Flash lights to get others to move over?

NathanE · 26 Oct 2010 at 17:50

mjt said:
But if the road is deserted, what collision are you trying to avoid?

Truck tyre shell... an animal... anything :confused:

A few years ago I drove 60 miles on the m-way at 2am when it was near 0c outside. I was in the middle lane all the way because I figured if I were to hit ice then being in the middle lane would give me the best possible chance to regain control of the car...

SlyReaper · 26 Oct 2010 at 17:54

If someone tailgates or flashes me, my response is always to slow down.

The benefit is two-fold: it's the safer thing to do since you're less likely to have to brake sharply and have him go into the back of you. The far better benefit is that it's the exact opposite of what the twit behind you wants you to do, and you can see them in your mirror getting all wound up. And because you've decreased the speed differential with the thing you're overtaking, it takes several times as long to complete the manoeuvre, so the ****-head behind you will be fuming for that much longer. That always makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Dogbreath · 26 Oct 2010 at 18:14

anticonscience said:
As far as I was aware you aren't allowed to flash people to get them to move out the way, it's seen as aggressive.

You are perfectly entitled to flash your lights to make other vehicles aware of your presence, there is nothing whatsoever illegal about this. Unfortunately the kind of muppets that hog middle/outer lanes do tend to view this as though you are questioning their driving ability and react as only a knuckle dragger can.

These days I tend just pass on the left (after a quick check for obvious plod). Admittedly this also tends to upset some MLMs, but you are generally long past them by the time their brain cell has registered your presence. Obviously you need to be careful of the slightly more alert MLMs who might try to swerve across at the last second.

This topic came up on PH recently, and one of the "Advanced drivers" stated that he'd never seen anyone react negatively to being flashed to move out of the way, which just goes to prove these people don't live in the real world.

Dogbreath · 26 Oct 2010 at 18:23

tasslehoff said:
If I'm doing = or more than the speed limit in these cases I'll press on the brakes. Never happy when some *** is right up my backside when I've got my kids in the car.

So you are quite happy to risk a rear ender with your kids in the car? Just awesome parental responsibility. :rolleyes:

Dreadi · 26 Oct 2010 at 18:28

XeNoN89 said:
If i am in the inside lane and somebody appraoches behind me, i will usualy already have seen this and moved before they had chance to flash me. Unless there isnt anywhere to move over safely in which case i will just wait until there is. Thought it was pretty normal?

?

If you're in the inside lane, they will move out around you ?

Saytan · 26 Oct 2010 at 18:29

i used to flash in my focus, dont feel the need any more

i will slow down if i'm being tailgated in NOT THE OUTSIDE LANE or on single-lane roads. Seriously, tailgating on single lane roads is pointless, it makes the pass harder - i saw someone tailgating a pensioner on a single lane road, and by sitting back and looking for the pass rather than tailgating, i took them both in one move and was on my way

mrk · 26 Oct 2010 at 18:35

A SOLUTION HAS BEEN FOUND!

Rich_L · 26 Oct 2010 at 18:57

I'm sure I've mentioned before but the classic you see over here is 2 trucks on cruise control with a net speed difference of about 1mph in both lanes, it takes about 4 miles until one truck passes the other and then pulls over so you can get past

Can't get too frustrated though as it happens all the time, though strictly speaking it's against the Highway Code

The other thing is when you are on cruise control in the inside lane, and you get cars that overtake you at about 2mph faster and subsequently pull in and cruise at a speed 2mph less than you, so you have to either overtake them again, or slow down - very frustrating

Cosimo · 26 Oct 2010 at 19:21

Khaaan! said:
A SOLUTION HAS BEEN FOUND!

[/QUOTE]

It works a treat in movies. :p

HungryHippos · 26 Oct 2010 at 19:35

I hate to undertake people or tailgate, but idiots that can't do the speed limit or decide to drive really slowly are quite annoying

If a road has markers up for 50mph do 50, not 30!

Also hate it when cars try to undertake you just after you've joined a two lane road from a one lane road (bear in mind this is directly into the right hand lane). Give me a second to get over ffs. If someone tries it I just wait till they move over to my left then move over myself, thus they then have to move over to the right to overtake me.

Anyone doing the speed limit is solid though, I don't expect people to drive around at 100 mph or whatever, frankly it's not safe, but think people should be able to do the speed limit if road conditions allow.

Macro · 26 Oct 2010 at 19:36

maccapacca said:
Tailgaters and flashers get the lift off treatment until they are foaming at the mouth

This...

Although clearly not if I was doing 65 in the 3rd lane with nothing in front or to the left of me, which I wouldn't so, err, moot point i guess. If I was in lane 3 over taking people at say 85 and then the plank behind me decides he wants to do 100 rushes up behind and startes flashing because i'm not moving fast enough in his lane I mysteriously drop to 1mph faster than the car in lane 2 and watch them fume and flash until hopefully their poor tiny brain explodes with frustration.

Tailgaters are just as bad drivers as the "i'm in lane 3 but doing 70mph so you can't go any faster" brigade. Muppets all....

-TA- · 26 Oct 2010 at 19:47

Don't flash, just pop on the lights, touring car style!

but never tailgate.

shifty_uk · 26 Oct 2010 at 19:49

Never flashed but I make a point of undertaking safely and then crossing three lanes in front of them.

