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Pretty common practice on the Interstate's.
High beams as a warning
- Thread starter waffles
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It was common here in Pa but i don't see it as much now. The way a lot of people drive nowadays I figure they deserve to be fined.
I will flash lights to warn traffic of a road hazard ahead of them... dead deer, rubbish on the road, fallen branches etc. they may not know why I've flashed but at least it will put them on alert (the ones that aren't brain dead).
I still flash lights at truckers when it is OK to pull back into the right lane ahead of me when they are passing. I usually wait until after I see their right turn signal come on and they have safe clearance. And most of the time I get a thank you "blink of the trailer lights" in return when they completed the lane change. Anyone else do this?
John
I will flash lights to warn traffic of a road hazard ahead of them... dead deer, rubbish on the road, fallen branches etc. they may not know why I've flashed but at least it will put them on alert (the ones that aren't brain dead).
I still flash lights at truckers when it is OK to pull back into the right lane ahead of me when they are passing. I usually wait until after I see their right turn signal come on and they have safe clearance. And most of the time I get a thank you "blink of the trailer lights" in return when they completed the lane change. Anyone else do this?
John
Jon651
Member
I don't see signaling with your high-beams done as much today as it was in years past. Maybe it's because there are so many more cars on the road, or folks don't want to irritate an oncoming driver (who may be unstable - it is Florida after all!), or perhaps people just don't care anymore - who knows?
In Florida, warning oncoming drivers with your high-beams of a speed trap used to be illegal. If caught doing it, the police would issue you a ticket for "Improper use of emergency lights" - at the time it was about a $50-75 fine from what I've heard (never got caught myself). I think about 10 years back a judge started throwing out those tickets so that pretty much ended the worry of getting a fine.
If someone flashes their lights at me, I ignore them. You want to speed, go ahead, but I won't warn you if there is a PO setting by the road running radar or whatever.
I live in rural Colorado and regularly travel at night. The section of road between my house and town is called venison alley for all the deer hit. Which brings me to the point of my reply. How is it beneficial to blind an oncoming car with your bright lights, to warn the approaching driver there are deer in the road. The flashing of brights usually get brights flashed back and now everybody has reduced vision in the dark. That has always bothered me. Since @ 1965 every car has a feature few know about. This feature is called "Hazard of Emergency Flashers". Hmmm, there is a hazard ahead that I want to warn others about. What to do, what to do? (Tongue in cheek). I regularly use them to warn oncoming drivers rather than blind them.
Most drivers stopped doing that after getting ticketed for it. Seems there is a law against that in CO. I lived there 50 years and used to flip the lights a lot. Till I got a ticket.
True, we all would. However, if by flashing your lights gets folks to slow down or warning them of an approaching a hazard, mission accomplished - my job wasn't to see how many tickets I could write or how much revenue I could generate, it was to keep folks safe. I saw it as a force multiplier. If I could get folks to help me slow people down or obey the law, wonderful. I am also in the free speech camp.
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Back in my LEO days, I would stop someone I caught flashing their headlights after seeing a speed trap. I never asked them if they were warning motorists about another officer running radar. I would ask for license and registration, then ask if they were aware their headlights were flashing on then off and on and off again. Almost every time they would answer in the negative. I would return to my patrol car, run a M&W to find out if there were warrants, a few times there were, which led to arrests. I would then issue a ticket for defective equipment. Worked every time.
Old Arkansawyer
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It is still a common practice here in NW Arkansas. I also flash my lights
at big trucks passing me, to let them know they are clear and can pull
back into my lane. Back in my driving days about all truckers would flash
some of their rear lights to just say thanks. Truckers today maybe 2 of
10 will respond, I always assume they are old experienced truckers or
have been trained by one.
at big trucks passing me, to let them know they are clear and can pull
back into my lane. Back in my driving days about all truckers would flash
some of their rear lights to just say thanks. Truckers today maybe 2 of
10 will respond, I always assume they are old experienced truckers or
have been trained by one.
If there's a on the road hazard for drivers I will flash. For speeders, no, they get what they deserve. Helping them out this time is not going to change their habits.
Yes, I got a speeder two years ago, first one in over 30 years. I've slowed down since.
Paid a lawyer to keep it hush hush, a very common thing here in NC.
You get a ticket, within 2 days you have dozens of solicitations in the mail to get it scrubbed.
Yes, I got a speeder two years ago, first one in over 30 years. I've slowed down since.
Paid a lawyer to keep it hush hush, a very common thing here in NC.
You get a ticket, within 2 days you have dozens of solicitations in the mail to get it scrubbed.
Cops I know have told me the main benefit of speed enforcement is not traffic safety, but that it allows them to stop cars and apprehend many impaired drivers and drivers with warrants. Granted, these are city cops not HP.
With the "Road rage" thing, I seldom flash any more but.........
a few days ago coming home from a BD party, the was a car in the middle lane on I80 with it;s right blinker on and not pulling over, with no other cars around.
I gave it two "Flashes" to see if the driver would move over or turn off the blinker.
It finally changed over to the slow lane and turned off a mile later.
Flashing your lights can do other things but that is just for those that are in the know, and know what's up. I don't want to get anyone in trouble or make people mad, if done wrong........ so will leave it at that.
a few days ago coming home from a BD party, the was a car in the middle lane on I80 with it;s right blinker on and not pulling over, with no other cars around.
I gave it two "Flashes" to see if the driver would move over or turn off the blinker.
It finally changed over to the slow lane and turned off a mile later.
Flashing your lights can do other things but that is just for those that are in the know, and know what's up. I don't want to get anyone in trouble or make people mad, if done wrong........ so will leave it at that.
JcMack
Member
I flash lights to warn of "smokies" and more often when on the intestate or around town that there's room for a passing semi to get back in the lane in front of me.
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AJ
US Veteran
When I first started driving here in Florida using the high beams to denote a speed trap was a normal thing. Also saw it most everywhere I went on the east coast. Another thing that I do not see much anymore is the use of your high beams to let a semi know you are passing him or that he has enough room to come over after passing you.
J. R. WEEMS
Member
ON COMING
I still do this for truckers. For others, I did this for years, and still might if the mood stricks me. However, these days I feel LEO are just going their job and for this reason, no so much any more. I am almost 78 and have never had a ticket of any kind and feel if I abide by the law then so shoud others. I see on a dailey basics people running red lights, texting, etc. Speed is rampant. so, just follow the rules.
I still do this for truckers. For others, I did this for years, and still might if the mood stricks me. However, these days I feel LEO are just going their job and for this reason, no so much any more. I am almost 78 and have never had a ticket of any kind and feel if I abide by the law then so shoud others. I see on a dailey basics people running red lights, texting, etc. Speed is rampant. so, just follow the rules.
I still do it here, WI. Not as much as we used to but occasionally I get flashed.
Bozz10mm
US Veteran
I used to see it here all the time way back before the advent of radar detectors. Don't see it much anymore. I just think the tradition wasn't passed down to the new generations of drivers.
meaneyedcatz
Member
In some areas it is illegal to warn others of a speed trap.
And I'm sure some will not warn others thinking if if someone gets a ticket then they should not have been speeding
And I'm sure some will not warn others thinking if if someone gets a ticket then they should not have been speeding
No warnings from me, either. I actually get a little chuckle out of it when some knucklehead passes me like I'm standing still and eventually I go by him and a trooper having a friendly chat a couple of miles on down the road. It happens!
But to the OP's topic, yes, that practice was somewhat common around here when I was a young fellow, but I rarely see it these days. Now I think it is more common to see that indicating a hazard in the roadway, rather than coppers.
