# What Does Flashing One's Headlights Mean to You? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 29, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764 "2005-03-29T13:54:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Roland\_Orzabal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c2a13f/32.png) [@Roland\_Orzabal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roland_Orzabal)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/41 "2005-03-30T05:53:20Z")
I have always understood the flashing of car headlights to mean: **HEY!**. Examples: Driver 1 - [**HEY!**] Driver 2 - _Hmm?_ [checks lights] _Yeah, they’re on…_ [checks high beams] _Ah, brights are on. Oops._ Driver 1 - [**HEY!**] Driver 2 - _Hmm?_ [checks headlights] _Yeah, they’re on…_ [checks high beams] _Yeah, they’re off_… [checks turn signals] _Off…_ [looks into the distance] _Ah, a cop._ Driver 1 - (from directly behind Driver 2 on a two-lane road) [**HEY!**] Driver 2 - _Yes, I acknowledge that you are pissed at me for only driving five miles per hour above the speed limit, when you would prefer to be doing fifteen. You will, however, be forced to bite me._ The flashing of the lights is simply an attention-getting device, intended to cause the driver to go through his/her mental flowchart of possible causes until the reason for the flashing is discovered and (hopefully) corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Lynder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/22d042/32.png) [@Lynder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynder)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/42 "2005-03-30T08:06:06Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > A car with one working headlight. > > And we kiss our hand and touch the roof of the car with it. And if you get 3 in 1 night you’ll get lucky… or at least this is how it worked in high school. And we called them 1 eyed Jacks. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/43 "2005-03-30T17:20:27Z")
If they are coming toward me, it probably means I’ve accidently left my lights on highbeam. If they are behind me, it means they’re a jerk. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/44 "2005-03-30T19:07:38Z")
> [@BrotherCadfael](#): > > 1. Speed Trap Ahead > > 2. Turn your lights on > > 3. Turn your lights off > > 4. Turn your high beams down > > 5. I want to pass you > > 6. You are far enough ahead to move into my lane This nails it, with one cavil: I have always seen lights turned on, then off, then on again to indicate a speed trap; I would take rapid flashing of lights from high to low and back again several times over to indicate a speed trap. ---
**Author:** ![lachesis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@lachesis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lachesis)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/45 "2005-03-30T19:51:47Z")
> [@belladonna](#): > > I’ve used it the same way you did, and around here the majority of other drivers seem to get it. I’ll also flash at a car without headlights on after dark, or if someone in front of me has had their blinker on for twenty miles. In this last instance, I only do so because it’s physically impossible for me to reach into their window and poke them in the eye. thanks for the extended giggle. 😃 around here, i reserve car headlight flashing for: 1. (in daylight or nighttime, to oncoming traffic) On and Off – road hazard ahead 2. (in daylight) On and Off – cop stakeout ahead (at night, i probably don’t spot it first, or they’re on their own) 3. {nighttime, to oncoming traffic) high/low/high – fix your lights! (turn them on/turn them down) i don’t think i can react quickly enough with the lights to signal “merge now, fercrissakes!”. i usually wave them on by hand. and i don’t flash people to move over so i can pass. either i just lurk behind until i can get around some other way, or bite it and follow the doofus. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/46 "2005-03-30T20:10:07Z")
If done at night, it can mean: “Turn yer friggin headlights on, it’s dark you moron!” ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/47 "2005-03-30T23:26:36Z")
As far as I know, where I learned to drive, it means one of the following: “Turn your lights on, dipstick, and it’s too dark for me to flip you off!” “Your brights are on, dipstick, and it’s too dark for me to flip you off!” In Northern NM, I have no clue, as I don’t drive here. I’d guess it means “Wow, I’m drunk as hell,” but it seems that simply getting behind the wheel here means that… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/48 "2005-03-30T23:39:32Z")
> [@av8rmike](#): > > … that’s headlights, in the context of driving a _car_. Sorry, guys. > > I ask because I’ve heard it to mean all kinds of different things on the road, and want to know if it’s a regional thing. Like, this weekend, I was slowing down and attempting to let someone on my right merge in front of me. I flashed my headlights at them several times before they got the idea and merged. For my trouble, I _did_ get the “thank-you wave”, but I thought maybe s/he didn’t understand why I was doing it. > > How many different things does this signify? I’ve never understood that meaning of the headlight-flash. Here (in San Diego, CA), flashing headlights generally means “you’re supposed to go 5 under the speed limit, not 50 under” or “pull off the road/over to the side so I can pass you because you clearly don’t understand how to operate your machine and I don’t want to wait for you to figure it out”, or “stop doing whatever you’re doing and go back to New Jersey or wherever you’re from”. In Los Angeles, CA, it also means “I’m going to execute you with this .45.” ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2005, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/49 "2005-03-30T23:45:17Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Around here, flashing headlights basically means: “Hey, asshole!” > > Said asshole is supposed to figure out what I want by himself. When I was in Israel this winter, it seemed like this was actually the message behind everything everyone does behind the wheel. Apparently, it’s a nation of assholes; we (my college’s tour group) were assholes as well, as a few drivers made almost-successful attempts at removing some of our feet. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/50 "2005-03-31T00:21:09Z")
My headlights are always on. If it’s someone coming at me, I flash my brights to signify that it’s night and theirs are not on. I assume the same. If it’s someone behind me, I assume that they’re a jerk who thinks that blinding me via the rear view mirror is a good way to get me to go faster (this makes no sense. Does it ever work? And seriously, if I’m going slowly I’m not going to speed up when I _cannot see because your lights are blinding me!!_) But no, I’d never expect anything to do with merging. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/51 "2005-03-31T01:25:06Z")
