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DON'T FLASH ME
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August 2012
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by Charles Pope
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Category: Chew On this
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The magazine has been getting quite a few letters lately about flashing headlights, and I'm not talking about crazy coeds on spring break. I'm talking about vehicles that are passed who use their headlights as a signal that it's safe to return to the cruising lane. Not too long ago, this was acceptable practice, an unwritten courtesy of the road. But just like rotary phones and slide rules, this driving etiquette is old-fashioned and out of date. Now it causes more confusion than anything. Let me explain.
The main problem is technology. Most cars today have headlights that automatically turn on when driven, so instead of drivers flashing their headlights on and off, they're actually flashing their high beams. Not the safest thing to do after a car passes you. Those high beams have the potential of temporarily blinding the passing driver, making this common courtesy just another safety hazard to contend with. We all know any distraction on the road could be the last one. So if you flash those high beams, regardless of whether you're driving a truck or four-wheeler, don't do it anymore.
Another invention that wasn't around when this driving courtesy started was halogen lights or xenon lights. They're the headlights that have a bluish tint and seem to burn your corneas when you look directly at them. While car manufacturers probably created them with safety reasons in mind, and I'm sure drivers using those lights can see for 10 miles in any direction, that doesn't help oncoming traffic or the vehicle ahead that just transferred into your lane. A flash from one of those headlights has me seeing starbursts for at least a couple of minutes after. It's like looking into the sun.
Don't get me wrong, I don't want drivers to cut anybody off. Common sense dictates that you give any vehicle several car lengths between you and their bumper before you change lanes. Maybe we should create a new unwritten rule where passed vehicles flip on their hazard lights for a few seconds to let the passing car know it's all clear. That way we can still be courteous on the road without creating additional dangers.
Good manners should always exist when you're driving and we all have to play our part. All driving schools, both four-wheeler and trucking, should make sure their students understand today's rules of the road. We all share these highways; I just wish we all shared the same rules. Stop flashing the high beams and we'll all get along just fine.
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