Flashing your lights

RobAMerc

Ok, I know that flashing a dawdler in the outside lane is tantamount to assault now and no one has the decency to flash oncoming traffic when the Gardai are out collecting speed tax but when I flashed some cars rapidly approaching an accident yesterday no less than 3 of them gave me the finger or waved angrily at me ?

Whats going on in this country - do people immediately go on the defensive now for everything ?

daedalus2097

That's what you get for being nice - people automatically think you're giving out to them for something. I still flash people for having full beams or if there's something major around the corner they should slow down for, but I seem to get abuse for it sometimes too. I also flash the muppets sitting in the outside lane when they have absolutely no business being there, and once again get abuse from them. It's tempting to actually drive aggressively and tailgate them instead, purely to save my bulbs

peasant

You're obviously not a country boy

If you want to warn people and to tell them to slow down because of sheep/horses/cows/accidents on the road, you have to give them a signal that looks very much like the Nazi salute ...outstreched arm and hand, moving the hand slowly downwards.

daedalus2097

You mean the "official" hand signal for slowing down Wonder how many people here have used that outside their driving test (if they even had one)...

RobAMerc

peasant wrote:

You're obviously not a country boy

Yep I am - but I wasn't gonna stick my arm out in that rain.

I know the signals alright but I expect I would be waisting my time with them with people waiving back at the "nice man", and to be fair on the main roads its unlikely people would even notice you waiving your arm as opposed to flashing lights.

Mena

Having driven in South Africa for nigh on 14 years, I tend to keep hooting/light flashing to a bare minimum... pure self preservation mind you, as the consequences could often look like something out of a Quentin Tarantino movie...

Stark

RobAMerc wrote:

Ok, I know that flashing a dawdler in the outside lane is tantamount to assault now and no one has the decency to flash oncoming traffic when the Gardai are out collecting speed tax but when I flashed some cars rapidly approaching an accident yesterday no less than 3 of them gave me the finger or waved angrily at me ?

Whats going on in this country - do people immediately go on the defensive now for everything ?

Flashing isn't exactly a standard signal and can mean different things depending on where you're from. Generally I find that flashing means aggression in Dublin, with the exception of when someone is letting you out of a junction. Of course if you go to the continent and you're waiting to pull out of a junction, flashing headlights mean the car coming has no intention to slowing down if you pull out.

Went down to Kerry a few months back and every oncoming car was flashing me. Never did figure out why, had my dips on and there were no obstructions/speed traps etc. around any of the bends. They could have been flashing their lights because the local parish priest died for all the use that signal usually is.

Stephen

I have no qualms with flashing outside lane hoggers when the inside lane is clear. lol at the mongs giving you abuse for flashing them ahead of an accident! I've flashed oncoming traffic ahead of an accident on country roads before and have never gotten the finger for it!

Mitch Connor

Mena wrote:

Having driven in South Africa for nigh on 14 years, I tend to keep hooting/light flashing to a bare minimum... pure self preservation mind you, as the consequences could often look like something out of a Quentin Tarantino movie...

They get out of the car and have a long, boring, but hip conversation about the degredation of modern man, or a needlessly complicated (and inaccurate) account of a comic superhero and the mythology surrounding it, in relation to the human condition and the way we percieve ourselves and the world arround us.

_Kaiser_

I'd be the same as the OP. Flash dawdlers in the overtaking lane (if the right indicator doesn't get their attention), flash for a hazard ahead (including revenue-generating cops), or at eejits with their full beams on.

That said, I also make liberal use of the hazards too if a truck or a car move over to let me pass for example so it all balances out in the end.

Mena

Tauren wrote:

They get out of the car and have a long, boring, but hip conversation about the degredation of modern man, or a needlessly complicated (and inaccurate) account of a comic superhero and the mythology surrounding it, in relation to the human condition and the way we percieve ourselves and the world arround us.

