Driving Lesson - Flashing Headlights

sarahg1969

smcaul wrote: »

If there had been an accident then the women would not have had a defence in court!

Depends which court. She may well be criticised in a criminal case (I don't really know), but I've seen such a defence used (successfully) in a number of civil cases. Mind you, they were all clearly set ups.

CHR15

smcaul wrote: »

And in my 20 years of driving, much of which has involved doing 100k miles a year in cars, artics and on motorbikes I can assure you that I and plenty of others use flashing of headlights as the same as sounding a horn!

Ahhh, so during your 100,000 miles of driving artics and such, you have never seen an lorry flash his headlights as a courtesy sign for the overtaking lorry it is safe to move back in??

So all these lorries who flash the overtaking lorry are ACTUALLY shouting "hey, I'm here, get out of my way??"

You do know this forum is UK based? I'm not sure where you drove your 100k miles, but it wasn't on the roads of this shore.

Nobody has questioned what the highway code says, we are discussing what ACTUALLY happens, in REAL life on REAL Roads.

pendulum

Freddie_Snowbits wrote: »

Because she was going to turn into moving traffic

Yeah well she did do after you flashed her out you pillock...

This thread's got to have been a joke from the start. Surely noone can be serious in believing flashing headlights at a car waiting at a junction (without intending to give way) is a good idea.

Think next time. Your badly timed flashing made the situation worse :rolleyes: (If it really happened).

smcaul

Yep I have used the "Flashing" of the lights to let other trucks know that they are clear to pull in, so using the lights to let someone know you are there - which is the correct use.

So not using the lights as a rebuke, which just like the horn, is not what they should be used for.

I personally do not use the lights to "flash" out other vehicles at a junction, if I want them to move out then I stop in good time so they can see that there is a gap.

movingforward2010

i usually flash:

*to let someone out of a junction

*warn someone on a country road that theres 20 cyclists around the next bend

* let someone pull out on the motor way

* when they are approaching a mobile speed camera van

* someone has dangerously overtaken and heading towards me on the wrong side of the road at high speed - having said that i was once told if you've got time to flash your lights or flick the v's it was'nt close!

before_hollywood

thread title says she was on a driving lesson?

surely she was doing what her instructor says?

marleyboy

I would not trust a flashing light as a courtesy "proceed". But I guess thats because I know the Highway code. I am sure if someone flashed me and as a direct result of assuming a right of passage, caused an accident, my insurance company wouldn't accept "Well they flashed me" as an acceptable get out clause.

It is common in Manchester for people to create accident's so as to write off their old bangers, put in a claim for whiplash or personal injury. How easy it would be for them to simply flash a light at a potential target, safe in the knowledge they will fall for it hook, line and sinker.

Its always best and advisable, to always follow the Rules of the road, not to make them up to suit a situation. It is after all, why we have such a thing as a Highway Code.

In a Driving lesson, you are taught NOT to accept a flashing light to mean you can proceed, but to make your own judgements on the road and NOT another driver's.

In a driving test, assuming a flash is some courtesy will fail you outright. Simply because you broke the rules.

barvid

marleyboy wrote: »

This may be true to your interpritation of it, however LEGALLY it is NOT! One could easily (and do) fail their driving test for accepting it as courtesy, suggest you check this up.

Unfortunately, "legally" and "it's in the Highway Code" are not the same thing. The HC doesn't define a driver's legal obligations, just good practice for the road. I spent a good deal of time arguing with the police's insurer after one of their cars rammed me, and was able to use the case that confirms this as one of my arguments. I did win...

tr82

When I was a boy racer we spent our weekend evenings down the park. The police were always hassling us.

One night we're driving up the spine road through the park and there's a police car coming in the opposite direction signalling right ... so I flashed my lights ... and deliberately kept going ... meanwhile the police car pulls right in front of me and I have to do an emergency stop, tooted the horn at them ... then into first and drove like the clappers with the police car following.

I stop as soon as he puts his blue lights on. The officer was raging "what the f**k was that about" he says ... so being the teenage pedant I was I reminded him that flashing your headlights means "I'm here" and NOTHING ELSE (as per the highway code) and that he was entirely in the wrong for pulling out in front of me.

Three more police cars later and the whole contents of my car were on the pavement, my mate had been busted for having two doobies on him and I was getting done for non-standard licence plates.

Ah, the Police. Always right. Even when they're wrong.

sagalout1954

You misinterpreted her 'shaking fist', that (along with the 2 fingered salute) means oops, sorry!