The various meanings of flashing your high beams

[empirestate]

One of the trickier aspects of driving, in my opinion, is our inability to specifically and concisely communicate our intentions or grievances to fellow motorists with anything more precise than a signal light, horn honk or hand gesture (rude or otherwise). In particular, I've noticed the the flickering of high beams seems to carry more intended meanings than other types of signal, so I'm curious to what people have used this technique to convey.

Post replies as the statement you'd try to communicate by flickering your high beams. For example, and to go ahead and get the obvious snark out of the way, "You just moved in front of me and I believe you to be a major jerk-off for having done so." (Of course, that's more often done by burning the high beams continuously into someone's mirror.) A more legitimate typical use is "I am allowing you to turn or proceed ahead of me." What else?

[1995hoo]

If a vehicle is coming the other way and the driver flashes the high-beams, I check to see if I forgot to dim mine. (When I first got my current Acura, sometimes jerks flashed their brights at me because they didn't like the HID headlights that come standard on the car. That hasn't happened in several years, so I guess people are accustomed to improved headlights.)

If it's daytime and I see a driver coming the other way flashing his high-beams, I interpret it as warning of a speedtrap. (Some people flash the low-beams on and off instead.)

I've heard some people say you should flash your high-beams to tell someone he forgot to turn on his headlights, but I've always understood that flashing your lights on and off is the correct way to send that message.

I do not understand the current fad of shining your high-beams at someone when you don't like his driving.

[Zeffy]

I've seen other drivers flash their high beams to inform drivers on the opposite side of the road that there is a police car logging speeds up ahead.

[Brandon]

I've seen other drivers flash their high beams to inform drivers on the opposite side of the road that there is a police car logging speeds up ahead.

I've done that, and am always on the lookout for that.

Other things I've used the high beams for:

1. To warn of animals like deer near the road.
2. Let truckers and vehicles with trailers know that they have enough room to move over in front of me.
3. Let slow vehicles in front of me know (in conjunction with the left turn signal) that they need to move to the right, out of the left lane.
4. Let others at a four-way stop sign know that I will remain stopped and let them go first.
5. A sense of irritation at you pulling in front of me and nearly causing an accident.

[NE2]

"oops, I thought that was the windshield washer fluid"

[agentsteel53]

I flash three times if there's a deer, moose, other obstacle in the road that I just passed and opposing traffic might soon encounter.  I have no idea if people catch the meaning, but hopefully it gives them enough pause to realize that something important may be happening.

"dude, get out of the left lane" would be very nice if that were universally understood, but it's nowhere near the case.

[Brandon]

"oops, I thought that was the windshield washer fluid"

Actually, that's fun to do to someone tailgating you.  Send the washer fluid up and over the car at 70 mph and onto their windshield.  The tailgater usually takes the hint.

[Mr. Matté]

"oops, I thought that was the windshield washer fluid"

Actually, that's fun to do to someone tailgating you.  Send the washer fluid up and over the car at 70 mph and onto their windshield.  The tailgater usually takes the hint.

Wish I could do that when it's pouring rain when they tailgate me while driving 10 above the (hilariously low) speed limit.

[AsphaltPlanet]

If I see lights flashed at me from oncoming traffic, my instinctive thought is that their is either a speed trap or hazard (animal ect.) ahead and I should slow down.  These are the situations I would flash my high beams at oncoming traffic.

At night, I might flash my headlights approaching an intersection if I see a vehicle approaching at a right angle where I think there could be a conflict if they don't stop.  Of course, this behaviour doesn't guarantee that a driver will stop, but it does make my approach far more obvious.

I have never been a fan of vehicles flashing their highbeams while approaching from behind on an expressway.  Though, I am usually pretty aware of my surroundings on the highway, and always move over when a faster vehicle approaches.  Sometimes, if an impatient driver flashing their headlights approaches from behind quickly and I am passing a long line of vehicles or a large vehicle, I will deliberately drive beside a vehicle to prohibit them from passing.  Immature yes, but if I am in the left lane completing my pass, even at a lesser speed than the approaching vehicle, I am still entitled to be in the left lane and don't need to be subjected to overtly aggressive behaviour from the driver behind.  If they had just waited, I would have moved over as soon as I could have anyways.

