Are other drivers trying to tell me something? Am I being really thick?!

[MindYours]

When driving at night if nobody is in front of me or coming the other way I put the full beams on (country lanes) but if there are any cars behind me they nearly ALWAYS flash at me as if I've pissed them off or something. Obviously I turn off the beams straight away...

Full beams don't affect drivers behind do they? Am I missing something here?!

One of our cars automatically flips to full beam and dips lights when it “sees” another car it may be that what you are seeing either that or you have a light out and the6 are trying to tell you

I’m still confused about this ‘automatic lights don’t turn on rear lights’ stuff.
Do people mean that they don’t have rear lights on when the running lights are on or when the automatic main headlights come on?

I rarely bother using the full beams, but I've recently moved further out and now sometimes need to hence why it's been brought to the front of my mind. I thought I'd ask on here because it's nice to actually hear some quick opinions when something is genuinely baffling you, it wasn't going to be my only point of investigation. So for the 70% of you who realised this and replied helpfully and without having a ton of smugness about it thanks, it's much appreciated.

Anyway, I've checked the lights and all appears fine, no fog lights on and no obvious electrical issue. I switched on the full beams again tonight in the exact same place doing the exact same speed (the road is 40) and the driver behind did not flash me, so maybe whoever it was yesterday was just being an arse. I shouldn't have said it happened in my old car too because the more I think about it the more I think it's only been in my Toyota and that comment has only encouraged the other 30% even further.

I'll keep an eye on it now that I drive on country roads and if I notice it again I'll ask a mate to drive behind me and take it to a garage if necessary.

Thank you.

Am I the only person who checked my automatic lights were on at the rear as well as the front this morning? Luckily they were on. But I commute at rush hour and everyone's seem to be 💁

Automatic headlights aren't the same thing as the DRLs. Automatic lights have been around on most cars for ages now. DRLs are a very new legal requirement. They aren't the same as normal headlights and they aren't intended for driving at night (even the front ones).

Would really annoy me if they’d flashed because I was driving too slowly. How is that helpful if anyone does it?

Basically, if you are driving in a car which has DRLs, but with your normal lights not on the 'on' or 'auto', setting, when it gets dark the DRLs will mean you can see well enough that you think your normal headlamps are on, but your normal headlamps won't come on (because you haven't got them set to auto).

People see two spots of light reflected in the car in front and think everything is fine because they don't bother to look at their dashboard.

But DRLs are a) not the same as headlamps and b) only on the front, so people behind can't see you. Hence they are dangerous.

I can’t actually believe someone needs to ask this. Oh wait I can due to the amount of idiots I see driving with their fog lights on and no fog.

Yep. I swear it's getting more common too.

Now I feel dumb. At least I only use my fog lights when it's actually foggy.

My money would be on it being cars with auto full beam behind you. My new car has this. I can be following a vehicle which is on full beam, all fine and dandy. Car in front goes round a corner. My car thinks “Oh! Dark!” and puts up full beam. Go round the corner and it sees the car in front again, and dips again. To the car in front it might seem like it’s being flashed.

After reading some of the posts on here about fog lights (don't know how to turn them on, it's not a problem if you don't turn them off) does the test not cover these things any more? Genuine question. We were expected to know the Highway Code inside out, including things like the stopping distance at every speed in the wet and dry. I even got asked any what checks are made on a car for its MOT during my test

My new car has this. I can be following a vehicle which is on full beam, all fine and dandy. Car in front goes round a corner. My car thinks “Oh! Dark!” and puts up full beam. Go round the corner and it sees the car in front again, and dips again. To the car in front it might seem like it’s being flashed.

For the love of gin, turn that off!

Mostly I do. In some situations it’s useful, but not when it’s on and off like a loon.

Thank you for coming back, OP.
Just wanted to mention that if someone flashes for going slowly or tailgates me, I tend to slow down a bit more.

They're not up my arse, it's a 40mph road and I'm driving just over that. I'm a good, experienced driver

There are two roads out of our town where the vast majority of drivers seem to think they are 40mph and dribble along them when they are in fact 60. How sure are you it’s a 40mph road?

@mintymabel because there's a big metal post on the right hand side of the road and for some odd reason a random person must have decided to stick a big white circle on the top of said post, with a red outer line saying '40' in the middle of it in big black numbers.

because there's a big metal post on the right hand side of the road and for some odd reason a random person must have decided to stick a big white circle on the top of said post, with a red outer line saying '40' in the middle of it in big black numbers.

Just wasted a good 15 minutes in the bath reading this... for this brilliant finale. 🤣👌🏻

😂

like this!

Bloody hell no wonder there are so many idiots on the road now a dyas judging by the number of stupid posts on here by people who clearly should not be driving.

@MindYours. I used to drive a little car similar to yours out in the wilds and was always flashed.

It’s just arseholes. Blokes who want to pass, or think it’s funny to intimidate the little woman driver...

I’m sure you are a perfectly competent driver- I am, and after years of being flashed, I realised it was just when I drove my little “woman’s car” NEVER happened when I drove my VW golf GTi or later on my Jag.

Try putting a blokes’ baseball cap at the rere where any flashy arsehole can see it. It might give them pause for thought.

And if there was ever some fucker driving up my arse, I’d just put on the fogs to make him think I was braking, and he’d ease off.

Some men just cannot stop themselves flashing a little woman - it gets to the point where it’s just harassment. Individually I think they think it’s ‘their little joke’, but it builds up as a pattern of harassment, and can be very unpleasant.

As I said I used to work out in the wilds, in real cowboy country, and used to keep a piece of an auger under the passenger seat, just in case some yeehaw tried anything on.

Try and get the number plates, and make a report to the police if it’s bothering you. You might notice there’s a pattern...
keep your phone charged. Get a camera?

Good luck.

Maybe it’s the gentleman from the lay-by trying to give you your knickers back before you get home?

rather Hoping Op really does not take offence (shouldn’t - that was not about op obvs) and was extremely funny. Laughed out loud.