Flashing your brights

"facw" (facw) 07/25/2019 at 21:09 • Filed to: Headlights, New York Times

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So the Times has an article on headlight flashing:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Basically says not to do so in most cases, but I’m curious as to when Oppo does so.

For me, I hit them when:

An oncoming car has its high beams on (though it can be hard to tell these days so I err on the side of just being blinded)

A car has no lights on at night

A truck wants to change into my lane (or really any vehicle that appears to not be able to tell if there is enough room)

There’s a reason to warn oncoming drivers about a situation ahead (strangely the article quotes a AAA guy as recommending doing this at night by turning your lights off instead, which seems nuts, I want my lights on at night).

So how does Oppo flash their high-beams?

Link in case Kinja: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

DipodomysDeserti > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:14

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I flash my brights and offroad lights repeatedly  at people not going at least five over the limit.

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:15

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It must a rural Ontario thing, but flashing to warn the on coming car of a cop ahead. I never notice it in the city, but in the rural areas it's common. 

atfsgeoff > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:15

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The only time I flash my brights is to signal to someone trying to merge into traffic that I’m letting them cut in front of me. I used to flash the brights to signal to left lane bandits to get out of the passing lane, but have found literally 0% success in this technique.

facw > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 07/25/2019 at 21:17

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That exists elsewhere, they mention it in the story. I’d do that except I always forget. People have been charged with a crime for it here, but the courts seem to agree it’s protected speech in the US.

facw > atfsgeoff 07/25/2019 at 21:21

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Honestly, my success rate for signalling anything is pretty close to 0%. I’m not sure if that’s because people just pay no attention to what they are doing, or if they are really confused as to what things mean.

The most satisfying missed signal was when I flashed the guy across an intersection because his lights were off. Then when it turned green the car behind him lit up (I hadn’t even noticed it was a police car) and pulled over the guy with no lights. I wonder if the police would have let it go if the driver had taken the hint and got his lights on.

E90M3 > atfsgeoff 07/25/2019 at 21:21

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In Texas, at night, the constant high beam seemed to do the trick. 

nj959 > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:22

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An oncoming car has its high beams on (though it can be hard to tell these days so I err on the side of just being blinded)

I just turn my brights on. I need to see and the other person driving around with the brights on constantly can get bent.

A car has no lights on at night

In my experience, the sort of person who does this is not going to get the message to turn their lights on unless I can literally pull up alongside them and get them to roll down their window. I’ve mostly given up on it, the cops can deal with them.

A truck wants to change into my lane (or really any vehicle that appears to not be able to tell if there is enough room)

I usually just turn my headlights on and off a few times if at night. During the day, I’ll flash my brights or even give the horn a few taps.

There’s a reason to warn oncoming drivers about a situation ahead (strangely the article quotes a AAA guy as recommending doing this at night by turning your lights off instead, which seems nuts, I want my lights on at night).

I think cycling the lights is fairly universal for “cop ahead” but I guess brights work too.

Otherwise, I’ll flash my brights at a left lane hog if they make no effort to move over after about 30 seconds and there’s no way for me to pass safely.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:23

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Never unless it is “go ahead”

If it’s “whoa holy fuck!!! your pulling out in front of me!!! We’re both gonna die!!! ” or something similar.... then the real brights and horn.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > DipodomysDeserti 07/25/2019 at 21:23

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For real? I won't judge

JeepJeremy > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 07/25/2019 at 21:25

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We do that here in Ohio too! I love blowing some Smokey Bear’s cover when I’m out driving around. You gotta keep them honest!

nj959 > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/25/2019 at 21:26

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I prefer to just give them a little push.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:28

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those 4

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:30

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W hen I do it, it means:

1) turn on your headlights M O R A N S

2) watch out for speed trap/deer/stopped vehicle over a blind hill

lscrx > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:31

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I live in a semi-rural area, and usually only flash my brights when oncoming traffic forgets to dim theirs. When driving my wife’s 2019 Forester I find myself getting flashed by oncoming drivers that want me to dim the (LED) low beams :-/

When that is the case, I quickly blink the high beams so that they know I am capable of much worse.

OPPOsaurus WRX > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:31

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i will rapidly flash them to let someone know i’m letting them in. If someone has their high beams on i turn mine on too (as long as no one else will be blinded) if their headlights are off i will turn mine off just for a fraction on a second which is usually enough for them to get the point.

DipodomysDeserti > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 07/25/2019 at 21:32

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No way. Everyone here carry guns in their cars.

Also, I’m not that big of an asshole in real life.

