Can you make pushbuttons for blinkers?

Ok, another of my wacky ideas, and you'll think I'm crazy....but I was just curious.  I would like to add 2 buttons to the gear shifter that would mimick using the directional.  (I have an automatic Integra).  In other words, just 2 buttons (left and right) that would (when you hold them in) make the turn signals blink as if you pushed up or down on the directional arm.

Reasoning:  I think this would be cool because I normally drive with my hand on the gear-shift (even though I have an AT), and I think this would be easy for those quick lane changes.  Can I just hook up a button (like a valet button), that would make the blinkers blink while I'm holding in the button?

THANKS!!!!!

Wow mamma....so I'm not really that crazy after all. 

What kind of switch would I need that I wouldn't need a relay?  In other words, what buttons could I buy to prevent me from having to use relays?

Do you know how to wire this?  Is this correct?

• BUTTON:       Side 1----> ground,           Side 2------> X on flasher
• FLASHER:     X----->Side 2 of button & to blinker wire?,     L------->ground

Just not sure how you would incorporate it to the flasher wire.  Are there two flasher wires?....one for left and one for right?

The switch would need to handle the current. Its safer with relays, if the wires from the switch get shorted then the lights would just flash. If you use the switch method, when the wires get shorted then the stock fuse will blow.

Remember the factory turn signal switch just completes the path for the left or right signal bulbs to the flasher. When the flasher senses the bulbs (ground potential from bulbs since the other side of bulb is grounded) it starts to flash and sends +12 volts back to the bulbs. So the signal the relay receives from the bulbs may be negative on the wire, but when the flasher energizes, it sends a positive signal back to the bulbs.

Ok, 1992 Honda Accord uses the same switch setup as the Acuras I mentioned. The switch may physically be different?,  but the pin#'s are the same.

Thanks for all of the replies.  It would have been cool not to have to use the relays (since I'm using so many already).  Would you be able to show how they get hooked up?   I posted the page from the Helm's manual for my '92 Integra, so hopefully this will help.  I"m just not sure how to connect pin#1 and pin #2 OR pin#1 and pin#3....and I"m not sure where the flasher comes into play?  Or, do I not need a flasher?

http://www.angelfire.com/nj4/cpgoose/hazard.html

This should clear things up. If you easy access to the hazard switch then use relays to connect pin#1 to #2 for left or #3 for right. If getting the wires (colors might be or are different) from steering wheel column, then connect pin# 13 to #12 for left or #14 for right. Your switch on the shifter would just need to energize the relays which will complete the circuit between the flasher relay and light bulbs.