Headlight etiquette

[PalmerWMD]

1) Flashing lights on and off to on coming traffic = cop set a speed trap 2) Flashing lights when behind someone = I want to pass 3) Flashing high beams to oncoming traffic = I want you to turn off your brights. 4) Driving down the road with your high beams on for no reason = I'm an a-hole!

Does everyone still play by these rules?

Fred...

[Tino]

you forget the double flash, someone flashes you for high beams but you dont have them on so you flash them back to tell them that and they feel stupid. =)

[AZhitman]

#2 is questionable. "I want to pass" is typically signified by using the left blinker signal (i.e. MOVE OVER). But the quick flick can be used as well.

Don't forget on-off = It's OK to merge in front of me.

On-off-on-off = Thanks for letting me merge (or pass).

[BuudWeizErr]

the blinking lights to warn about a cop saved my *** a couple times.

[themadscientist]

Mads etiquet;

High beam from behind = get the #@*% out of my way you slow &*@#% goof, I can feel my beard growing!

High beam at oncoming car = I think HIDs are great but if you don't turn your's off I'm going to think god is calling me home and haed for the light!

Blinker before I cut in front of you = try to block me in if you want but if you like your bumper attached get the %$#@ out of my way!

Slamming on the brakes in front of you = I don't like my paint job and you are just soooo close I figured you want to buy me a new one!

Beeping and waving at you = You chick is hot, hand her over!

[4cefed]

I think those only apply in europe unfortunately. I still go by it though. I've always thought it should be legal to bump someone that rides the passing lane.

[Bandit240]

LMAO@mad thats funny the light stuff still applys here, but then again i go by trucker rules.

[MetaOrbit]

1) Flashing lights on and off to on coming traffic = cop set a speed trap 2) Flashing lights when behind someone = I want to pass 3) Flashing high beams to oncoming traffic = I want you to turn off your brights. 4) Driving down the road with your high beams on for no reason = I'm an a-hole!

Does everyone still play by these rules?

Fred...

1) I used to do that, but now that I have HID headlights, and the hot restrike is harmful to them, I flash my brights instead. May be misleading, but I feel some warning is better than no warning at all.

2) Good idea, I only use it when some a-hole is blocking traffic in the left lane.

3) Yes, use it, again might be misleading due to my lighting technology now

4) Motherf******.

[skydragoness]

Hmm. For some reason in delaware, the flashing of the high beams to a slowpoke in the left lane just doesn't apply, or work. i know if I was looking in my rearview mirror and saw a car coming up behind me (though i don't hog the left lane) i'd instinctively move to the right, if possible. i mean, come on, y'know it's coming! so you might as well move over!

but most of those rules still apply. i also turn off/turn on my lights to those dumbnuts who think they don't need headlights/parking lights at dusk to be seen clearly and safely.

my h4's are aimed a little high (can't aim them any lower, the aiming screws are rusted!) and sometimes i get high-beamed, and then i flash 'em back.. hehehe succers. but once my car is lowered, then i won't have that prob, will i?

[Stoneage_Turbo]

always give a quicke flash to let someone in infront of you

still do the cop warning thing

quicike flash of lamps to buddies too

i use my lamps instaed of waving my hands around , fingers are always occpied flipping off suv drivers off on ther banzi run to the day car center

[Stoneage_Turbo]

"but most of those rules still apply. i also turn off/turn on my lights to those dumbnuts who think they don't need headlights/parking lights at dusk to be seen clearly and safely."

bad idea girl , some areas still use this as a gang initation tactic , they turn around and do bad things to ya

would hate to have anything happen to our lovely autocross godess

[slw240sx]

has anyone besides me noticed how many slow arses have been crusing in the left lanes on roads now days.. n theyy wont get out the way for nothing !!! or people who ride my arse too close.. ive even had to "BRAKE CHECK " a few cops recently cause they were getting way to close to me. i dont care who you are i dont play that game... assured distance means i could lock up all 4 brakes go into a horrbile smoke cloud as i go from 60 to 0 and you better damn well be able to avoid me or else your buyig me a new car

[theTony]

1) Flashing lights on and off to on coming traffic = cop set a speed trap 2) Flashing lights when behind someone = I want to pass 3) Flashing high beams to oncoming traffic = I want you to turn off your brights. 4) Driving down the road with your high beams on for no reason = I'm an a-hole!

