Light flash for speed trap?

[WadePatton]

I learned as a wee tyke that lights flashed from an oncoming vehicle meant BEWARE- road hazard or enforcement agency activity ahead.



I've practiced this my entire 21 years driving, but don't think it is as common now as in years past.



Do you younger folks know what I'm talking about? Have you older folks noticed the decline?



I also understand and practice the light-flashing that truckers use--with trucks only.



Of course some areas probably have laws against inter-motorist signalling, just like the no-horn-blowing laws I've heard of.

 

[illflem]

Folks in Montana still do it but mainly for road hazards ahead like bad ice or rocks on the road.

 

[baby.driver]

I still flash if anyone coming looks like they could be a victim.

 

[dalton4]

Wade, you're starting to date us! I remember it well.

 

[JR2]

Well growing up in Alaska a blink of the lights always ment that there was a moose in the road ahead. . I guess that is a hazzard. I still do it, but don't see alot of others to it.

 

[Champane Flight]

Old days

In the old days BCB (Before CB) truckers would flash once at an oncoming truck for "All clear" and twice for trouble. Not to many old timers left.

 

[WadePatton]

I flash once for general "heads up" and twice if it's more urgent.



General heads up= Cattle in road, car stopped half on the pavement, tree down, rocks, lost cargo, rutting buck, slow farm equipment in a 50mph+ area, police activity, etc.



Urgent= road blocked or barely passable, bodies in road, helicopters circling.



I've felt betrayed a time or two when other motorist let me drive right into an obvious speed trap. Buddy of mine parked around the corner and flashed his lights for several minutes to warn of a speed trap the other day-he's 55.



The current trucker (ever since I've been behind the wheel) light practice is to let overtaking trucks know when they're clear to pull back in out of the passing lane. The overtaking truck, whether or not he pulls back in, will invariably blink his "clip" (trailer/trim) lights in response.



They don't headlight flash 4-wheelers unless maybe you're are pulling a long trailer, but they will give the clip blink to me after I've "let them in". It's fun to notice all the different styles of blinks.



Problem is, I rarely drive slow enough for trucks to overtake me.

 

[BV]

If I say yes, does it make me an old fart like you peoples

 

[TowPro]

I do it sometimes.



If somebody is coming through my country neighborhood area, doing 55 in a 35 zone, and I know the local cop is sitting over the hill, I don't flash. He doing 55 on a street marked at 35, and my Daughter could be out getting the mail or something. (its already to crazy for her to ride her bike on it) I HOPE HE GETS CAUGHT!!!



Now were going down a highway and the cops are working a speed trap there, thats a different story, but again it depends. If I see somebody coming at me doing 100 mph, I don't flash, they need to get caught.

 

[WadePatton]

Guess I'm SOL at 120!:-laf



I agree about residential areas.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Flashing a warning

Like other concepts and practices, I think it depends on the area. Around the cities where people rely more on lawyers than common sense, you don't see it that much. Get out where it's rural and people flash for deer, accidents, (accidents with deer), construction, radar, you name it.



Makes me wonder when some trucker's don't even warn their neighbor across the medial strip about the radar set up at the next bridge.

 

[Doc Tinker]

I flash my brights at the idiots who drive with the brights on, but they never dim them



Doc

 

[JR2]

Doc - you need bigger brights to flash at them... I flash my off road lights at moron with there high beams on. I know its not safe but they need to turn em off.



BV - I am not old... unless 34 is old.



Do any of you tap your break lights to say thanks when someone lets you in while in traffic??





Some of big rig drivers in Ak will put there turn signal on when its safe to pass them, then blink the driving lights to let you know you are far enough in front of them to pull in...

 

[TXCTD]

Some of us young'ns still practice this. I'm 23 and I've been doing it since I first got my liscense.

 

[lmills]

At 27 I flash my lights every time a big truck is over taking me. I commute on a wide open road to go to work. The semis are frequently going 75-80 mph, so they aren't exactly poking around. It is one of the only stretches that they can open it up.



I don't see the need to do it for passenger vehicles because of their size. If I see a truck pulling a camper coming by I will flash for them also.

 

[Andy Perreault]

I've been driving trucks for about 13 years now, so I have to chime in here. When you''re talking about "flashing your lights to let a passing truck know that he's clear to move over", I ask you, PLEASE do not flash your high beams at night!!! I can't count how many times I've happened to look in the mirror to see if I'm clear, only to get blasted by high beams . If you do that, you will have temporarily blinded driver behind the wheel of an 80,000lb truck right in front of you! Please, at night, turn off your headlights for a few seconds (leaving the parking lights on at all times) and then turn them back on. Remember, the truck driver, whose eyes are used to the darkness, is looking into his mirror after he/she gets in front you. Flashing the high beams at night is dangerous for everyone on the road, as well as just plain rude. Daytime, yes; night time, no! Most truck drivers use this "momentary headlights off" method, however there are some who aren't so courteous.

Now, as a way of saying "thank you" to someone who has flashed you to let you in (many truckers will do that to pickups towing trailers), since our trucks aren't wired with a "blink" switch (a simple momentary-off toggle switch for the parking lights, I've always wanted to add that to my truck), simply turn on your emergency flashers and let them flash two or three times. That's better than turning your lights on and off, because you won't confuse someone in front of you by letting them see your headlights going on and off. Some driver in front of you might think you're telling him it's okay to come over into your lane. The emergency flashers are easily visible in daylight hours, too.



My other pet peeve: poorly aimed driving lights/fog lights, and headlights, too. What I do in my Dodge, if I have my fog lights on, I always turn them off when I come up behind a truck, even though I know they're not pointing up in the air. I figure if there's anything I can do to make a truck driver's job more pleasant, I'll gladly do it, because I know what it's like.

Don't get me started on the topic of people who drive in traffic with their high beams on!! That's when a rocket launcher under the hood would be a nice little accessory.

Andy

 

[lmills]

yeh, I agree. I only flash the momentary highbeam if my lights are currently off. I figure it is easier for them to distinguish also if they see the light go off totally then back on. Rather than it's on then gets brighter.

 

[Champane Flight]

Markers

Most of the older rigs out there are wired to "Markers", this just flashes clearance lights for thanking. I have my Dodge wired so when pulling my fifthwheel, I can just flash markers.



During daylight hours we used to flash headlights once to oncoming rigs for clear ahead, and give a single finger (Index finger, guys) rotating "roll on" signal as we passed.

 

[klenger]

I sure appreciate it when a trucker flashes me after I pass him towing my camper. I try to do the same for them. Good tip about not using high beams.



[rant on] IMHO, there should be a halagon spot light shinning from the dash into the driver's eyes whenever the high beams are on. Same for brake lights for some of those idiots on the highway traveling down the interstate in the middle of no-where with his foot on the brake. [/rant off]

 

[bmoeller]

I completely agree with you Andy. Particularly with high beams. I only use them during the day. I'll also flash if someone is pulling camper. I wish the pickup trucks were equipped with same turn signals as the Mack CH613's that we run. I'm thinking about adding some switches to flash the headlights on/off at night ( to save the switch a little wear and tear), and to flash the marker lights.