Massachusetts now a "Headlights on when wipers on" state

[Pete from Boston]

That doesn't mean it's not common sense. That just means there's a lot of assholes with no common sense.

Makes you wonder if "common sense" ought to be called something else.

"Common" in this case doesn't mean "frequently encountered."  It means "shared by all," as in, the basic sense we're all born with, whether or not one chooses to embrace or suppress it.

[vdeane]

Before this story I had assumed that it was a requirement everywhere.  Interesting that less than half of the states have it.

Or, interesting that more than a third have had to legislate common sense.

I wish it were common sense.  But, we still have assholes who don't turn on their headlights in the fog.  And I'm talking pea fucking soup.  When you flick your lights at them to tell them to turn on their headlights, they act like morons and tap the brake instead. 

That doesn't mean it's not common sense. That just means there's a lot of assholes with no common sense.

That's the universal sign for cops hiding in the thick layer of fog, so they slow down.

I wonder if any of them get to their destination, try to turn the headlights off, then realize their lights were off the whole time.

I thought it was the universal sign for either "let me pass" or "your headlights aren't on the right setting" depending on which direction you're going relative to the other car.

[AMLNet49]

I don't know what it is in your state, but in Mass. flashing your headlights at a car going the opposite car generally means that there is a cop hidden up ahead for the other car that you just passed. Though on occasion it will mean to turn your headlights on but 9 times out of 10 it refers to a cop ahead.

[Zeffy]

I don't know what it is in your state, but in Mass. flashing your headlights at a car going the opposite car generally means that there is a cop hidden up ahead for the other car that you just passed. Though on occasion it will mean to turn your headlights on but 9 times out of 10 it refers to a cop ahead.

Same in New Jersey.

[Pete from Boston]

I don't know what it is in your state, but in Mass. flashing your headlights at a car going the opposite car generally means that there is a cop hidden up ahead for the other car that you just passed. Though on occasion it will mean to turn your headlights on but 9 times out of 10 it refers to a cop ahead.

Same in New Jersey.

This was beaten to death in at least one other thread. 

The consensus being described exists primarily in the minds of those describing these habits.  For instance, I learned to drive in New Jersey, where flashing headlights meant "turn off your brights" to various parties that held this belief.  It also meant, auxiliarly,  "there's a speed trap coming up."  Later on it took the third meaning, "go ahead."

Furthermore, in that discussion it became apparent that each individual had their own idea of what the proper amount of headlight flashing was for each message.  My own personal code is:

Very quick flash = go ahead
Fully on then fully off = cop ahead
On, left on a moment to demonstrate discomfort of oncoming brights, then off = turn off your high beams
Lights off then on, one or more times = your lights are not on

Yours probably differs, because in that thread they differed all over the place.

[CrossCountryRoads]

I always thought that the flash of headlights meant that there was a cop ahead and/or some kind of incident resulting in stopped traffic ahead.  Another common one where I live is when people will flash their headlights at other motorists in the oncoming lane when they have left their high beams on.