Flashing Your Headlights

[billyboy]

the flashing of headlights here seems to mean either "get out of my way I am comming through" (bus drivers all untrained) or " hey look, my lights work" from the guy with a recent motor.
No HGV test here, if you have the money you have the licence. NOBODY here is trained how to drive or taught roadcraft. Dangerous homicidal maniacs the lot of them.

[Western SMT]

This is from an official Philippine source -

Drivers routinely ignore stoplights, lane markers and other traffic control devices and traffic rules are rarely enforced. As in most places where traffic is highly congested and under-regulated, driving in the Philippines requires maximum attention and patience to avoid accidents.

[billyboy]

ha ha ha...I like that Western SMT.
I have the experience where I have been in a line of slow moving traffic, no chance to overtake anything due to oncoming traffic. look in the mirror to see a bus with headlights on going like a bat out of hell towards the oncoming traffic. at the last moment he puts his indicator on and MOVES IN. had to anchor up a time or two here to avoid being side swiped off the highway. they really are quite terrible. they dont give a toss about their passengers being killed or the vehicles they force off the road.
Yes driving here can be fun...LOL

[Western SMT]

Taken from USA/Canada -

The flashing of headlights is open to interpretation but usually has the same meanings as it has in the UK and Europe, depending on the situation:

At night, for no apparent reason: - Turn on your lights!

At night, by a vehicle coming in the opposite direction: - Dip your lights!

From behind on the open road: - Speed up or get out of my way!

By a vehicle coming in the opposite direction, for no apparent reason: There's a police car, a speed check, or some danger or obstruction up ahead - slow down!

At a four way stop, from a vehicle which draws up to the intersection at the same time as you: - After you!

As in Europe, many US and Canadian drivers, when overtaken on a high speed road by a large tractor-trailer truck, will flash their headlights to indicate to the truck driver that he's far enough ahead to merge in front of them. This is because it's often difficult for truck drivers to judge the length of their long vehicles, and because drivers sharing the road with trucks don't wish to be hit by trucks whose drivers have pulled into their lane in front of them too soon. Most truck drivers appreciate headlight flashes and will flash their "marker" lights (those on the corners of their vehicle) as a way of saying "thank you."

[Energumen]

What an interesting thread subject.

[Bobjork]

Ah, headlight flash... could mean so much. Some drivers use it to say hello when they meet another driver from the same company. But they're told not not.
I once met a guy that flashed the headlight. "Hello" I thought and saluted him with the left indicator. After passing him I saw a car standing across my lane...
That was what he meant with flashing the headlight... to warn me about the car...

Often, flashing the headlights means "You m*ron" or something like that. But it can also mean "Hey, I've stopped here, so you can pass the doubleparked car"

By the way, in Sweden you must have lights on even in daylight.
I often drive in the dark. Nice to drive on a dark road, in rain and meet another bus in a 90 degree turn

Western SMT post about canada can apply to Sweden, except the "after you"

[Western SMT]

Western SMT post about Canada can apply to Sweden, except the "after you"

It seems the British habit of flashing your lights to let people go first 'after you' is a bad idea - in much of mainland europe, flashing your lights like that means "watch out, here I come" in other words, exactly the opposite of what you have grown to expect at home.

[huppypuppy]

In Australia, flashing lights has three different meanings and I will elaborate on the main ones:

1. It means that someone is approaching a vehicle with their high beam lights on - not only is it dangerous, but, in the Australian road rules, highly illegal and can attract a substantial monetary fine.

2. It also means a heavy goods vehicle or other vehicle is preparing to overtake a slower moving vehicle, and

3. That a HGV or other heavy vehicle has gotten past the vehicle it is overtaking and the driver of the vehicle has signalled that the HGV driver is clear to return to the lane of traffic - a lot of people don't do it but it is common courtesy to let the HGV driver know that he or she is clear of your car, ute, etc. and can re-enter your lane. Usually met with a thank-you flash of right-left-right-left.

Hope this helps on the Australian way of light flashing

Joe

[Mandator]

I remember seeing the night trunkers flick their tail lights off and on twice to warn drivers behind they were stopping as there was no such thing as brake lights in those days - pre 1950s and very early 60s.
Drivers don't seem to flash each other in nowadays,it was an unwritten law when I was on the road.

[G-CPTN]

I still get acknowledgement (double actuation of tail lamps or hazard flashers) from HGV drivers that I flash after they have overtaken me (mainly non-UK trucks - ie Irish - and PSVs).