I made the classic mistake yesterday. Came up to a T junction with a give way sign wanting to turn left. Stream of cars coming from my right so resigned to a longish wait. About the fifth car in the stream flashed his headlamps so I thought "What a kind gentleman, he's letting me out". You've all guessed the rest; he was of course flashing his lights in greeting to a friend coming the other way. I moved out, fortunately there was nothing more than curses and rude gestures from him. Perhaps it really is time we all obeyed the rules about headlamp flashing!

Always a tricky one, especially when there's a car wanting to turn right from the main road and you're sitting in the side street, looking right and waiting for a gap, so don't see the car about to turn from your left in front of you.

People do very kindly flash, then get very cross when you wait to see if they are reducing speed and ascertain who they are slowing down for, i.e. you, pedestrians, oncoming (to them) traffic etc.

I prefer to use a directional handwave whilst looking directly towards the recipient, although one must not wave people on, because they might assume there is a clear road and not make proper observations of other traffic conditions relevant to them.

Any such signal should be used and interpreted with extreme caution - and I don't care if that makes me a typically hesitant woman driver LOL.

As for flashing/beeping re friends, that comes under the caution heading, subheading: refer to dipsticks.

Just my opinion and glad you all OK.

Mo

I was always taught that a flash of the headlights means " Caution, I'm here" & I think that's what's stated in the Highway Code.

Never use it to let anybody out of a junction etc. I use the hand wave gesture.

Any such signal should be used and interpreted with extreme caution - and I don't care if that makes me a typically hesitant woman driver LOL.

I don't think that this has anything to do with gender. I almost never trust people's waves/flashes/indicators until I've seen a vector change to confim what may or may not be being indicated.

Barney

I thought you flashed to

a) let someone out (of a side road or other awkward maneuver), which in turn is gratefully acknowledged by a wave

let someone through a tight section or thank them for the above (although after dark, it's much nicer to turn your headlights off and then on again, as the flash will be blinding)

c) blind cats as they creep around your idling car.

The result is that the horn is to be used in greeting!

I thought you flashed to... The result is that the horn is to be used in greeting!

(extracted) and very selectively, re:

It's just that I had to stop this morning because a squirrel did, so I beeped and flashed it. I had an oncoming car so couldn't go around the squirrel.

The car behind overtook me, missed the squirrel and just missed the oncoming car, which screeched, and the squirrel ran away.

I believe the rules are that you are meant to run over an animal if to brake might cause danger to human life. I'm sure there are rules also about not overtaking into the face of oncoming traffic.

The moral? Must teach squirrels to read the Highway Code - oh yes, and maybe humans should read it as well.

Mo

Hi

The erosion of proper use of the headlights has been going on for years. Back in the 1980s when i first got involved in advanced driving (doing the Roadcraft drive), I had an incident that made me think twice about use of headlights.

I was coming along an almost deserted dual carriageway at considerable speed (24v Senator at 9/10ths cruise) and gave the appropriate 4 second main beam warning to a solitary car in that was travelling in the left lane (did not want to scare the cr*p out of him by passing at 70mph faster than he was going un-announced). So ingrained was the guys behaviour that flashed lights were a courtesy signal to pull out, that he changed lanes, even though there was nothing to overtake:eek: Fortunately, the signal was given early enough to just require normal braking to reduce speed, but a bit of a shocker all the same.

Flashed headlamps should only be used as a warning of your presence.

Chris

Round here it's commonplace for people to flash you as a thankyou gesture or to 'let someone out'. This goes against what the guidance is in the highway code and it's dangerous if you ask me. It's also the opposite in nearly every other country I've been to.

I've now taken to hardly letting anyone out unless it's chocabloc traffic or there's no one else around who could misinterpret my signal or go into the back of me, possibly causing me to hit whatever I've just let out. It's just too dangerous and risky, and yes, it's true that most of the traffic flow round London relies on this but if the government are gonna give us guidance to the opposite in the highway code, then it's their responsibility to update out antiquated roads.

Contrary to the highway code people do flash to say 'Hi' 'thanks' or let you out of junctions etc, and thats just the way it is, right or wrong thats what nearly every motorist on the road does, it makes things very strange when driving in countries where they do the opposite though -

I.e. if they dont flash you it means their letting you out of a junction, if they do flash it means im not stopping so you better!! had some seriously close shaves believe me!!

I was coming along an almost deserted dual carriageway at considerable speed (24v Senator at 9/10ths cruise) and gave the appropriate 4 second main beam warning[/color'] to a solitary car in that was travelling in the left lane

What's does that mean?

Round here it's commonplace for people to flash you as a thankyou gesture or to 'let someone out'. This goes against what the guidance is in the highway code and it's dangerous if you ask me. It's also the opposite in nearly every other country I've been to.

I've now taken to hardly letting anyone out unless it's chocabloc traffic or there's no one else around who could misinterpret my signal or go into the back of me' date=' possibly causing me to hit whatever I've just let out. It's just too dangerous and risky, and yes, it's true that most of the traffic flow round London relies on this but if the government are gonna give us guidance to the opposite in the highway code, then it's their responsibility to update out antiquated roads.[/quote']

yup agree with you there lots of flashing for thanks, do it myself it must be said, but only if no one is following them.

I was however told by my driving instructor you are not ment to flash, it is only for use on a blind bend at night where horns cannot be used.

The 4 second flash is to warn other vehicles you are there and overtaking them - it's to get their attention.

J

I really don't like the headlight flash thing - it's just to generic and means different things to different people. A significant proportion on people on the roads are halfwits and can't use lights correctly anyway - sidelights used on motorways at night, front fog lights always on becuase they are there etc.

I tend to go with hand signals around town if I'm feeling generous and let someone out., and never without making eye contact with the other driver. If they're not looking at me (and therefore assessing safety) it's not worth the risk...