CaptainRAVE · 26 Oct 2010 at 19:50

Sone said:
most people who do it are ********. Passing 2 lorrys at 80ish when some **** comes up at a ton then flashes.

Yep. Happened to me recently when I was in an average speed camera zone at 50. There were a cuple of lorries going slowly, so I overtook them and this guy comes up really quickly and flashes. So whereas I was going quicker than the lorries (and abolutely would pull back in as soon as possible) I decided to slow down and block him. I could feel the rage. We then got out of the 50 zone, so I pulled in around the lorries and put my foot down. Never saw him again. It certainly passed a long journey for me

tasslehoff · 26 Oct 2010 at 19:52

Dogbreath said:
So you are quite happy to risk a rear ender with your kids in the car? Just awesome parental responsibility.

Why do people insist on taking everything they read as black & white & set in stone??

You seem to make your mind up along the lines that I'm constantly in the fast lane of a motorway, kids in the back, holding other traffic up & SLAMMING on my brakes.

I've put two sentence together that is all. One...my reactions when someone is tailgating me, & Two, how it ****es me off (more) when I've got kids in the car. The reality is I drive to work & back on a motorway 5 days a week, usually faster than most given I drive for a living & hate it. The kids in the back is rare (mothers job) & if so usually on short trip minor 30mph roads, of which I'll tap on the brakes if someones up my arse to show I'm not impressed...no that does'nt mean I slam on the brakes) Perhaps it's my own fault for not sitting down & wording things properly but then again...as I said at the beginning...

Then again, it's the general assumption in this thread that because someone is tailgating, the guy in front must be going at a snails pace...utter bull**** in most cases.

tasslehoff · 26 Oct 2010 at 19:58

Rich_L said:
I'm sure I've mentioned before but the classic you see over here is 2 trucks on cruise control with a net speed difference of about 1mph in both lanes, it takes about 4 miles until one truck passes the other and then pulls over so you can get past

Can't get too frustrated though as it happens all the time, though strictly speaking it's against the Highway Code

Unfortunately not even truck drivers like to be stuck behind a slower one for miles on end....personally if a faster truck is overtaking me I'll ease off & let him(or her) in instead of having a lane blocked..wish I could say fellow drivers do the same when I'm overtaking...

Also workd both ways....try catching up to a car & moving out to overtake only for the plonker to start speeding up so you have to pull back in again...then repeat......then..yes....lights.

Trifid · 26 Oct 2010 at 20:22

I find 50w HID dipped beam (with projectors) and a car with a very crashy ride means that people don't tend to stick in front of me for very long... Every little bump makes it look like I am flashing the driver in front.

hurfdurf · 26 Oct 2010 at 20:24

Trifid said:
I find 50w HID dipped beam (with projectors) and a car with a very crashy ride means that people don't tend to stick in front of me for very long... Every little bump makes it look like I am flashing the driver in front.

Every little bump makes it feel like I'm being flashed from where I'm sat in mine

PeterNem · 26 Oct 2010 at 20:36

CaptainRAVE said:
Yep. Happened to me recently when I was in an average speed camera zone at 50. There were a cuple of lorries going slowly, so I overtook them and this guy comes up really quickly and flashes. So whereas I was going quicker than the lorries (and abolutely would pull back in as soon as possible) I decided to slow down and block him. I could feel the rage. We then got out of the 50 zone, so I pulled in around the lorries and put my foot down. Never saw him again. It certainly passed a long journey for me

If you're the one changing lanes and he's already in that lane and approaching from behind, you should give way to him and let him past first. Pulling out in front of someone and causing them to have to brake is no better than pulling out from a minor to a major road at a junction and causing someone to have to brake to stop from hitting you.

mjt · 26 Oct 2010 at 21:19

PeterNem said:
If you're the one changing lanes and he's already in that lane and approaching from behind, you should give way to him and let him past first. Pulling out in front of someone and causing them to have to brake is no better than pulling out from a minor to a major road at a junction and causing someone to have to brake to stop from hitting you.

This. If someone pulls out way ahead and I can see it from a mile off I just coast until I'm behind them. But when people pull out right in front of me and I have to brake, I'm none too pleased. The worst is when people pull out of side roads in front of you, only to then turn off 100m down the road (usually without indicating), causing me to brake twice. FFUUUUU :mad:

As for the motorways, I find weekend drivers are the worst. I swear they never use their mirrors. And then they're the ones giving you evils when you finally get passed :confused:

I find the problem here in Belgium is that if you keep a safe distance on the outside lane on a motorway, one of three things will happen:
1. Someone will take that space, thereby slowing you down and negating the safe distance.
2. The person behind you gets irate because you're not going fast enough (as in you're too far away from the car in front).
3. The car in front will never pull over, as you're too far away.

Over here you really have to drive up their chuff to get them to move over, making tailgating almost necessary to make progress on some stretches of road

I only ever flash to get them to move if they're really taking their time over it, or they're hogging the middle lane. But swerving across 3 lanes usually gets them to move..
The only time I overtake on the inside is during flowing traffic on dual carriageways where everybody seems to prefer the outside lane, and on the very, very rare occassion that they don't ever move.