Flashing lights to get past someone

[TaviaRS]

They might notice them then as the shiney thing in most cars doesn't seem to work

[rob1sp]

What you need is a similar setup to Jimmy Bond's Aston Martin DB5 ie. couple of machine guns up front, spinning tyre deflator things on't wheels, ejector seat for gettin rid of annoying passengers, and rotating number plate to evade convictions/speed camera, and could also do a line in road tax avoidance too i dare say, oh and forgot about oil spill thing on back so that once you have passed the eejit driver u can give them something to wake them up a bit...

[Guest Fabia 12v]

What you need is a similar setup to Jimmy Bond's Aston Martin DB5 ie. couple of machine guns up front, spinning tyre deflator things on't wheels, ejector seat for gettin rid of annoying passengers, and rotating number plate to evade convictions/speed camera, and could also do a line in road tax avoidance too i dare say, oh and forgot about oil spill thing on back so that once you have passed the eejit driver u can give them something to wake them up a bit...

pikey mod 3??

[ColinD]

White car....flash flash flash flash....right indicator normally enough though, leaving a good gap so as not to intimidate them, but close enough to look for funky lcd panels on the back shelf.

[gallego1968]

I find it very rude, and the more they flash the less chance there is of me pulling over to let them by.

[ncarring]

Ah, but do you sit in the outside lane with nobody on your inside, Gallego?

Are you in Galicia btw?

[CupraR-Rog]

A friend of mine is learning to drive at the mo, and in one of the text books she's been given it says about the uses of flashing headlights, and how it's meant to be for a warning, but commonly used for an acknowledgement, or to let someone out of a gap, but not as a "move out of my way" command, but saying "I'm here" to the car infront, so they can react accordingly...

...who should then move back to the empty nearside lane!

The last time I hired a van I had some right idiots faffing around on the roads... middle lane hogs on hills who wouldn't pull over (and some that did after a flash!), but the worst was a driver of a Pug 307...

Sitting in a varying-speed outside lane in a line of traffic overtaking that which was in lanes 2 and 3, this 307 sits slightly off-centre in the lane, hugging the rear bumper of the van... the bumper wasn't that nice to hug, I assure you!! Anyway, he gets plenty of opportunity to see we're in a line of traffic...

...as he does the first 5 times he attempts to undertake in gaps in lane 2, never finding one big enough to get past me (hence why I didn't pull in, or the car infront of me, the car infront of that, the car infront of that, the car infront of that... you get the idea!)

So, this Pug 307 then switched his headlights on in an attempt to get me to pull in...

...why should I? I'm going the same speed as the car infront, which is going the same speed as the car infront of that, which is going the same speed as the car 32 places infront... ... ...

Every time I have to touch the brakes because of the car infront touching the brakes because of the car infront of that touching the brakes because of the car 50 places ahead slowed down to let a car pull out this guy almost hits the back of the van as he's travelling so close!!

This continues for a while, until the Pug 307 decides there IS a gap big enough in the middle lane! So he undertakes, and then pulls in...

...so close I have to floor the brakes so I don't hit his rear 1/4 panel!

So the car behind then hits the brakes

And the car behind that

And the car behind that...

...and I hear all the mirrors, computer, TV, cupboards, and everything else I was moving out of the friend's flat crashing around in the back of the van (damage did occurr!!)

The Pug gained... the length of a van!

My retalliation? Vivaro's have nice, high headlights that shine quite nicely through the rear screen of a 307 when on high beam!!

Funny thing is, a while later, the Pug tried doing the same to the next car! (yes, high beams were switched off by then!), but ends up slotting in back behind my van!!

So, for all that aggro, what did he actually gain???

Flashing your headlights at a middle / outside lane hog when the other lanes are empty is one thing, and in my view perfectly acceptable.

Flashing your lights to get the car infront in a queue to move over so you can gain a position is more stupid than letting a kitten play in a room full of dogs!

[RobClubley]

:iagree:

[neelyp]

The major problem is when you get the long line of traffic in the outside lane the one in front won't pull over - even when there is a gap, to allow others to pass. This could be because they may not get back into the outside lane or, more likely because the vast majority of drivers cannot stand the thought of someone getting there quicker.

Was there not a report quite recently which said if drivers all maintained proper lane discipline it would be the equivalent of an extra 700 miles of motorway.

[HotVRs]

I flash headlights when i get stuck behind someone for a long time who could move over. I find their behaviour to be either ignorant, self righteous, or just plain bad driving. I've in the past also sat behind with my hand on the horn too, after which much to their surprise they realised someone else happened to be driving on the M1.

The ones i don't understand are those who pull onto a motorway and then move into the middle lane when the inside lane is empty and then sit there for the whole journey. Maybe the lack of motorway lessons for most drivers is an issue.

However, if you hate hoggers do not even consider using the M60 or M56 near Manchester, lane use is totally random and has no bearing on speed, destination or the fact they are leaving the motorway 2 seconds later and they are currently in the 4th lane.