That actually made me smile

rubyred

I would flash to tell someone I was letting them pull out in front of me or to warn of an accident or Gardai. But you do have to be careful. My bf was flashed by a 40 foot artic as he was waiting to pull out onto a road, he assumed it meant that the guy was letting him out, he pulled out and the 40 foot ran him over. The guy got out and said he was flashing him NOT to pull out!!! If you're not going to let someone pull out then just do nothing and keep driving, or if you think they are going to pull out in front of you anyway then beep the damn horn.

blastman

There needs to be some standardisation of the signals to give to let people pull out in front of you, etc. I find the few people that are letting me in appear to be attempting to communicate the fact to me via telepathy.

rebel.ranter

I think the whole thing of flashing to let someone out or indicate that they can do a right turn in front of you safely is dangerous. I stopped doing it for a while as I heard something on the radio about the "flasher" being partly responsible for the right turning/ puulling out car being involved in an accident.

Take the example of a car (1) flashing an oncoming car (2) to allow it turn right, then a cyclist subsequently comes up inside car (1), then it's hit by car (2). Is the person in car (1) now partly responsible for giving the "green light" to the person in car (2)?

Oh another "flashing" story. Years ago my aunt flashed an oncoming car to warn of a garda speed check/checkpoint. The car subsequently turned around and followed her. Not sure how they both came to a stop but the guy in the "flashed" car asked my aunt why she was flashing, she of course said "to warn you about the speed trap/checkpoint". Turned out he was an under cover cop!!! She went to court & was fined. It happened over 20 years ago

MarkN

rubyred wrote:

My bf was flashed by a 40 foot artic as he was waiting to pull out onto a road, he assumed it meant that the guy was letting him out, he pulled out and the 40 foot ran him over. The guy got out and said he was flashing him NOT to pull out!!!

Is your boyfriend made of steel? :eek:

rebel.ranter

MarkN wrote:

Is your boyfriend made of steel? :eek:

He was the liquid guy in Terminator 2...:p


Or maybe he was flashed by this guy?



Seriously, hope he was OK afterwards, hope you are not offended.

Del2005

rebel.ranter wrote:

I think the whole thing of flashing to let someone out or indicate that they can do a right turn in front of you safely is dangerous. I stopped doing it for a while as I heard something on the radio about the "flasher" being partly responsible for the right turning/ puulling out car being involved in an accident.

Take the example of a car (1) flashing an oncoming car (2) to allow it turn right, then a cyclist subsequently comes up inside car (1), then it's hit by car (2). Is the person in car (1) now partly responsible for giving the "green light" to the person in car (2)?

Thats true, my brother was T-boned off his bike after someone called a car out of a junction. The car he crashed into was only deemed partially responsible and the car that called him out was also deemed responsible. If I'm going to let someone out of a junction I'll look at them and give them a couple of seconds to move. If they don't move then I'll go on my merry way.

Vikings

That's absurd, if I was to flash someone to let them out of a junction and they hit another car/cyclist/pedestrian it would have to be entirely their fault. They are in full control of their vehicle, just because I am letting them out does not mean that I am telling them it is safe to do so from all sides, it is up to them to figure that one out.

Saruman

If i was warning someone they are approaching an accident or some other situation i would put on my hazzard lights and flash them. It shows them there is some "hazzard" ahead as opposed to me just wanting to piss them off.

I flashed some cars up ahead today where the lights were out at a junction and slowed down letting as many of them go as could.. only one was able to and im sure they were grateful

daedalus2097

Mustangs wrote:

That's absurd, if I was to flash someone to let them out of a junction and they hit another car/cyclist/pedestrian it would have to be entirely their fault. They are in full control of their vehicle, just because I am letting them out does not mean that I am telling them it is safe to do so from all sides, it is up to them to figure that one out.