[agentsteel53]

I have never been a fan of vehicles flashing their highbeams while approaching from behind on an expressway.  Though, I am usually pretty aware of my surroundings on the highway, and always move over when a faster vehicle approaches.  Sometimes, if an impatient driver flashing their headlights approaches from behind quickly and I am passing a long line of vehicles or a large vehicle, I will deliberately drive beside a vehicle to prohibit them from passing.  Immature yes, but if I am in the left lane completing my pass, even at a lesser speed than the approaching vehicle, I am still entitled to be in the left lane and don't need to be subjected to overtly aggressive behaviour from the driver behind.  If they had just waited, I would have moved over as soon as I could have anyways.

that is indeed pretty immature.

I usually am driving as fast as I think is not going to attract police attention (just under 80mph here in California seems to be a universal), but I'll speed up to about 85-87 if someone is coming up fast behind me and I'm blocking the left lane.  then I'll get the Hell out of the way and let them get a ticket.

[AsphaltPlanet]

good for you.  If I am doing 120 (km/h) in the left lane, the guy behind me can wait until I complete my pass.

[Darkchylde]

Getting passed on the highway (most often by an 18 wheeler): Get over, you're clear.

Stopped on the road with someone waiting to turn: Go on, turn.

At night, while in motion: Turn your damn high beams off!

Day, while in motion, traffic oncoming: If you keep going, there's something bad that way.

[agentsteel53]

in Mexico, turning on one's left turn signal indicates an intention to pass.  it's viewed as perfectly normal.

has not caught on at all in the US.  I've had precisely one person with US plates do that to me; I moved halfway onto the shoulder and he passed me down the middle.  had there been oncoming traffic, they would have freaked out for sure.

[realjd]

I flashed by lights yesterday at a dumbass who was passing a long line of cars all at once headed toward me. It was a "hey dumbass get back onto your side of the road" flash.

[empirestate]

Other things I've used the high beams for:

1. To warn of animals like deer near the road.
2. Let truckers and vehicles with trailers know that they have enough room to move over in front of me.
3. Let slow vehicles in front of me know (in conjunction with the left turn signal) that they need to move to the right, out of the left lane.
4. Let others at a four-way stop sign know that I will remain stopped and let them go first.
5. A sense of irritation at you pulling in front of me and nearly causing an accident.

The last is interesting to me, because whereas your first four are permissive messages (or at least helpful), the last connotes a prohibitive or negative sense that is usually reserved for the horn. I recently had a livery driver whip around my right side while I was in the left lane passing another vehicle (who abruptly sped up, eliminating my need to pass while allowing the opening for the livery guy). Since I no longer needed to pass, I put on my right signal to show I was coming back over to the right, but the livery guy flashed his lights at me. Normally this would mean "I see you coming over; go ahead and do so because you're clear", but he was accelerating fast into the space so I obviously wasn't clear. Of course it ended up costing him much more time, because since I could no longer move back to the right, yet there wasn't a safe amount of space for the livery driver to get in front of me, I had to speed up myself to complete my original passing maneuver and get the left lane cleared for the impatient guy...

Point being, he used his lights in a prohibitive way, in a situation where they'd normally be used permissively, and it got me thinking about the topic overall.

"oops, I thought that was the windshield washer fluid"

Actually, that's fun to do to someone tailgating you.  Send the washer fluid up and over the car at 70 mph and onto their windshield.  The tailgater usually takes the hint.

I usually throw on the hazards when there's a tailgater (to inform him that there's something hazardously close in front of him: me). Safer than brake-checking, and more obvious then a turn signal. If that doesn't work, gradually slowing to the point where a) people who need to pass can do so, or b) our speeds are low enough that his distance behind me is no longer dangerous–though tailgaters rarely wait around for that point to be reached–usually works out.

At night, I might flash my headlights approaching an intersection if I see a vehicle approaching at a right angle where I think there could be a conflict if they don't stop.  Of course, this behaviour doesn't guarantee that a driver will stop, but it does make my approach far more obvious.

That's another case where the permissive/prohibitive conflict would come in: I would interpret your flashing to mean I was clear to come in front of you (although I'd decline to do so if I didn't agree). I would tend to expect the horn to be used instead as a warning, but of course the horn isn't necessarily any more specific in meaning than the high-beams.

At night, while in motion: Turn your damn high beams off!

I learned this one a little differently: burn your high-beams continuously until the oncoming driver either turns his off, or turns them on to show that they weren't already on and that he just has deceivingly bright low-beams.

in Mexico, turning on one's left turn signal indicates an intention to pass.  it's viewed as perfectly normal.

has not caught on at all in the US.  I've had precisely one person with US plates do that to me; I moved halfway onto the shoulder and he passed me down the middle.  had there been oncoming traffic, they would have freaked out for sure.

