Poll of the Day > Two times in two days a vehicle behind me flashed their brights at me

(+) Yeah! (+)

I can't figure out why. I don't think i was driving like an ass or cut anybody off. When i got home I checked my rear end and outside of a dent i caused there's nothing askew there. My break lights all work.

I don't get it. What reason do people have for flashing their brights like that? Is there some unwritten rule im missing?

Were you in the left lanes going slower than those in the right lanes?

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Today i was on a one lane road so it couldn't have been that. Yesterday i can't remember where i was but unlikely.

They wanted to pass.

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Im not buying that as a reason. After all if they wanted to pass they could have signaled again to try to hammer the point home, or just passed me anyways.

argonautweakend posted...

Im not buying that as a reason. After all if they wanted to pass they could have signaled again to try to hammer the point home, or just passed me anyways.

If the road isn't lined so they could pass legally and they felt your rate of travel was slow, they were asking you to pull over to let them pass.

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are you sure it was a flash, or did they just go over a bump

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I don't think there were multiple cars yesterday but today i am pretty sure it was just the one.

I drive the speed limit or a little bit faster. I have no obligation to get over and as such im probably not going to unless obviously it's ambulance or something.

Bulbasaur posted...

are you sure it was a flash, or did they just go over a bump

This has confused me before but i am pretty sure it was an actual flash.

Boy what a fun game of "im pretty sure!" But really outside of being confused in the moment i can't recall specifics.

All i can remember clearly is today it was one car behind me. And i don't drive like a grandma so i doubt that was the reason. If it was, seems odd to have the same thing happen twice in two days when my driving habits have remained the same for the last few years.

Might want to check to see if you have a tail light out or something

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That was the first thing i did when i got home. I checked my rear end and everything and it looked fine and all my lights work. My gas tank was closed.

I don't know. Ultimately i wanna know because what if i was in viplation of something and they were giving me a warning before a cop can. But it seems, despite my initial snark, me going too slow currently seems to have the lead even if it doesn't make much sense to me.

Many speeders will flash even if the car they want to pass is slightly speeding.

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You said your break lights work but do your running lights work? Oftentimes Ill see that a car has no working tail lights at all when its pitch black out, which makes it appear that they havent turned on their lights. In actuality they have their headlights on but they either dont know or dont care that both tail lights are out. Your break lights might work fine but if the others are out you cant tell when youre driving. Also are your rear turn signals working too? Are you even using your turn signals when you change lanes, turn, or merge? Maybe youre just driving badly and theyre trying to tell you youre a bad driver?

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The car probably wanted you to go faster or pull over so he could pass you.

Whether "going the speed limit" is reasonable or not depends on the road and area. Plenty of roads, the speed limits are artificially low and traffic regularly goes 10+ mph above it...until they get stuck behind a slow car and a line of cars pile up behind the inconsiderate driver who won't speed up or pull over.

EDIT: I actually had some guy behind me flash me tonight. I sped up a bit and he stopped doing it. No big deal.

aDirtyShisno posted...

You said your break lights work but do your running lights work? Oftentimes Ill see that a car has no working tail lights at all when its pitch black out, which makes it appear that they havent turned on their lights. In actuality they have their headlights on but they either dont know or dont care that both tail lights are out. Your break lights might work fine but if the others are out you cant tell when youre driving. Also are your rear turn signals working too? Are you even using your turn signals when you change lanes, turn, or merge? Maybe youre just driving badly and theyre trying to tell you youre a bad driver?

I use my turn signals 99% of the time(the odd mistake but never a theme).

The mention of Daytime Running lights has me thinking, so i went out and checked.

They all work except for the white backup lights did not turn on. Though I did all this with the key turned all the way but engine off.

https://st.automobilemag.com/uploads/sites/10/2015/11/2010-chevrolet-malibu-ls-sedan-rear-view.png

The portion with the red casing and white circles did not come on. Automatic car but I put the parking brake on and put it in R and they did not come on.

I will do further inspecting tomorrow but that might be it. As far as turn signals I forgot to check, but they aren't clicking really fast which is a sign your bulb needs replaced.

But I think it might be a DRL issue now that you mention it. I'm just gonna go out tomorrow and do a check over of all my exterior lights to see which ones work and which do not. at a bare minimum I think my backup lights are out which is obviously bad.

argonautweakend posted...

I can't figure out why. I don't think i was driving like an ass or cut anybody off. When i got home I checked my rear end and outside of a dent i caused there's nothing askew there. My break lights all work.

I don't get it. What reason do people have for flashing their brights like that? Is there some unwritten rule im missing?

where i come from its to signal that the police are just down the road.

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Ive heard of that one but this guy was behind me. I guess he could have been to that area earlier in the day, but otherwise he wouldn't know. Regardless I saw no cops.

Are you driving without your lights on? I've flashed my brights and honked my horn at people that drive in the dark without their lights on.

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This was daytime and a sunny day, so that wouldnt be it. My car has auto lights so they just come on when the light gets dim either by darkness or a storm or whatever.

I had this happen about a month ago. Was on the interstate coming home at about midnight. Only like 3 vehicles in sight. The one behind me flashed his high beams at me several times. He wasn't close enough to want to pass, and even if he did it was open road so he easily could have. Checked things out at home, didnt see anything wrong.

*Shrug*
Was hoping this topic would shed more light, but looks like it's not something too obvious then.