Yeah, you'd think so alright... But you forget we live in a country which takes a lot of notice of what happens in America, and in these cases it comes down to who has the most balls/best solicitor rather than who was in the right.

rediguana

I drive up-and-down the N11 every day (south of UCD). The overtaking lane usually is cluttered with dumbos going the same speed, or slower, as in the regular lane. I'm invariably late for work so I'm often forced to use the bus lane to maintain some semblance of punctuality. The bus lane never has any busses in it. Even more strangely, you can't drive it in day-or-night, any day of the week. Why is that? Much closer to the city, you can (eg) after 7pm or on Sundays or whatever.

Zulu

I don't flash, but indicate right when I'm caught behind a crawler in the speeding ...I mean overtaking lane. No one understands what it means. I don't know why I bother.
People in this country do not understand the concept of the overtaking lane.

rediguana

Zulu wrote:

I don't flash, but indicate right when I'm caught behind a crawler in the speeding ...I mean overtaking lane. No one understands what it means. I don't know why I bother.
People in this country do not understand the concept of the overtaking lane.

In partial defence of the s-l-o-w people, many of them do want to overtake but they can't because of some Micra in front of them. What's that saying about something only going as fast as its slowest link?

Zulu

Ok, but I only get irate when there is clearly enough room in the normal laneto pull in - let me by, and let me indicate in vain at the micra.

I guess my problem is with the spanner in the red micra.

Stark

rediguana wrote:

Even more strangely, you can't drive it in day-or-night, any day of the week. Why is that? Much closer to the city, you can (eg) after 7pm or on Sundays or whatever.

It's common for bus lanes further out of the city to be 24 hour. Probably to facilitate intercity buses.

rediguana

Stark wrote:

It's common for bus lanes further out of the city to be 24 hour. Probably to facilitate intercity buses.

But I never see any busses. Seems like a waste of a lane. I was blithely driving in the lane (at night etc), thinking it was okay, for about three months before I noticed that it was illegal.

It would be funny to flash a bus to move out of the bus lane to let you pass.

stovelid

OP - I occasionally flash a hogger in the overtaking lane. It's aggressive to tailgate them but a light flash at a safe distance is OK.

rediguana wrote:

I'm invariably late for work so I'm often forced to use the bus lane to maintain some semblance of punctuality.

You are being forced to do squat. Leave earlier.

rediguana

Gasp - I don't remember putting that ^^^ in bold.

rubyred

rebel.ranter wrote:

Seriously, hope he was OK afterwards, hope you are not offended.

No somehow the truck didn't hit him full on and he got away with only a few injuries.

Del2005

Mustangs wrote:

That's absurd, if I was to flash someone to let them out of a junction and they hit another car/cyclist/pedestrian it would have to be entirely their fault. They are in full control of their vehicle, just because I am letting them out does not mean that I am telling them it is safe to do so from all sides, it is up to them to figure that one out.

Nope by calling them out you are saying the way is clear. It's up to you to make sure it is before you call them out. Saying that it's still their responibilty to keep observing, but you have taken on some of their risk when you call them out. Any driving instructor I've talked to keeps saying the same thing. NEVER call someone out, if you want to let them out leave a space make eye contact and then do nothing. If they don't come out then just move off.

@rediguana

The 24/7 bus lanes are on sections of road that where not part of the road before. They are usually in what was the hard shoulder and therefore you couldn't drive in them before they became buslanes. BTW, if you are constantly having to drive in the bus lane cause you are late there is a very simple answer. Leave earlier!!

Dwilly

IMO most lane hoggers usually get the message from the occasional flash and I don't suppose they're backs are up either, at the end of the day you're only reminding them of the law- and since the Gardai started fining lane hoggers you're doing them a favour.

Much safer than tailgating, safe stopping distance should really be part of the driving test. Not everyone has 6 grand ceramic brakes.

Stark

Safe stopping distance is part of the driving test.

Dwilly

Oh and I've seen that indicating thing done on the autobahn quite a bit, you're right though - nobody over here seems to cop on to it!

Dwilly

Safe stopping distance is part of the driving test.