[Octygone]

The official line is you wait patienly for the other person to move over however long it takes :confused:

[Josh_PoloGTi]

I usually put my indicator on (as you do in Germany on the Autobahn, where flashing your headlights to get someone to move is illegal).

If they don't see the indicator, I give a quick flash, nothing agressive.

If they still don't move, I'll undertake.

[PJW -VRS]

I find the best course of action is ........

get along side of them ....... and then with

sign language get them to wind a window down

then chuck a hand grenade through the open window

and get the hell out of it pretty damn quick

[Shifty]

The only times that anyone has flashed me to move over, I am in a line of traffic similar to the man in the rental van, with nowhere to go. Just makes me mad.

I never flash anybody out of the way , I feel that it's aggressive and needless. If there is a lane hog on a virtually empty motorway, I would flash once from a safe distance behind, not up his ar53, then I too would undertake if I had two empty lanes to go at.

Flashing behind someone to move is a blatant act of aggression, and also a sign of impatience - and probably impotence too. Impatience kills.

[Shifty]

However, if you hate hoggers do not even consider using the M60 or M56 near Manchester, lane use is totally random and has no bearing on speed, destination or the fact they are leaving the motorway 2 seconds later and they are currently in the 4th lane.

Glad i'm not the only one who noticed. The stretch of the M56 at the A556 junction is possibly the worst part, where drivers, as you say, go from the outside lane over to the slip road after the 100yd marker board. I was always on the inside lane passing there in a 44 tonne truck, willing some X5, or ML to misjudge it and be a part of my fly collection on the front grill

[Mil]

I own the highway, and if nobody moves when I flash, I'll stick to their behinds so close they are forced to move. That will show them who's boss....

[Tom_vRS]

I ususally drive in the left most lane, and nomally at or slightly above the speed limit so if I get flashed, I regard it as agressive and would normally take appropriate action of pulling alongside a lorry and travelling at the same speed for say, 5 miles and then booting it so they get left behind. Then poining and laughing when I pull in!

If someone is actually overtaking, regardless of speed I wouldn't flash. However, if it was just a lane hog, then full beam ahoy!

[Mort]

I would flash once from a safe distance behind' date=' not up his ar53, then I too would undertake if I had two empty lanes to go at.

Flashing behind someone to move is a blatant act of aggression, and also a sign of impatience - and probably impotence too. Impatience kills.[/quote']

Undertaking, in my opinion, is far more impatient and aggressive than flashing them.

Remember, even in the highway code, flashing is to make someone aware that you're there, and undertaking shouldn't be done.

I'm not saying be right up their jacksie and flash and beep like mad. But I think it's safer to let them know you're there and want to pass than to go round them on the wrong side - in a lane that probably has slower moving traffic (and that fewer people expect cars to be passing on).

[Shifty]

Undertaking' date=' in my opinion, is [i']far more[/i] impatient and aggressive than flashing them.

Remember, even in the highway code, flashing is to make someone aware that you're there, and undertaking shouldn't be done.

I'm not saying be right up their jacksie and flash and beep like mad. But I think it's safer to let them know you're there and want to pass than to go round them on the wrong side - in a lane that probably has slower moving traffic (and that fewer people expect cars to be passing on).

I said if the inside two lanes were empty.......

[Dr Zoidberg]

I own the highway' date=' and if nobody moves when I flash, I'll stick to their behinds so close they are forced to move. That will show them who's boss....

[/quote']

When did you buy a BMW? :confused:

[Mort]

I said if the inside two lanes were empty.......

Fair enough, but thats still like saying "it's ok to do 120mph down the motorway if it's empty" - it's still wrong, and still dangerous.

[Shifty]

Fair enough, but thats still like saying "it's ok to do 120mph down the motorway if it's empty" - it's still wrong, and still dangerous.

I'll agree to differ with you.

[Mort]

agreed

[130bhp]

If they do it right up my ***, then they'll wait till I'm ready!!!!

[Chris GB]

Hi to All

Got to be clear on the issue here. If I am in a line of traffic all crawling along and I am making the maximum progress safely possible, I would object to being flashed. Everyone should just wait their turn to get home. Remember, more lane changes equals lower overall traffic flow.

However, if I were sitting in the outside lane at 65 or even 95 with no reason to be there (not overtaking, clear lanes to my left and sufficient gap to allow others to pass before my next overtake) I would be ashamed to be flashed. I really should know better and would consider myself a ****.

I find the best method of dealing with the outside lane **** is to identify them early. If you are coming down on them quite quickly, Get on full beam around 10 or 12 seconds before you get to them. They see you early and can see you are travelling faster than them, you are too far back for them to tell if you are a police car, so most often they just get out of the way.

Chris

PS best I have seen in a while: ambulance with lights and sirens on wideish urban road held up by car driver staying out wide for 200 yards. Car driver arrives at a point where the ambulance can pass on a righ turn lane in middle of road. Car moves right into lane further obstructing amulance (no signal of course). Mumbus (ML270) on school run. These people should be prosecuted.