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Learn to drive, grandma.

I was thinking maybe there was someone in your back seat trying to kill you. That's a story people usually tell...

Zangulus posted...

If there are multiple cars behind you and you are impeding the flow of traffic, in multiple states you actually are obligated to pull over and let them pass.

But do you have to if you're going to speed limit? Like the max? If so, then that's just a shitty law...

Locke90 posted...

where i come from its to signal that the police are just down the road.

That would be from the other way, though, right?

faramir77 posted...

Are you driving without your lights on? I've flashed my brights and honked my horn at people that drive in the dark without their lights on.

Would they be able to tell from the back, though. I've had people do that to me, but only from the front...
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Maybe it's a new way to pick up a quick lover.

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They could be trying to warn you of the killer lurking in the back seat.

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Keebs05 posted...

They could be trying to warn you of the killer lurking in the back seat.

That's what I said! It's the most logical answer...
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LinkPizza posted...

Would they be able to tell from the back, though. I've had people do that to me, but only from the front...

Yes. Because when your headlights are on your rear end lights will also be on.


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Perfect time to remind them that theyre number 1.

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PKMNsony posted...

Learn to drive, grandma.

I drive stick shift, BMW E36 and MA61 Supra with Stage 1 mods, pay attention to road signs and traffic, use my signals, maneuver and accelerate sharply, run a bit over the limit. Learn to drive, sonny, get off your phone, and let me shift out of first gear.

I might flash my lights at someone with a tire going flat, or a loose tailpipe, otherwise wouldn't bother.

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Imagine speeding and breaking the law because some bellend behind you flashes their lights at you.

You were going to slow and they were flashing for you to speed up or pull over so they could pass.

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jkdarlow posted...

Imagine speeding and breaking the law because some bellend behind you flashes their lights at you.

streamofthesky posted...

pull over so he could pass you.

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Kyuubi4269 posted...

jkdarlow posted...

Imagine speeding and breaking the law because some bellend behind you flashes their lights at you.

streamofthesky posted...

pull over so he could pass you.

Yeah like fuck am i pulling over for some idiot just because he wants to speed but not overtake me.

Bugmeat posted...

Yes. Because when your headlights are on your rear end lights will also be on.

Dont some cars have the switch with multiple positions that turn on some lights, but not all?
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LinkPizza posted...

Dont some cars have the switch with multiple positions that turn on some lights, but not all?

Not that I'm aware of. It's a safety thing. If it's dark enough that you need your headlights on then it's probably dark enough that cars coming up behind you need extra indication that there is a vehicle ahead of them. Especially if it's a dark colored vehicle and they happen to be traveling slower than the people coming up behind them. The sooner they see you ahead of them, the less likely they are to rear end you.

Edit: Maybe you're talking about daytime running lights. From my experience, none of the vehicles that I have been in with this setting were bright enough to be adequate for illuminating the roadway at night. I don't know if that setting also turns on the tail lights. But if it was dark enough to need headlights, then this setting was not bright enough so the headlights would have been fully on.

I suppose some vehicles may not have different brightness settings on the headlights for DTR and night time driving.


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Bugmeat posted...

Not that I'm aware of. It's a safety thing. If it's dark enough that you need your headlights on then it's probably dark enough that cars coming up behind you need extra indication that there is a vehicle ahead of them. Especially if it's a dark colored vehicle and they happen to be traveling slower than the people coming up behind them. The sooner they see you ahead of them, the less likely they are to rear end you.

I guess. Idk, tbh. I just know my cats always have multiple settings on the switch. I just dont know what comes on in the back on which settings. I know the first setting turns on the inside stuff. And the second turns in the headlights in the front. But I cant always see the lights in the back.
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LinkPizza posted...

I just know my cats always have multiple settings on the switch.

Fuck. I wish my cat had settings.
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You probably have a bumper sticker that people don't like.

Korruptor posted...

You probably have a bumper sticker that people don't like.

Or especially like.

I'm afraid to put "Isis, Isis. Ra. Ra. Ra" or "My other car is a broom" bumper stickers, that would just be an invitation to vandalism here in the deep Bible Belt. I figure "You've been passed by a girl" and "Lady pilots don't stall around" are okay, I've had no trouble, and the lady pilots one identifies my car as belonging when I leave it at the FBO when I fly out of state for a few days.

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You know what, last question that comes to mind: Since you mentioned that it was actually daytime when I initially thought you were talking about night, you werent in an area that requires headlight use even during the day were you? Here in California we require headlight use in tunnels and in certain valleys where high walls can make it difficult to see cars even during the day.



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Revelation34 posted...

Fuck. I wish my cat had settings.

They all do... You just have to find the switch. They do show it to just anybody...

aDirtyShisno posted...

Here in California we require headlight use in tunnels and in certain valleys where high walls can make it difficult to see cars even during the day.

I can understand how it might help in tunnels (though back home, our tunnels have lights). But does it help with the high walls? I ask because I feel it would help that much with high walls during the day...
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Zangulus posted...

It has nothing to do with high walls or tunnels. Completely open and flat areas are also daylight safety corridors. Its based on the idea that people with their lights on during the day were an oddity, and therefor people would notice them more often.

Until it was so common people tune it out just like all the other cars.

So, it sounds like it doesn't really help anymore...
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They were letting you know they appreciate you obeying the posted speed limit.