Really? Didn't realise. How long has that been there, I definitely didn't do it a few years back. Motorway stopping distance is essential though, potential location for maximum carnage.

zilog_jones

I've got flashed on my way to work in the mornings by people behind me. For what? Driving at the 60 km/h speed limit (what no one else seems to do), it seemed. That's the type of flashing that deserves the finger...

My driving instructor also said about you being responsible if you flash/call someone out of a junction. I just stop if I'm letting someone out - it's usually pretty obvious why I'm stopping. I would only flash my lights to warn of danger or if they have their full beams on, or no lights at all in the dark!

colm_mcm

If you're sticking to the speed limit, good for you, If you're holding people up or not going faster than the traffic in the inside lane, then I think it's good manners to let them off.
Personally I can't stand drivers who get abusive when flashed to pull over. It's like their ego is bruised for having to let someone past them.

nastysimon

zilog_jones wrote:

I've got flashed on my way to work in the mornings by people behind me. For what? Driving at the 60 km/h speed limit (what no one else seems to do), it seemed. That's the type of flashing that deserves the finger...

Were you overtaking? If not why were you in the overtaking lane? Do the speed limit if you want, but two wrongs don't make a right, so get out of their way and if you really feel the need (they were driving dangerously fast for the conditions) report them.

Seinas

Stark wrote:

Went down to Kerry a few months back and every oncoming car was flashing me. Never did figure out why, had my dips on and there were no obstructions/speed traps etc. around any of the bends. They could have been flashing their lights because the local parish priest died for all the use that signal usually is.

yeah, we really do like flashing our lights down here........ its a Kerry thing :cool:

zilog_jones

nastysimon wrote:

Were you overtaking? If not why were you in the overtaking lane? Do the speed limit if you want, but two wrongs don't make a right, so get out of their way and if you really feel the need (they were driving dangerously fast for the conditions) report them.

I didn't say anything about overtaking or even a dual carriageway. What dual carriageway has a speed limit of 60 km/h anyway?

stovelid

zilog_jones wrote:

I didn't say anything about overtaking or even a dual carriageway. What dual carriageway has a speed limit of 60 km/h anyway?

I've seen people on the motorway doing 60K, never mind the dualer.

G Luxel

There is one reason not mentioned so far for a driver to flash his/her lights. The small button on the dashboard where you can move your headlights to high and low positionings may cause the headlights to appear as a dazzle to oncoming drivers when in fact they are not.

daedalus2097

zilog_jones wrote:

I didn't say anything about overtaking or even a dual carriageway. What dual carriageway has a speed limit of 60 km/h anyway?

Most of the N11 north of Bray is 60km/h - downright ridiculous in certain parts, but that's what it is. Fair enough if you were on a single carriageway, but there are those people who sit in the overtaking lane on a dual carriageway at the speed limit for no good reason. Maybe they think they're doing their bit to save the world, but in reality they're only pissing off the guy behind who knows well he's going to break the speed limit anyway, only now he's frustrated and resorts to undertaking or something else.

daedalus2097

G Luxel wrote:

There is one reason not mentioned so far for a driver to flash his/her lights. The small button on the dashboard where you can move your headlights to high and low positionings may cause the headlights to appear as a dazzle to oncoming drivers when in fact they are not.

A lot of cars don't have them, and of those that do, I'd say a fair number of people don't know what it does In fairness though, these adjustments don't let you move the headlights above their standard position, only below, so either they were set by a lazy/incompetent Quick-Fit monkey (or not set at all), or the back of the car's weighed down something serious and the lights are pointing in the air - in which case cars with no leveller control will dazzle anyway.

One point I've noticed with a number of cars is that some people with the combined type headlights (H4 bulbs and similar, the ones with full and dipped in the one lamp) replace the bulb when it goes but put it in upside down. As a result, the dipped beam partially points up in the air instead of at the ground. Ever notice those cars with one dazzling light and one normal one? That's probably the reason.