Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Head lights

94 replies

erikbloodaxe · 05/12/2023 17:01

If you drive when it's dark and flash your headlights to say thank you to another driver for waiting while you pass parked cars or similar, Please Stop.

It's not helpful, you are blinding other drivers and it's dangerous.

Pisses me right off......every fucking time!

OP posts:
Shade17 · 06/12/2023 16:21

I am just learning to drive so don't have a lot of experience with cars but the other day I was having a fiddle in the car and found that I could move the position of the headlights down a bit. I wonder if cars come out of the factory with the headlights pointing straight ahead and the driver is supposed to position them a bit more towards the road when they are doing things like moving the wing mirrors etc.?

Only on cars with traditional halogen headlights, LEDs and xenons are self levelling.

mylittleyumyum · 06/12/2023 16:48

@grass67 your friend is a stupid dick then

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 06/12/2023 16:55

Possibly flashing you as it's their right of way if you are passing parked cars you're on their part of the road.

user1497787065 · 06/12/2023 16:55

I live remotely on single lane roads and when I meet another vehicle it usually means one of us has to reverse to allow the other to pass. How do you suggest I indicate that I’m going to reverse to allow the other vehicle through? What will generally happen without light flashing is that we will both begin to reverse unaware of the other vehicle reversing.

I will continue a momentary flash of my lights and hope that others do in thanks for me sometimes having to reverse 20metres or so.

Whatevershallidowithmylife · 06/12/2023 17:22

user1497787065 · 06/12/2023 16:55

I live remotely on single lane roads and when I meet another vehicle it usually means one of us has to reverse to allow the other to pass. How do you suggest I indicate that I’m going to reverse to allow the other vehicle through? What will generally happen without light flashing is that we will both begin to reverse unaware of the other vehicle reversing.

I will continue a momentary flash of my lights and hope that others do in thanks for me sometimes having to reverse 20metres or so.

Give way to those coming uphill and reverse to the passing place if necessary. Given I stay rural Scotland its not that often you meet drivers on single tracks that don't know who is nearest the closest passing place. Thanks is better indicated with hazards rather than full beam also.

harriethoyle · 06/12/2023 17:26

Verv · 05/12/2023 17:32

They've changed to xenon or LED in modern cars - much brighter.

I regularly get flashed nowadays by people thinking ive got my full beams on, I havent!

Show quote history

Same @Verv it really annoys me. I've taken to flashing back to prove they're not on full beam and judgey driver is wrong!

Purplerain0505 · 06/12/2023 18:11

I always say thanks with a wave in the day but I don’t flash my lights at night. It’s too bright and even that second of them flashing leaves spots in my eyes so I don’t do it to others.

I’ve also got a car with quite a sensitive switch for the lights - if I don’t tap it gently enough the full beam clicks on fully and it meant I really was blinding people!

HereForTheFreeLunch · 06/12/2023 18:57

The lights go up and down automatically in most new cars. Mostly they do flick down immediately as someone comes into sight - so no it's not in full beam without my knowing.
But yes, they are super bright LED lights.

Mumteedum · 06/12/2023 18:58

Kayte198999 · 06/12/2023 15:24

I am just learning to drive so don't have a lot of experience with cars but the other day I was having a fiddle in the car and found that I could move the position of the headlights down a bit. I wonder if cars come out of the factory with the headlights pointing straight ahead and the driver is supposed to position them a bit more towards the road when they are doing things like moving the wing mirrors etc.?

I did my theory test at the beginning of the year and it does say that you shouldn't flash your headlights to give thanks or encourage another driver to do something. It also says you should only use hazard lights if you have to stop in a dangerous place or to warn the driver behind about an upcoming hazard but people use their hazards willy nilly around here

Yes, Kayte. My old car was a Skoda and I could do this with a switch. My new car has no switch.

JL690 · 06/12/2023 22:32

I'm just back from driving my old car with its old fashioned headlights. In comparison to the new superbright lights I actually thought mine were off until my eyes readjusted after the cars going the other way were past me. I could see perfectly well with my own headlights until I was dazzled by the modern headlights - they are not safe.

Kayte198999 · 07/12/2023 12:41

Mumteedum · 06/12/2023 18:58

Yes, Kayte. My old car was a Skoda and I could do this with a switch. My new car has no switch.

Show quote history

Oh it's not an option on newer cars? That's strange but explains why we're all getting blinded

DappledThings · 07/12/2023 12:57

I drive a lot of single track roads in the dark. Everyone flashes to say thanks when the other driver has pulled into a passing place. Never been blinded by a 1-second flash.

Verv · 07/12/2023 14:29

harriethoyle · 06/12/2023 17:26

Same @Verv it really annoys me. I've taken to flashing back to prove they're not on full beam and judgey driver is wrong!

Show quote history

Careful, apparently the very thought of responding to being flashed by flashing back makes us aggressors as well as terrible people because we've deliberately bought cars with the intent to blind road users. Welcome to MN ;-)

Original poster
erikbloodaxe · 07/12/2023 17:49

@DappledThings well thats just fine then. Good for you!

I've never experienced many difficult things other people have. That doesn't mean I just dismiss their experience.

My eyes save lives. My eyes protect people on a global level. If I could choose who benefits by my eyes there's a few on this thread that wouldn't make the cut.

OP posts:
bellac11 · 07/12/2023 17:53

Agree OP

If I feel so inclined I might flash my hazards but usually Im steering the wheel either in or out of a passing place/space between cars so dont have hands available to do it (and that counts for in the day too to all the misery guts that seem to think they are mortally insulted by me not flashing them or putting my hand up as thanks)

DappledThings · 07/12/2023 18:09

erikbloodaxe · 07/12/2023 17:49

@DappledThings well thats just fine then. Good for you!

I've never experienced many difficult things other people have. That doesn't mean I just dismiss their experience.

My eyes save lives. My eyes protect people on a global level. If I could choose who benefits by my eyes there's a few on this thread that wouldn't make the cut.

OK, OK! I'm just saying it's a very normal, ingrained thing to do. I've heard people complain about headlights in general being brighter than they used to be. Never heard anyone say a momentary flash causes them problems. So you might be waiting a while before you see a change.

Shade17 · 07/12/2023 19:46

Kayte198999 · 07/12/2023 12:41

Oh it's not an option on newer cars? That's strange but explains why we're all getting blinded

Show quote history

It’s not strange at all. It’s a legal requirement that LED and xenon headlights be self levelling.

Original poster
erikbloodaxe · 08/12/2023 16:38

@HeyMicky

Just the high beam.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page