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Flashing people on the motorway - your views?

12K views 100 replies 49 participants last post by  Pud237 
#1 ·
Very occasionally when driving on the motorway and coming upon people in front of me sitting in the wrong lane, I'll stay behind them and give them a flash of my lights, rather than just go around them. I often feel like a bit of a dick for doing this, because the drivers in front may feel intimidated, or that I'm being overly aggressive - which isn't the intention, sometimes these people just need a little wake-up call.

What are your views on the matter? Is it acceptable behaviour, or something only becoming of the pretentious rep-mobile driver who thinks he owns the road and is a law unto himself?
 
#25 ·
Agree :)

Flashing, in this country at least, tends to make the flasher look a berk and provoke the flashee into even more stupid and dangerous driving. :tut:
 
#5 ·
I think if you flash from a long way back it's OK. If you steam up to within a foot of their back bumper before giving it full beam and at the same time mouthing obscenities whilst all the veins in your head are bulging it's a bit much.
:D
 
G
#6 · (Edited)
If someone is sitting in the outside lane with empty lanes next to them, then I think it#s deserved and acceptable.

However when I'm overtaking someone and travelling at or slightly above the speed limit and somebody appears on my ******* flashing their lights at me, then I'll take as long over the manouvre as I feel necessary.

As a wake up to a dozy driver - ok

As a 'get out of my way I'm super important' It's a no-no
 
#10 ·
However when I'm overtaking someone and travelling at or slightly above the speed limit and somebody appears on my ******* flashing their lights at me, then I'll slow down and take as long over the manouvre as I feel necessary.
Don't you think that makes you as bad as the flasher? I'm not condoning someone flashing you out of the way but I feel deliberately obstructing them is just as bad.
 
#7 ·
I sit back a bit and position myself to make my intention's clear without being intimedating.
9/10 time's they clear the way and i don't have a problem, but i only flash if they realy are taking the **** sitting in the overtaking lane at 40 mph, and then i feel bullish !
 
G
#8 ·
If they're sat out there in the middle/ outside lane, flash away. It's not rude or agressive, they shouldn't be out there in the first place. The second and third lanes are for overtaking, not for cruising along in a dream oblivious to the rest of the world.

I purposely undertake them - if there's room to undertake, there's plenty of room for them to have pulled in before you got up the inside.
 
G
#11 ·
Undertaking - If they're dozy enough to be in the outside lane with no other traffic around them, you honestly think they're alert enough to check mirror and blind spot before moving over and wiping you out?

And you'll be the one at fault, like it or not :tut:
 
#15 ·
Undertaking is dangerous and I live by the rule that everyone except me on the road is the worst driver in the world. What's to say that as you zip up the inside they pull over into you. Flashing headlights is a perfectly acceptable way of getting muppets out of the way, it is not seen as aggressive in Germany. Although in germany if you are sat in the middle lane with the slow lane clear the police will fine you.
 
#21 ·
Flashing headlights is a perfectly acceptable way of getting muppets out of the way, it is not seen as aggressive in Germany.
It probably is here though and that's the problem isn't it? Everyone is so keen to join the bumper to bumper queue of the outside lane and never move from it until 30yards from their chosen junction that if you flash some people they would probably rather brake test you and then stick their rear fogs on rather than unglue themselves from the outside lane!
I am convinced making undertaking legal would help enormously and although there would be a few "mishaps" to start with people would eventually get the hang of it.
:lol: :rolleyes:
 
#17 ·
Totally acceptable. If they were anything like a decent driver they would have noticed you gaining on them and moved over in the first place.

I'll usually sit on someones tail(not too close mind) for a short time before flashing just to give them the benefit of the doubt. After realising they're asleep/drunk/absurdly high/arguing/admiring the scenery/watching their speedo to ensure they don't do 71/whatever else it is they get up to instead of watching what the f***'s going on around them, I give them a flash.

If they don't move, I follow them home and set fire to them.
 
#40 ·
If they don't move, I follow them home and set fire to them.
:cheese:

I very occasionally flash, but more often will undertake, having first spent some time sussing the level of obliviousness (is that a word?) of the driver in front.

