What do forum members think about the use of 'unofficial' signals that have gained some measure of popularity over the years? And no, not the rude gesture variety!
Things like a brief left indicator (plus possibly a slight move to the left) to a potential overtaker?
The 'biggie', of course, being headlight flashing - in all its guises. I still recall a work colleague from Zimbabwe who had a very close shave in this country. Driving down a fast A-road, an oncoming car was waiting to turn right. He flashed his lights as a warning of his approach (the only interpretation in his country), and of course the other driver took it as an indication to turn across him. My friend was able to (just) pass him on the wrong side of the road, but he was badly shaken by the event :-(
The use of such signals is okay among those 'in the know', but are they best avoided in case they are mis-interpreted?
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If someone lets me infront of them when changing lanes, say on a motorway. a flash of the hazards is what i use to say thanks - something I have picked up from my dad - I dont know if other drivers acknowledge this but i think its easier than indicating one way and then another - to say thanks.
But im finding it rarer and rarer these days that someone thanks me for letting them infront of me (if I actually get the chance to)
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Thats the "old" way of doing it I think... nowadays they alternate the indicators (left, rght, left) to say thanks...
Re the flashing of headlights... it pays to read up on the country you are visiting! Although officially its the rule that its just to tell the other driver you are there, many sites warn that it can be used as a "call on" as well... confusing! Must have scared the heck out of the other driver as well!
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A flashing headlight is indiscriminate.
The flasher (oo, er missus) knows who he is flashing, but other drivers in line of sight do not.
I've been in near-miss situations at junctions where car one flashes at car two, but car three moves off/keeps coming because, quite reasonably, he believes the flash was aimed at him.
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>> Thats the "old" way of doing it I think... nowadays they alternate the indicators (left,
>> rght, left) to say thanks...
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In days of old, the default "thank you" was two flicks of the side lights; easy with the old style toggle switches. Some use hazards, but on many trucks it's simply easier to do the "left-right-left" with the indicators.
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I use the left/right flash for a trucker or caravanner who has let me in.
Headlights ? Never ! As Iffy says you don't know who is flashing at who.
Many times, waiting to turn right into our road, I've been flashed by oncoming cars ( usually the last one in the line, who doesn't flash 'til he's nearly stopped ).
There could well be an inexperienced kid on a scooter or bike coming up his nearside.
If I want someone to pass across my front, I check behind and wave them across with my hand.
It's dog eat dog ( sorry, Perro ) out there.
I just don't believe anyone who flashes their lights at me so I don't flash at them
Ted
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>> If I want someone to pass across my front, I check behind and wave them
>> across with my hand.
I think hand signals are best, too.
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I think it depends entirely what sort of roads we are talking about.
In my rural area of narrow lanes with passing places, it is entirely sensible that a short flash means "you come on, there's a passing place here".
Then when the other passes, he waves a thanks, or gives a tiny toot, and the first driver similarly acknowledges the thanks. That procedure works well and is clear and unambiguous.
But on a fast main road it is dangerous to make any assumptions about what a flash means, and almost as dangerous to give a flash in case it is misunderstood.
If you see someone edging out of a side road, flashing them "to make them aware of your presence" is a potential accident. It is just as likely to cause them to emerge as to pull back. A horn warning is the only unambiguous one. It is curt and peremptory and quite unambiguously means "don't you dare pull out".
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I saw a near miss the other day caused by flashing. Car waiting to turn right across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic, bus in the lane nearest the car stops before the junction and flashes its lights so the car driver sets off causing the car coming up the inside of the bus to do an emergency stop. Missed by a matter of inches.
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>> I saw a near miss the other day caused by flashing. Car waiting to turn
>> right across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic, bus in the lane nearest the car stops
>> before the junction and flashes its lights so the car driver sets off ............
>>
Classic gotcha for motorcyclists (or even pedal cyclists in heavy traffic). Overtaking a bus and he flashes someone out into your path; committed to the overtake you may not even see the flash.
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I wont flash
but i still occasionaly use a left hand down indicator to let the usually motorbike behind me but also sometimes a car that i am aware he is there and in my opinion its now safe to overtake me and thankyou for being patient
this used to happen a lot in the old days when wagons were much slower and the car you was in also may also have taken a little to wind it up to pass the wagon so it was nice and courteous to get the indicator flash
the good old days eh
when cars were slower and people had patience
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I did have a slightly near moment in my previous car.