To me it means; 1.) You’re sitting at a junction waiting to pull out onto a main road (or another street) someone who stops and flashes their lights is indicating they’re letting you move on out of that junction. 2.) Someone flashing lights at you as you drive along a road is warning of a speed trap. 3.) Is saying Hi (If you’re driving an Opel, har-de-har 😛 ) 4.) Is warning you that your lights aren’t on and they should be. 5.) Is warning you that your lights are on but are on full beams and not dips. 6.) Is warning you that something is amiss with your vehicle. 7.) Apparantly on dual carriageways drivers of lorries do it to tell another (overtaking) lorry driver that they have just cleared the length of their vehicle and can pull into the slow lane again. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/52 "2005-03-31T01:33:03Z")
The mention of flashing lights to ask to pass someone is something I’m not familiar with at all here in the UK or Ireland. I _did_ see it mentioned as something British drivers would need to be familiar with if driving in Continental Europe. If someone did it to me and I was driving right at the speed limit (or even if I wasn’t) I would consider that to be quite rude and wouldn’t pull over if I could help it. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/53 "2005-03-31T02:10:04Z")
[http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/lightout.asp](http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/lightout.asp) In case I missed it, snopes tells you what it’s NOT about. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/54 "2005-03-31T04:49:15Z")
> [@Campion](#): > > First, going under a yellow light is scratch the roof, knock on the windshield. Not slap the dashboard. Puhleease. And you do this to protect you from cops. > > Second, first person to slap the dashboard for a padiddle gets the “win.” Three in a day is a kiss (I’ve only ever heard kiss, not make out session, **danceswithcats**. I don’t know any other rules than that one. Do you really think that as a teenage male I would argue the rules with a female who wants a mutual tonsil-tag match? Sheesh. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2005, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/55 "2005-03-31T05:40:48Z")
> [@Lynder](#): > > And if you get 3 in 1 night you’ll get lucky… or at least this is how it worked in high school. **And we called them 1 eyed Jacks.** I’ve read this post many times and every time I really don’t take it to mean anything even remotely approaching “one-headlamp.” I know what you mean but man do I ever have a different meaning of that term than you. In my high school one-eyed Jacks were _not_ padiddles. Unless, of course, your SO could not tell male anatomy from a glowing white hard piece of plastic, a glowing piece that has not existed in 2,000 years and won’t be coming back for quite some time. In which case, also, finding three padiddles in one evening would be strictly voluntary. In other words, an amish couple, forty-seven pigeons, and Paris Hilton could travel the same length of highway and count many different numbers of padiddles if they were truly “one-eyed jacks”. Hell, getting one in one evening, to me atleast, is not getting lucking. That is time for a freakin’ lubrijubilation. Also, the word “high-beams” now really weirds me out. As for the OP, I’ve only seen the flashing lights in relation to cops, hazards, or wide-loads. Wide-loads I can usually tell, though. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/56 "2005-04-01T00:18:48Z")
I don’t usually warn people about cops, because if they’re going fast enough that being caught is a concern…maybe a ticket is what they deserve. But I do flash to: - warn that there’s a danger ahead, like a car parked in the middle of their lane (it broke down), black ice, or kids/dogs playing unsupervised in the road. This seems to work because people are scared of cops and slow down a little so they don’t hit the kid/dog/car/ice patch. - suggest they need their lights on because it’s either dark and they forgot or they’re unknowingly heading into thick fog and people can’t see them. - say “thanks for blinding me with your high-beams, asshole.” I’ve never seen anyone flash to indicate they’d like to pass. Usually those people have their high beams _on_ anyway…Definitely never would think someone wanted to merge or pass because of this, too. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/57 "2005-04-01T01:10:20Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > I’ve never seen anyone flash to indicate they’d like to pass. Usually those people have their high beams _on_ anyway…Definitely never would think someone wanted to merge or pass because of this, too. The upper beam flash feature was first installed on European vehicles IIRC, and is used to alert slowpokes that they should get out of the lane they presently occupy. Pulling the turn signal stalk towards the driver flashed high beams in BMWs and Benzes going back to the 1960s. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/58 "2005-04-01T02:54:29Z")
Shoot me? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/59 "2005-04-01T08:37:45Z")
I learned to drive between the ages of twelve and thirteen. I got my first car and my first drivers license at fourteen, back in 1954, following a driver’s education class in school. Flashing one’s headlights to signal a desire to pass a slower vehicle was taught in driver’s ed and was commonly accepted as good road manners. If the driver in front of you flashed his lights in return, it meant the road was clear for you to pass. When you passed, the driver of the car being passed flashed his lights to let you know that it was safe for you to pull back into the driving lane. You were then expected to flash your lights to signify “thank you.” In today’s traffic, one would be flashing one’s lights non-stop. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764/60 "2005-04-01T11:52:12Z")
I agree with most of the earlier posts - the flashing of one truck to indicate to another, overtaking truck that it is safe to pull back in is particularly common in the UK, and the usual response is a left-right-left indication. What no-one has mentioned yet is that although in the UK (and US, it seems) a flash often means “I am giving way to you”, apparently in France it means the opposite! In some situations, this seems more sensible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-flashing-ones-headlights-mean-to-you/296764.md?page=4)