Here's my takes:

1. I use my brights to warn others about cops2. I only use this very rearely and it is only in cases of extremely slow stupid drivers3. I don't do this often either, but I have it done to me on occasion with my HID's4. I have been known to do this only because I am not paying atttention and have not realized I have them on!

[skydragoness]

Quote »bad idea girl , some areas still use this as a gang initation tactic , they turn around and do bad things to ya [/quote]

gangs? in the middle of suburbia delaware? i think delaware people are too stupid to even think of something like that, let alone if they own cars

people are pretty clueless around here. and i think the lights off/lights on thing makes them see that i am "just turning on my lights' it's worked a couple of times. but now-a-days i just don't care anymore. i used to get really mad about it, and rant about it a lot, but i'm ok now. i'm ok. :pface

[Stoneage_Turbo]

oh , sorry grew up near tampa , went to military tech school near L.A. , basicly spent some time in the nastier side of humanity

never been to deleware , doesnt sound very exciteing

[Bubba1]

Fred's list is good, but I can think of one more. After you've been passed by a tractor trailer, it's polite to flash your brights once to signal the truck driver he has enough clearance to move over in front of you safely. They appreciate it.

[VimyJ]

1) Flashing lights on and off to on coming traffic = cop set a speed trap

I used to do this but then I found out that that is a crime in many areas. Thwarting a police investigation or something.

2) Flashing lights when behind someone = I want to pass

I like this idea, too, but be careful. Some numbnuts get offended by this. (See "Infiniti Speeding Stories")

3) Flashing high beams to oncoming traffic = I want you to turn off your brights

If you get a lot of flashes when you're using your low beams then you have to check your headlight aim. Get an expert to do this. Besides, is there anything more annoying than having a poorly aimed headlight lasaring right into your rearview mirrors at night? Also, if your headlights aren't where they should be for your own safety if they're lighting up the left side of the road. 4) Driving down the road with your high beams on for no reason = I'm an a-hole!

Dangerous. It also really bugs me when overly safety consious drivers put their brights on in the daytime. Low beams are perfect for that consideration. Brights lose none of their brightness even during the day. They easily overcome the ability of your corneas to contract.

I hope daytime running lights become standard equipment (an overide switch would be nice for cetain situtations).

One more pet peeve of mine is fog lights. They are for fog! The only illumination they give in noraml drivng conditions is a really quick look at the pot hole you nailed because your night vision has been reduced by the big patch of bright light extending 20 feet in front of you. Your eyes should be attuned to looking way down the road in the extreme range of the headlights. Turn down your dashboard illumination. Of course, once you get your eyes super attuned for night vision, along comes a happy motorist with his missaimed HID brights who closes his eyes because of your flashing at him with your eyes shut and you have a head on collision. :rolleyes

[diamondj30]

yep

[PalmerWMD]

As usual Vimy shows a lot of insight and I agree.

Fred...

[Cold_Zero]

I find it funny on the Autobahn that it is illegal to use your horn to instruct someone to move over and its illegal to make obscene gestures to another driver. The Polizei will pull you over and give you a ticket for these offenses and for running out of gas and tailgating (there version of tailgating is not that close). Instead of a flat fee, you are assessed a fine based on your total worth. Which means I could commit crimes all day long and not be out any money.