Another driver waiting to pull in from side road, me bearing down main road at reasonable lick on bright sunny day, went through extremely shady patch, on and off go the auto headlights, out comes the driver...
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>> But im finding it rarer and rarer these days that someone thanks me for letting
>> them infront of me
I had to back out onto a road just around a sharp bend - room for people coming along to see and stop, *but* on this occasion, no-one I could see coming, so I reversed out, someone came along and had to slow down. I moved off and stopped 150 yds. down the road. The idiot drew alongside and yelled "What about giving me a thank you, then!". I don't know why.
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What about those oncoming twits who flash "thanks" at you when you pull into the side of a narrow road, or one with parked cars, to let them come through - at night! Thanks, but "no thanks"! Twonks.
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>> What about those oncoming twits who flash "thanks" at you when you pull into the
>> side of a narrow road, or one with parked cars, to let them come through
>> - at night! Thanks, but "no thanks"! Twonks.
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A "negative" flash is becoming quite common in our area - briefly turning the headlights off then back on again. No dazzle.
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Just waiting on the kerb to cross the road when a car coming from my right flashed me to cross. No he didn't,.... he was flashing a car parked to my left who was indicating to come out....Good job I'm ' car aware ' and looked left ! A different wrinkly, old fool might have gone .
Not that I would have crossed anyway...I normally just stand , wait and look gormless until they've sorted themselves out.
There's no rush to get to the finish line in this life !
It's frightening to note just how many people ' flash you out ' when there's traffic coming the other way !
Used to notice, some years ago, when waiting to come out of a minor road onto a very busy dual carriageway, the number of drivers coming from the right who were indicating to go left into ' my ' road yet carried on to turn into the petrol station just past the junction !
Traffic lights there now....thank the lord.
Ted
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Ah yes, Cliff - I'd forgotten the 'negative flash'.
I've used this on the rare occasions I've been a bit tardy undipping my headlights - to say 'sorry'.
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>> A "negative" flash is becoming quite common in our area - briefly turning the headlights
>> off then back on again. No dazzle.
SwotIdo or sometimes put my hand up near the screen for a wave - it can be seen.
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I've got xenons and DRLs, i am the scourge of all members of the vehicle lighting gestapo.
Have to be careful approaching traffic indicating right in case i go over a bump and they interpret it as a flash.
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>> I've got xenons
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>> Have to be careful approaching traffic indicating right in case i go over a bump
>> and they interpret it as a flash.
At least you realise that there are serious faults with your lighting system and take steps to minimise the problem!
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Just waiting on the kerb to cross the road when a car coming from my right flashed me to cross. No he didn't,.... he was flashing a car parked to my left who was indicating to come out....Good job I'm ' car aware ' and looked left ! A different wrinkly, old fool might have gone .
oh
this happened to me and the wife lat week,we thanked the driver then realised they were flashing a car out as their 4x4 vw couldnt possibly negotiate a right hand turn darlings
anyway as pedestrian plebs in our own village we were nearly run down
didnt get the number...probably a good thing too the wife says.........
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>> At least you realise that there are serious faults with your lighting system and take steps to minimise the problem!
It's called progress FT ;-)
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I don't know how unofficial signals came into play. They are not endorsed by Highway Code.
Some of them, especially headlight flash, is outright dangerous as in many other countries it means "get out of my way".
Highway Code rather states flash your headlight to alert other drivers your presence!!
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>> Highway Code rather states flash your headlight to alert other drivers your presence!!
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That mealy-mouthed wording is the cause of the problem. There is no point in alerting another driver of your presence unless it is intended that he does something with the information, and makes some assumption about why you are alerting him.
If you have stopped just behind an obstruction, leaving the passageway clear for an approaching driver, and then flash your lights, the only logical reason for telling him "I am here, stopped" is so that he can use that communication in order to proceed himself.
Contrast the HC advice on use of horns, which is to "warn another driver of your presence". There is a big difference in meaning between warn and alert.
If the HC means "warn" it should say so.
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Using 'unofficial' signals - good or bad? - Redviper
