using your turn signal will let the driver know that you're a responsible, respectful clod who doesn't know how to drive.

The turn signal also helps soothe drivers with road rage. If you're changing lanes in traffic and you cut somebody off, using your turn signal may mean the difference between simply annoying that person and having that person follow you to your destination to beat you to a bloody pulp.

Of course, like any technology, there are downsides to the turn signal. For example, not using it will deny you the pleasure of hearing all those soothing car horns that people love to use. And if you're turning off a busy road, you won't get as much attention from drivers behind you shouting out comments about how wonderful your driving is.

But in the long run, the positive aspects strongly outweigh the negative aspects - especially for the people around you. That's why I think we need to make a minor adjustment to the turn signal that will encourage people to use it more often. My idea is based on the popular theory of shock therapy.

You start by connecting the turn signal to a small unit that generates electricity while the turn signal is off. The unit is then connected to the steering wheel to determine how far the wheel is turned. If it's turned past a specified degree while the turn signal is off, the unit sends electricity through a series of wires strung through the steering wheel and ZAP - the driver would receive a quick, sharp electric shock.

I'm not talking about a lethal dosage - just enough to jolt the driver into remembering to use the turn signal. This system may need a little fine tuning, but I think it could work. Of course, we can't forget about people with pacemakers or other devices that might be affected by this. We could always develop alternatives where the unit squirts ink on the driver or emits a quick burst of flame.

But all of this could be avoided if we just used our turn signals more often. Maybe we could start a campaign to raise turn signal awareness and develop treatment centers for people who don't use them. They could form discussion groups and hold regular meetings. And once we have them all in one place, we can finally carry out our plan to create a utopian, turn-signal-using society.