Driver in overtaking lane at 65mph

SHIPSHAPE

PollyOnAMission wrote: »

I asked my instructor this question when doing my advanced driving course. The general upshot of his response was:


Headlight flashing is to warn people of your presence and therefore it is acceptable to flash your lights to make someone aware you are there and that they should pull over.

Sorry, don't believe you.

Flashing headlights means absolutely nothing in law. Indeed, one can be booked for the mis-use of headlights.

And please don't quote the Highway Code on this issue, it isn't law.

No good instructor would advise what you say.

Obukit

SHIPSHAPE wrote: »

And please don't quote the Highway Code on this issue, it isn't law.

The Highway Code isn't law but failure to observe the Highway Code can be evidence of

careless (falls below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver)

or dangerous (the way he drives falls far below what would be expected of a competent and careful driver, and it would be obvious to a competent and careful driver that driving in that way would be dangerous)

as a competent and careful driver is expected to abide by the Highway Code.

andygb

McKneff wrote: »

OPtion 4

Go back to the inside lane and still stay behind her. You were quite happy to stay at that speed, seeing as you were behind her doing it.

You both should have been in the inside lane anyway.

I do not agree, because the OP wished to overtake the other person who had incorrectly "parked" themselves in the outside lane. The other car should have moved to the inside lane, the OP should have been able to overtake and then move to the inside lane after.
I had an incident the other day, where a car came off a slip road - four lane motorway - and proceeded to move straight into the third lane at 60 MPH (there was no other traffic around), after I had moved across to the second lane, because I had noticed him wishing to merge - I was doing 70 MPH.
I looked in my mirror and readied myself to overtake, but there were two cars in lane 4 going faster than the limit, so I returned to lane 1 leaving a clear lane between us, and carefully passed him, whilst the other cars doing in excess of 90 MPH sailed past in the outside lane.
When I had passed him, I noticed that he was flashing me, but continuing to drive at the same speed in lane 3 despite there being no traffic in lanes 1 and 2.
There are idiots on the road, who think that they can make up speed limits and deliberately slow people down.

BobQ

SHIPSHAPE wrote: »

Sorry, don't believe you.

Flashing headlights means absolutely nothing in law. Indeed, one can be booked for the mis-use of headlights.

And please don't quote the Highway Code on this issue, it isn't law.

No good instructor would advise what you say.

I was told the same thing as the person you do not believe during a driver awareness course conducted by a police driving instructor.

As you and the person you disbelieve both say, flashing your lights has no meaning in law other than to draw attention to the fact you are there, but provided its done from a safe distance and not aggressively repeated its appropriate.

Obviously you are so conceited that you will not believe me either.

hareng

Obukit wrote: »

Bizarrely one of my wife's work colleagues thought that on a dual carriageway you should "choose a lane and stick to it", and use to get very annoyed at people "changing lanes all the time to overtake".

I firmly believe this is down to two things, driving instructors and US television.
Other than that its pure selfishness.

Had a similar thing this morning to your second para, except i had to boot it hard up hard shoulder or cause mayhem.

Wheres the consideration for other road users gone to. Even 30 yr ago respect and consideration was probably shown by 95% of drivers, that has to be 10% nowadays.
Show consideration get respect and vice versa.

SHIPSHAPE

BobQ wrote: »

I was told the same thing as the person you do not believe during a driver awareness course conducted by a police driving instructor.

As you and the person you disbelieve both say, flashing your lights has no meaning in law other than to draw attention to the fact you are there, but provided its done from a safe distance and not aggressively repeated its appropriate.

Obviously you are so conceited that you will not believe me either.

Why don't you put your specs on and see what I was responding to?

No IAM instructor will advise use of headlight flashing in any circumstance. It means different things to different drivers, thus, it isn't used as a method whilst driving.

Beeping your horn is more effective.

In any case, the law demands drivers should be alert and aware at all times so there should be no need whatsoever for 'unofficial' prompts to other drivers.

I know what I am on about, trust me.

shaun_from_Africa

SHIPSHAPE wrote: »

In any case, the law demands drivers should be alert and aware at all times so there should be no need whatsoever for 'unofficial' prompts to other drivers.

The law also demands that drivers shouldn't:
drive whilst over the legal alcohol limit,
drive recklessly or dangerously,
drive an unsafe vehicle,
drive a vehicle without insurance in place,

etc
etc.

Irrespective of what the law demands, I think we all know that these demands aren't always met.

SHIPSHAPE

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

The law also demands that drivers shouldn't:
drive whilst over the legal alcohol limit,
drive recklessly or dangerously,
drive an unsafe vehicle,
drive a vehicle without insurance in place,

etc
etc.

Irrespective of what the law demands, I think we all know that these demands aren't always met.

Matters not.

It would not be for you, as another driver, to prompt others not to do what you describe above.

shaun_from_Africa

SHIPSHAPE wrote: »

Matters not.

It would not be for you, as another driver, to prompt others not to do what you describe above.

Are you being serious
Do you really think that a driver has no right to "prompt" someone not to drink and drive?

Hermione_Granger

"In any case, the law demands drivers should be alert and aware at all times so there should be no need whatsoever for 'unofficial' prompts to other drivers."

Taking that statement to the extreme, there should also be no need for the police to ever carry out breathalyser checks as the law demands that drivers shouldn't be over the limit when driving.