[VimyJ]

I find it funny on the Autobahn that it is illegal to use your horn to instruct someone to move over and its illegal to make obscene gestures to another driver. The Polizei will pull you over and give you a ticket for these offenses and for running out of gas and tailgating (there version of tailgating is not that close). Instead of a flat fee, you are assessed a fine based on your total worth. Which means I could commit crimes all day long and not be out any money.

If you didn't have much money then you probably couldn't afford to drive a car in Germany. It's more than the cost of fuel. I know that they have very strict and expensive licencing proceedures. In the UK, which I'm a little bit more knowledgable of, there are strict safety checks that applied here would take 50% of the cars off the road. Not a totally bad idea, IMHO. There is a similar system in Germany in believe.

[PalmerWMD]

It can cost as much as $2000 to get a license in Germany or germanic (Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein) countries..This is due mostly to the multihour professional driving instructuons thats mandatory for evereyone.Quick learners have been known to do it in only $1000 worth of instruction.(Women usually pay more, cuz they dont pass a lot of the milestone exams as quickly (no joke, this is actual well understodd trend there)).

Also there is no such thing as a $1500 car, thats legal to drive.That's because after a certain age cars have to be tested yearly.

The system is set -up so at eaxch step, the controller has a vested self interest, to be tough in their checking.

In licensing its driving schools that test when the applicant is ready to drive, or has to take more hours of instruction with them.In inspections its likely done the same shop that will fix your car up to spec, thats testing to see if it is still safe on the road and/or needs fixing (they check not just brakes (rust holes are an automatic failure as long as they are actual holes etc etc).

Fred..

[neurovish]

...don't forget flashing high beams to signal somebody that it's safe to move back over (after passing) aka The Hook Up

...and flashing trailer lights/hazards to acknowledge The Hook Up when you are the one doing the passing

[AZhitman]

Fred & Vim, I agree totally. Mandatory vehicle inspections like they do in the SE U.S. would be such a benefit here in AZ. I see cars with severe (like you know the ins. co. totalled it) body damage, tires with the steel belts showing, no lights, no wipers, missing trunk or hood, no brake lights, brake pads down through the metal, exhaust dragging the ground, and so on...

We actually had a House Bill proposed that would require basic safety inspections at least once every three years. Problem is, one of our genius Democrat legislators here actually had the forethought to oppose it. What was the basis for the opposition? Well, the convcern was that such inspections would "unneccissarily single out and penalize our miniority populations." WTF? How does THAT make you feel? The gist is basically, we know our minority (i.e. Hispanic) population drives a bunch of POS's and we don't want to lose that vote. The great part is no one in the Latino community even caught the major diss. Whatever.

[APEXi240]

We actually had a House Bill proposed that would require basic safety inspections at least once every three years. Problem is, one of our genius Democrat legislators here actually had the forethought to oppose it. What was the basis for the opposition? Well, the convcern was that such inspections would "unneccissarily single out and penalize our miniority populations." WTF? How does THAT make you feel? The gist is basically, we know our minority (i.e. Hispanic) population drives a bunch of POS's and we don't want to lose that vote. The great part is no one in the Latino community even caught the major diss. Whatever.

I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with the South West...what kind of inspection laws do you have? (if any).

We get inspections every other year in NJ, and it would be every year if it weren't for the amount of cars on the road (it wasn't uncommon to wait 1-2 hours in line to just get the car inspected). If they are that lenient in the southwest I might have a new place I want to move (right now its florida since there is basically no emmissions testing).

[themadscientist]

well in the boonies of Japan it is still possible to get the hookup. It's called a KamiShaken or paper inspection. It should be interesting when I get the Silvia done and take it in for inspection. The shop guys are going to freak out when they pop the hood and the CA is gone.

[AZhitman]

Apex - NO inspection laws here. That's the problem. I've seen cars on the road in AZ at freeway speeds that have been TOTALLED and somehow still run. Amazing.

Nice weather here - More sunny days than anywhere in the US, and the highest "bikini per capita" rate in the States.