AIBU to flash my hazards for "thank you" or is it actually rude 😬

[Newusernameforthiss]

I learnt to drive very late (mid 30s) and I'm pretty nervous/cautious. I live in London, where the average standard of driving is terrifying and you have to be super aggressive to get in and out of gaps etc.

I have learnt to flash my headlights, and that this means "go ahead" if you're waiting by a line of parked cars or "go on your turn" at a junction. Or even just a pass-agg "I'm here" if honking would be a bit much.

When I let people in ahead of me in a queue/merging, they often flash their hazards once at me, so I took it to mean "thank you" so I do it too now.

When I drive outside of London, I do "thank you hazards" and people put their headlights on full or honk at me 😬😬😬 is it rude outside the M25? Is it rude everywhere??? And I've completely misinterpreted it? This stuff is a nightmare. I've only just got into the groove of remembering to bring biscuits every time I go on a playdate for the children. Obviously my first priority is driving safely but I hate there's some kind of etiquette code I have no idea about???

YABU - flashing you hazard lights is rude
YANBU - thank you hazards are a thing

I never flash for any other reason than to say thanks. I never ever use it for go ahead. That's up to them to decide.

If you read the Highway Code, flashing your headlights does not mean "go ahead". It means I am here. It is not a way of letting another car turn in front of you or leave a junction etc.

I know it's the convention but I absolutely hate it. I don't need to be half blinded by your lights, I'll assume you are thanking me with a wave I can't see in the dark.

You normally only flash hazards if the person you are thanking is behind you e.g. they let you into a line of traffic.

I flash my hazards to say thanks to the car behind (say if they’ve let me merge in front of them, and they’re unlike to see me lift my hand up). I flash my main beams to say thanks when someone gives way to me on a road where there isn’t room for two cars to pass each other so one has to hang back.

In reality though, the highway code can't dictate what it means, because it means what people understand it to mean. Drivers understand that flashing someone waiting to turn means go ahead.

They won't change the highway code because it is not that safe to flash someone to tell them to go, but in the real world, everyone knows this meaning.

Don't flash to say Go Ahead, that is for them to decide and you may not see a danger that could cause an accident for them.

Flashing headlight at dusk is also not good as it can dazzle you, perhaps not such an issue in London with street lights but a huge issue if driving down unlit country roads

When I drive outside of London, I do "thank you hazards" and people put their headlights on full or honk at me
They let you into the line
You say "thank you" (flash hazards)
They say "you're welcome" (very quick flash of headlights)

Yes this is what I said/meant! People did it to me when I was behind, so now I do it me when the people I want to thank are behind me 👍 but sometimes I do it and then they seem to be cross!?

They might be warning you that you have a bulb out. Check your lights.

I live in the North East and it definitely means thank you here.

Well done you gold star!

In reality though the vast majority of drivers flash lights to mean go ahead

I don't do it, I wave thanks, but it seems quite normal where I live (Cheshire). Seems to be mostly buses/vans when you let them go ahead of you.

How strange, I live nowhere near London and have seen people do thank you hazards here and always interpreted it as thanks. I don't do it myself as I never got in to the habit, I do an old school raise my hand gesture!

You shouldn't be flashing your headlights to anyone at any time apart from, as a PP has said, to say "I am here". I cannot think of any situation where that would apply as a meaningful stand alone action. Most people use it to let another driver have priority but it wouldn't stand up for insurance purposes if there was a collision or as a defence in court.
This business of flashing your hazards or indicators to people behind is fairly new and has only become mainstream in the last 20 years or so. It used to be done solely by lorry drivers but has caught on with the general driving population. I'd rather people just fucked off out of the way instead of dithering about trying to flash some sort of signal.

I just nod or give a wave . I’ve been driving for donkeys years and have never seen anyone flash hazards as a thanks except for HGVs .

As a thank you to people behind my vehicle, I have always used my indicators alternately a few times, never the hazards, although this seems to have become more popular here in recent years. I first saw it in Ireland.
I'm not a fan, I prefer to use hazards as just that, for example, when traffic is rapidly coming to a stop on the motorway.

If they are in front, I use the old school raised hand.

I do flash my head lights to let other vehicles go first, but usually as an attention getting device and accompanied by a “you go first” gesture.

I'm outside of London and have never seen a flash of hazards to say thankyou.

Flashing headlights
Flashing hazards
Wave/thumbs up

All are deemed a polite thank you where I live.

You generally get the aggressive prolonged honking if you have pissed someone off

Have lived all over England and flashing hazards completely normal (though I generally prefer a hand up for cars in front and behind) as is flashing lights to let someone go, no matter what the code says!

I think it’s normal to flash hazards for thanks both in and out of London. I don’t like flashed headlights for thanks as you can dazzle the other driver. Also don’t recommend them for “go ahead” as that can cause confusion

Normal in London to flash to say go ahead, also to say thanks when you're passing someone who's let you go (e.g. on a road where there are parked cars on both sides and someone has to give way). Quick flash of hazards to say thanks to someone behind you also normal. Bus drivers and cabbies do all of the above and they, after all, rule the roads in London!

I think if you flash your hazards at someone to say thanks they generally know what it means. Maybe on the very odd occasion someone might confuse it with a complaint.

There are lots of messages people use to say thanks and signal annoyance and often they are similar. You can usually determine what it means by the action you have taken before being on the end of it.

I do a hand up thanks when it's daylight

If its dark or I'm thanking a lorry or bus I use hazards

Flash hazards?? Never seen that ever. Would think that was some sort of emergency.

I do the v brief flash as a thank you for someone who has pulled in on a rural road to pass.