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I have been flashed at for cops, obstacles in the road, animals, etc..
I have flashed other for animals in the road - for deer I stopped after a few because they were crossing. For a snapping turtle I flashed for a good half-mile - he was not moving fast. For a moose I flashed, but he was obvious.
I remember flashing like crazy at a a Range Rover once when there were 2 young elk in the road - he didn't slow down and I saw the panic stop in the rear view.
I have been flashed at for cops, obstacles in the road, animals, etc..
I have flashed other for animals in the road - for deer I stopped after a few because they were crossing. For a snapping turtle I flashed for a good half-mile - he was not moving fast. For a moose I flashed, but he was obvious.
I remember flashing like crazy at a a Range Rover once when there were 2 young elk in the road - he didn't slow down and I saw the panic stop in the rear view.
Are you sure you aren't me? In the times before my cell phone, there was a large snapping turtle in busy city traffic that I called the cops on.
Weird this morning, dense fog on that road out there, visibility less than 100 yards.....and there are people who think that since it is day, they don't need their headlights. I was 15 below the speed limit and pulling off where I could to let people pass me.......and crossing my fingers as I pulled out again that someone didn't pop out of the ether and land in my 6.
Finally, to give an illustration of the road out there, there are places where I drive far to my side, where the road doesn't even have a lane divider, and well below the speed limit.......because one can easily go around a bend and find the oncoming, maybe even a school bus, in their lap!
I do know that.....and I do know there is a risk of being ticketed for doing that............but I do alert others to hazards in the road ahead................and I wonder if others know flashing lights for other reasons.
As to why not call the cops instead, well, two things. First of all, as previously stated, cell service out in those regions SUCKS! Secondly..........one should not be on their phone while driving. In many parts, one can be ticketed for that.
First off, I've done *a lot* of rural driving so personally I'd have taken it as a "look out ahead", maybe a cop but maybe something else.
So, well done.
Second, I full agree how bad cell service can be. That's why I've warned people traveling into the countryside to not take cell phone mapping as a given availability and have some idea of where you are going.
Lastly, I have hands free built into my car. I push a button and can say "Call Mom" or "Call John Smith" and voila...no taking my eyes off anything and then it's no different than if I were talking to a passenger. Just fyi.
..........Lastly, I have hands free built into my car. I push a button and can say "Call Mom" or "Call John Smith" and voila...no taking my eyes off anything and then it's no different than if I were talking to a passenger. Just fyi.
Not criticizing and that is you but for reasons of attention, when I am talking from home with people who have that, I tell them to call me when they are not driving.....and for similar approaches, I don't do it myself......
.........and if they ever outlaw even that, I am going to be pulled over a lot for talking outloud to myself is an old habit, back from the time when they said to think out loud as a method to stay alert on long trips.
There is no universal signalling with lights that is taught, that I am aware. I use a variation of what getatag mentioned.
One high beam flash is "pay attention there may be speed trap or danger up ahead", if they are not, and miss it, I figure they deserve whatever happens because they are not paying attention.
Two high beam blinks, pause, and two more (if time before they pass as on coming traffic) is "turn your lights on", generally used at dusk, night time. Seems to happen most after a vehicle leaves some super lit up service area and they forget to turn their lights back on.
Third scenario (I rarely use due to type of roadways I have majority of my driving on) is when a driver behind wants to pass and flashes high beam at vehicle ahead. This I have received probably five times more than I have used in my driving when someone wanted to pass. It is not a problem on multi lane highways, but on a rural two lane road I would bear to right lane marking, and let off accelerator to give them opportunity to pass. Generally, high speed night time rural driving is recipe for accidents, especially in areas with larger wildlife (deer etc..) that can cause damage and kill drivers.
Fourth scenario is anytime I see flashing EMS/police lights up ahead, or a disabled or abandoned vehicle near the roadway, I push my hazard lights on to warn anyone behind me to know they need to continue with caution. This type of accident has gone up quite a bit, and I don't know why they haven't made a PSA for drivers to turn on Hazards as standard operating procedure in this scenario to spread the "caution". Whether the inattentive drivers notice or not.
Tangentially, Ohio has recently updated the distracted driving laws to enable stronger enforcement.
Rural Texas here. Two to three flashes is pretty common here for something ahead (deer, cows, debris, etc.), but not for a minute after passing. Maybe 20 seconds. Any longer than that and people have already stopped looking for whatever it is or it may have even moved.
My aunt 'flashed' ahead to warn of a speed trap. She actually ended up getting a ticket for alerted the driver's ahead, lol. No good deed goes unpunished.
It should have been dismissed. This has made it to the Supreme Court (Technically, it might only have been a STATE supreme court, so.. some wiggle room here) that flashing your lights is protected free speech.
This morning on my two lane road, there was a log blocking 40% of the other lane. So as I met on coming cars for no more than a minute from the obstacle, I flashed my lights alerting them....I hope.
So the questions here are:
how far (time or distance) from the obstacle should one alert?
what kind of obstacle should one alert on? The way I see it is anything that would require them to take evasive action to avoid something which could really mess up their day.
And then, that big elephant in the room, do people realize that others warn on things other than....................COP!?
As to the other issue of why didn't I stop and get the log out of the road? Because I wasn't outfitted to do so.
Not criticizing and that is you but for reasons of attention, when I am talking from home with people who have that, I tell them to call me when they are not driving.....and for similar approaches, I don't do it myself......
.........and if they ever outlaw even that, I am going to be pulled over a lot for talking outloud to myself is an old habit, back from the time when they said to think out loud as a method to stay alert on long trips.
No offense taken, let's reflect.
For example, I once drove in a BMW driven by a former F-14 pilot. He drove really fast but could have been doing 4 other things and still been perfectly fine, training.
Not everyone, depending on training, age, medical or physical conditions etc. can all drive the same comfortably.
That's just basic logic.
So I respect people whom are both uncomfortable with it and comfortable with it rather than to impose my template of ability onto everyone else.
I haven't had an accident in 35 years and have been using hands free now for 7 years.
I will NOT drive and look at my phone for texts etc.
I just drove out of downtown Chicago while talking to a buddy hands-free, easy peasy.
My mom on the other hand is a danger to walk and listen to her phone at the same time. Great lady, just getting up in the years. Let's not judge everyone by our own personal yardstick.
It should have been dismissed. This has made it to the Supreme Court (Technically, it might only have been a STATE supreme court, so.. some wiggle room here) that flashing your lights is protected free speech.
Kinda astounding that crap like that even has to waste the time of the courts..
Fair point. And yet another valid 'headlight flashing' reason.
I've actually seen a cop do this before.
Good point. If it were me, I would have fought it for sure.
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