Flashing Other Users

January 4, 2007 ukpylot 4 comments

One difference I continually notice between UK and US driving is in the meaning of flashing one’s headlights. At home, it almost always means “after you” or “I’m letting you out” but every time I flash someone here to let them know to come out it is taken as a warning and they don’t come out. I’ve been doing it for years and I don’t seem to learn.

Only got one MINI related gift this Christmas – a bunch of new magnetic badges. I don’t really expect a lot of MINI news this year but I’ll continue to post pointless junk as and when I feel like it. Happy New Year, all.

General none

Comments

Written by Ian C. about 5 years ago.

I gave up flashing headlights years ago – both for courtesy messages and as a “turn your rear fogs off” (or “dip your high beams”) d***head

People seem to drive in their own world over here.
Written by twistybitz about 5 years ago.

You Brits. We drive the way we were taught as you do. When I was in high school we had, mountain driving, freeway driving, surface street, hill and slalom techniques driving etiquette and so on. We were taught to flash a thank you high beam to truckers when they flashed us over and after we passed them and so on.

Today I don’t think there is much “Driver Training” in schools like I had. Now if you flash at someone that they have their lights on at night or to “go ahead and pull in” you might get road rage or the bird! I wonder if England has changed as it has here with too many people?

My daughter lives in Holland and says the Round About etiquette of telling other drivers of your intended direction by the use of blinkers seems to be dead and that more and more it’s just becoming a free for all.
Written by ukpylot about 5 years ago.

Back in England in November my Dad would still flash his lights to let people know to pull out in front of him on the motorway, and it always worked. Usually got a wave too!

I am going to try to stop my headlight flashing habit, I think it causes more confusion here than helps.
Written by Josh Wardell about 5 years ago.

As far as I have seen around here, in the case of letting someone else out, flashing your lights tells them to go. I see it repeatedly. How else are you to tell them to go?

But I am cautious to flash, say, passing minis, because any other traffic may take it as an insult and get arrogant with you.