What do the 3 headlamp flashes mean?

[Nigel]

As the car behind me overtakes the car in front of me, the car in front flashes it's lights 3 times. If it was an HGV on the motorway I would understand what it means, but in this case, and a few others, I'm puzzled...

Note that I overtook in the hope that the drunk in the car behind would follow the car in front at 0.2 seconds distance instead of me, didn't work! Possibly he pulled in too close to the other car, but the 3 flashes seem to come just before he pulls in. I assume he was drunk, nearly hit the bank several times.

(Mini 0906 dual dashcam, video uploaded to YouTube at 886 kb/s !)

 

[DashcamDPR]

I suspect they flashed in annoyance, maybe the driver was startled by the overtake, to me it's clear your overtake was safe, so I wouldn't worry or think anymore of it.

 

[Nigel]

I suspect they flashed in annoyance, maybe the driver was startled by the overtake, to me it's clear your overtake was safe, so I wouldn't worry or think anymore of it.

If it was annoyance then it would probably be 1 or 2 long flashes, not 3 short neatly timed flashes. I couldn't do that without accidently turning my full headlights back on, he must have had some practice!

Doubt that he was startled, we had just crossed a junction so he must have been awake and he dipped his headlights at the perfect time.

Possibly he wasn't aware of the other car, it was so close behind me that he may not have been able to see it until I pulled out and it pulled out immediately I did, then it got left behind in his blind spot.

 

[DashcamDPR]

but there's no "knowing for sure" exactly why any particular person might choose to flash their headlights however many times they wanna flash them, maybe they have OCD, maybe 3 short flashes is how they're just used to flashing in anger at people. I'm guessing there was no further incident later on, like him gesturing out the window at you at the next junction?

Unofficially, short intermittent flashes, are to signal that you're letting someone go, I say unofficially because we know it's never advised to use them for that reason even though it's common practice, officially flashing high beams at other motorists is to alert them to your presence

 

[Nigel]

but there's no "knowing for sure" exactly why any particular person might choose to flash their headlights however many times they wanna flash them, maybe they have OCD, maybe 3 short flashes is how they're just used to flashing in anger at people.

OK, OCD sounds like a perfectly good explanation

I'm guessing there was no further incident later on, like him gesturing out the window at you at the next junction?

No, never saw either of them again, "drunk" driver didn't slow down for the 30 zone while I did so he was well ahead, other driver was probably still doing the 27 that my GPS shows when I pulled out to overtake, so he was well behind. Hadn't been any incident beforehand either, I'd been following the front car for about 3 miles at the same distance, good chance of either deer or Royal Marines, both in night camouflage, jumping out onto the road there so I never follow too close. The "drunk" driver caught up about a mile before and then followed dangerously close all the way, may have been annoyed at me leaving such a huge gap in front although being closer wasn't going to get us there any sooner.

 

[Mozzie]

I am guessing that it may be a delayed warning that he thinks you are driving too fast. Or, was it to let the overtaking car know that he can now pull in. Truckies use this to let the passing truck know when it is clear to move back in.

Maybe he is just an idiot !

 

[Nigel]

I am guessing that it may be a delayed warning that he thinks you are driving too fast. Or, was it to let the overtaking car know that he can now pull in. Truckies use this to let the passing truck know when it is clear to move back in.

Maybe he is just an idiot !

Thanks, so it seems nobody knows what it means, can only make guesses!

If it is not a universal language then it is pointless to speak it, and maybe worse than pointless since it may get misunderstood!

I asked because it is something I have seen a few other times and been puzzled, so presumably there is a group of people who do know what it means, or maybe it means something different in each case?

The other car appears to still be along side so it wouldn't be a safe to pull in message, if it was interpreted that way then it would be an accident! As to going too fast, it was him that was in the minority by choosing to stay in the 20's when the speed limit had been 60 for the last 3 miles. There are potential hazards there which was why I was leaving a big gap, but staying in the 20's was not necessary or normal so it doesn't really make sense for him to comment on other people's choice of speed, he would have had no way of knowing if I had reached the speed limit or not, bit unlikely for 27mph + 6 seconds of acceleration, but maybe his speedometer was already reading 60mph. I guess we will never know.

Maybe he hadn't seen the other car and went to put his headlights back on, then did see the other car and turned them off again but got the use of the switch wrong and ended up flashing them?

 

[old4570]

Just annoyed at being passed !

 

[Mozzie]

In earlier years, he may have been warning of speed radar. They may have been getting radar warning beeps on a radar detector. They would warn you if they think that you may be over the limit. This may not apply now as radar detectors are banned almost everywhere.

 

[Nigel]

In earlier years, he may have been warning of speed radar. They may have been getting radar warning beeps on a radar detector. They would warn you if they think that you may be over the limit. This may not apply now as radar detectors are banned almost everywhere.

That is a possibility I never thought of! It is many years since I last saw a radar gun.

Every time I go to Wales someone coming the other way will give me a flash at some point in the journey, they have mobile camera vans with lasers and they seem to have so many that it is normal to warn others. Last visit I even got a warning from a cyclist I always understand those flashes as warnings of some sort though.

 

[Feitelijk]

I assume he was drunk,

What did the police say when you called in to report it?

Note that I overtook in the hope that the drunk in the car behind would follow the car in front at 0.2 seconds distance instead of me, didn't work!

If you want to get rid of an erratic driver, don't try to get away from him. Slow down and let him pass.
I much rather have erratic drivers ahead of me so I can react to them in stead of they reacting (too late?) to me.

 

[Gibson99]

Yep! Last time I was rear-ended, it was by a driver I had passed just one minute previous. He actually hit one car and pushed them into me while we were waiting at a red light. After that I try to keep that type of driver in front of me so I can see everything they're doing.

 

[Nigel]

What did the police say when you called in to report it?

I had no proof that he was drunk, only suspicion, and we are not allowed to use mobile phones while driving so I couldn't call to get him caught.
I could report him for doing 60 through the 30 zone in the village but we have no Operation Snap here, I don't think the police would be interested, also 30 above the speed limit should be a court appearance so could cost me a fair amount of time.

If you want to get rid of an erratic driver, don't try to get away from him. Slow down and let him pass.
I much rather have erratic drivers ahead of me so I can react to them in stead of they reacting (too late?) to me.

I did let a gap open in front of me and waited to see if he was interested in overtaking, he got closer to the bank instead of moving towards the middle of the road so I assumed that he had no interest in overtaking and wouldn't follow me. When we got to another safe place to overtake I slowed down for the 30 zone early to encourage him to pass, which he did. Even when he did follow I wasn't really expecting him to catch up.

 

[Deleted member 46308]

Yep! Last time I was rear-ended, it was by a driver I had passed just one minute previous. He actually hit one car and pushed them into me while we were waiting at a red light. After that I try to keep that type of driver in front of me so I can see everything they're doing.

Good advice!

 

[Feitelijk]

I had no proof that he was drunk, only suspicion, and we are not allowed to use mobile phones while driving so I couldn't call to get him caught.

My experience is that the police is rather thankful that you illegally use the phone to call in a suspected drunk driver. Better to do it handsfree of course but they have their priorities straight.

 

[DashcamDPR]

My experience is that the police is rather thankful that you illegally use the phone to call in a suspected drunk driver. Better to do it handsfree of course but they have their priorities straight.

Our law allows the use of a mobile phone while driving solely in the case of emergency... to be honest, it's common sense isn't it

 

[DashcamDPR]

That is a possibility I never thought of!

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