DipodomysDeserti > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 07/25/2019 at 21:33

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People here do that, but only in the day time.

Chuckles > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:34

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I don't flash my high beams at all anymore. I used to in all of those circumstances but it was bad for my mental health. I actually had a bit of a road rage incident because someone was driving at night without their headlights on. I was behind them and flashed repeatedly and they did nothing. I pulled up alongside of them (legally), honked and shouted out my window. No response. It got out of hand and I told myself I wasnt dealing with that again. Some people can't be helped.

dogisbadob > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:36

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Flashing for high beams, to let someone in, or to let a pedestrian cross the street

When a car has no lights on, I turn them off and quickly turn them back on (but I only turn them off one clock so that the taillights and side markers are still lit)

someassemblyrequired > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:37

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I do it to people that are sitting at green lights but have zoned out. 95% of the time i t seems to be enough to wake them from their daze without having to honk.

CB > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:45

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I flash when people have their high beams on. That's it.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > facw 07/25/2019 at 21:48

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I don’t bother because the other drivers are all idiots.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 07/25/2019 at 21:52

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You’re not the only one, have noticed this in rural Ontario also. It’s also super illegal (several hundred dollar ticket if I remember correctly) 

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > facw 07/25/2019 at 22:08

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I flash brights to pass left- lane bandits and it sometimes works (but no one ever speeds up). I do it for obnoxious brights in the oncoming lane(steady blast until passed), I double flash plus waving to signal I’m letting someone in, and I’ve had luck  flashing like a madman and the switching my lights on and off has given me luck with people who don’t have their lights on. Road hazards I signal with the hazard lights ( and honking if necessary)

MM54 > facw 07/25/2019 at 22:11

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Years ago I was in my crown vic in the leftmost lane (of 3) behind someone going about 10 under the speed limit. I flashed my lights a couple times and to my surprise he got over... then the far lane... then the shoulder w/blinkers . I’m pretty sure he thought I was pulling him over. Oops.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > dogisbadob 07/25/2019 at 22:11

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I’ve had a lot of luck doing the same

AestheticsInMotion > facw 07/25/2019 at 22:31

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I flash if there's a speed trap behind me, or if someone has all lights out at night. 

OPPOsaurus WRX > The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock 07/25/2019 at 22:32

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i think there was a Lento’s Law YouTube  video about someone who got ticketed for warning people of a speed trap.

wafflesnfalafel > facw 07/25/2019 at 22:49

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I hardly ever flash, but I will do a quick on/off/on blink for folks who don’t have their lights on or look like are driving around with brights. Seems to be less offensive than a brights flash in case the oncoming driver is some psycho.  On the rare occasion I actively want to p!$$ somebody off I absolutely will pull full brights and fogs hanging the left corner on the line to make sure it glares nice and bright in their mirror...

Urambo Tauro > facw 07/25/2019 at 23:10

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I flash my high beams a lot less, now that I’ve found out that it’s illegal to do so at oncoming traffic in my state . But as near as I can tell , I can s till flash them at people driving too slowly in front of me.

Bo Knows > facw 07/25/2019 at 23:15

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To let others know how friendly I am

SilentButNotReallyDeadly...killed by G/O Media > facw 07/26/2019 at 00:36

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The only time I do it is if the oncoming car has their high beams up for too long.

But I’ll also go back to high beam in the last 50 metres before we pass. And my primary spots  are wired in permanently to my high beam...

ranwhenparked > facw 07/26/2019 at 00:51

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The last time I did it was to warn someone of two loose cow s in the road I had just swerved around.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > nj959 07/26/2019 at 06:59

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“Bump Draft”

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > facw 07/26/2019 at 07:03

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I used to flash people driving with their high beams on, then I found a better way:

That with my H ellas u sually gets the point across.

I used to give people a couple flashes to warn of cops, then I realized most people probably deserve to be pulled over anyway and stopped caring.

Other wise people trying to merge or driving without lights on get a “lights on-off-on-off-on”.

Bylan - Hoarder of LS400's > facw 07/26/2019 at 10:58

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My car has factory Hid's that are bright as the heavens so I never flash my high beams. I prefer to flash my lower fog lights if A. I think their brights are on (difficult to tell with all these ridiculous LED headlamps) or B. If theres a cop ahead and I feel they deserve a warning. 

CaptDale - is secretly British > facw 07/26/2019 at 12:47

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1 flash if someone oncoming has their brights on

2 flashes for someone hogging the left lane

3 flashes to let semi truck into passing lane

2 flashes to oncoming traffic for road hazard