Agreed; I've tried it, and it worked maybe once, if that wasn't just a coincidence. Usually the best way to get LLB's out of your way is to approach the exit they were planning to take anyway.

[agentsteel53]

Usually the best way to get LLB's out of your way is to approach the exit they were planning to take anyway.

I could not parse this.  do you mean "pass them on the right"?

[sp_redelectric]

A few years ago I was coming around a blind corner on U.S. 30 between Rainier and Astoria, OR only to slam on my brakes as a truck and camping trailer had overturned blocking much of the road.  There were already various witnesses calling the authorities so as I was able to get through on the shoulder I slowly proceeded.

Just past the scene cars were approaching the wreck at a high rate of speed (rural area, 55 MPH speed zone) so I was flashing my lights at everyone, until I saw the first fire truck.

Years ago some gang bangers thought to play a game by driving around town with their headlights turned off.  If someone flashed them, they'd shoot (yes, guns).  So a lot of people I know, myself included, won't flash the headlights to indicate their lights may be off.  I've not heard of such an incident occurring lately, but I still don't do it.

[1995hoo]

....

I have never been a fan of vehicles flashing their highbeams while approaching from behind on an expressway.  ....

I vastly prefer the idea of flashing your brights two or three times to say "please move over" rather than the current trend of tailgating the person you want to move.

[agentsteel53]

I vastly prefer the idea of flashing your brights two or three times to say "please move over" rather than the current trend of tailgating the person you want to move.

I just do not understand the mentality of people who will not move over just by instinct when someone is coming up behind at a higher rate of speed.

[Brandon]

Years ago some gang bangers thought to play a game by driving around town with their headlights turned off.  If someone flashed them, they'd shoot (yes, guns).  So a lot of people I know, myself included, won't flash the headlights to indicate their lights may be off.  I've not heard of such an incident occurring lately, but I still don't do it.

It's an urban legend.

[1995hoo]

I vastly prefer the idea of flashing your brights two or three times to say "please move over" rather than the current trend of tailgating the person you want to move.

I just do not understand the mentality of people who will not move over just by instinct when someone is coming up behind at a higher rate of speed.

I agree with that too. I'm religious about staying out of the left lane except to pass, to move over for a stopped emergency vehicle, or to use a left-side exit. I sometimes also use the left lane if the right lane is in crappy condition. (Reverse all that when I'm driving in the UK, of course.)

But some people will tailgate you or flash the lights even when there's a left-side exit in under a mile, or when you're passing a line of slow-moving trucks and the guy just wants to pass faster. That sort of thing is just stupid. My observation is at many tailgaters don't care that you can't go faster due to someone else in front of you, either. They'll tailgate you to try to get you to move, then they'll do it again to the next guy. I-81 in Virginia is a classic example of this sort of thing because the very high volumes of truck traffic combined with rolling terrain mean you're in the left lane a lot to pass the trucks.

[AsphaltPlanet]

But some people will tailgate you or flash the lights even when there's a left-side exit in under a mile, or when you're passing a line of slow-moving trucks and the guy just wants to pass faster. That sort of thing is just stupid. My observation is at many tailgaters don't care that you can't go faster due to someone else in front of you, either. They'll tailgate you to try to get you to move, then they'll do it again to the next guy. I-81 in Virginia is a classic example of this sort of thing because the very high volumes of truck traffic combined with rolling terrain mean you're in the left lane a lot to pass the trucks.

Agreed, this type of aggressive driving behaviour has no business on our roads.

[agentsteel53]

you're passing a line of slow-moving trucks and the guy just wants to pass faster.

this I disagree with.  I think it is more courteous to pass one vehicle at a time, allowing faster traffic behind you to go before you pass the next one.

[AsphaltPlanet]

^ Maybe.  It depends on the situation.  Sometimes you could be passing a long line of vehicles that are tightly spaced and cannot be easily squeezed between.  Or you could be traveling at a rate of speed considerably higher than the rate of speed of the line of vehicles beside you warranting you to slow down considerably to squeeze in.  I wouldn't move over in either of those conditions until there was an appropriate gap.

[Pete from Boston]

you're passing a line of slow-moving trucks and the guy just wants to pass faster.

this I disagree with.  I think it is more courteous to pass one vehicle at a time, allowing faster traffic behind you to go before you pass the next one.

It's often impossible to do so when passing a group of vehicles spaced closely, and it's not practical to suggest drivers wait until it's obvious that there's room to pull back in one car ahead in case a faster driver should happen to come up on the left.