I used to have a friend who, if he came upon a middle-lane squatter, would overtake in lane three, move over to lane one, slow down so the muppet went past, then speed back up and move to lane three to overtake again. The object of his exercise was to see how many times he could circle them before they noticed. He managed it three times the one time I was with him...........
 
#23 ·
There was an occasion where a bloke who was hogging the outside lane of an almost empty three lane motorway was flashed by the guy behind.... he didn't move over.... so the guy behind flashed and hooted him... the guy pulled into the middle lane and the 'flasher' started to overtake. I stayed in the slow lane and slowed to their speed (about 60) As the flasher drew alongside the other guy swerved toward him - they hit whether by accident or on purpose I don't know - one ended up facing the wrong way buried in the Armco and the other was on the hard shoulder with a very bent car. I didn't bother to stop.

Ever since then I have never flashed the car in front... I usually undertake with extreme caution
 
#24 ·
Bit rude and I know how you feel because I do it all the time. Its ok to wake these people up :D

If I'm in the 'slow' lane with cars streaming along in 'fast' lane and someone sitting in the middle lane I will sometimes undertake them..... I know some of you think this is the most dangerous thing in the world ever, but I always do it after checking around for the fuzz and more importantly having an escape plan should they move to the left (normally plan on hard shoulder). Not once have I had to take evasive action.
 
#27 ·
Everybody should flash people who are needlessly in the wrong lane.
It bugs me as when you are on a three lane Motorway it sometimes feels like your back on a dual carriageway with the first lane for Lorries. So you end up with a 3 lane motorways volume of traffic on effectively a 2 lane motorway!!!
You know all these goverment types want higher taxes etc to ease congestion but if you spent more time teaching people that the first lane is there to be used not happily ignored as they meander past it at 65mph then you wont need to widen motorways or introduce tolls.
Ill go with the Germans on this, if you are not overtaking and in the second or thrid lane you should be fined....or shot. ;)
 
#28 ·
alfagj im saddened to hear you didnt stop at an accident you saw happen,never mind being a witness to crime, people could have been injured.

ive stopped numerous times as the scene of an accident, ive never had to give first aid but everyone on the road has a duty to everyone else to help if necessary, or is it just us truckers who feel a duty to help. if i have an accident i hope someone stops to help or at least call the emergency services.

as for flashing ive been flashed by women loads of times when im in my truck, oh not that sort of flashing:rolleyes: tends to be mid thirties business types who like to flash truckers:D
 
#29 ·
I pull to the right, keeping a safe distance behind, so that I fill their door mirror. A police driver taught me that trick and it really works. Most people can sense you in the mirror in their peripheral vision and they pull over. He also said that, if that doesn't work, blast them with the blues & twos. That really wakes them up, but won't apply to most of us!
 
#32 ·
personally if the road is empty & they are clearly in the wrong lane, then i do the usual checks before undertaking.

but if its a busy morning and they are slower + have the room to move in then a quick blip on downchange as i barrel up their chuff helps :lol:
 
#33 ·
Numpties who sit in anything other than the left lane when there's **** all else about always get the full beam treatment from me !! ;)

If they refuse to me over - Mercs or BM's normally :rolleyes: or maybe the odd Asian woman in a Toyota/Nissan doing 50 ish :bang: - I undertake them !!
 
#34 ·
It all depends... If someone behind me actually bother to signal and show their intent clearly I will always give way. However, when someone is just straight on my bumper (almost exclusively a BMW...) when I'm at a good speed, I must admit that I may make a case of it by not moving until they back off and/or signal. In any case, cars trying to kiss my bumper will get a few rapid blinks of my brake lights.

In the reversed situation, I will signal if they stay in the fast lane, and I will "show myself" by placing myself a bit to the left (opposite for UK drivers).

In general I hate pushy and inconsiderate driving, and when faced with such activities I will not help the 'offender' in any way.

DJ
--
 
#35 ·
If people learnt to use the motorway correctly there wouldnt be any need to flash people out of the way.

I think people sitting in the middle lane mile after mile for no reason should be done for driving without due care and attention.
 
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