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[LFF64]

Has any one else noticed that HGV s rarely flash thier headlights to say you have passed them and it is Ok to pull in after you pass them on the motorway , we went up to Carfest last weekend so up the M40 and M6 and today up the M1 and back to take the granddaughter home to leicester and I didn’t notice anyone doing it either for me or anyone else

[johnnydog]

In my experience, HGV drivers flash you following an overtake if you are towing a trailer or caravan, purely to let you know when your outfit has safely passed the HGV and it is clear to move back to lane 1, but not whilst solo. But why would you need a flash anyway to tell you when you have passed the HGV when not actually towing?

[plym ian]

I notice also when they used to flash their lights to warn you of a speed camera van ahead but don’t even do that anymore

[johnnydog]

They do round our way. I approached one yesterday, and was already primed as I had had an informative flash about 1/2 mile earlier.
Perhaps Lancashire folk are a bit more friendly and helpful towards others.....

[Raeturbo]

Yes we err......flash for speed scameras here too.

[Viral_Jim]

In my experience, HGV drivers flash you following an overtake if you are towing a trailer or caravan, purely to let you know when your outfit has safely passed the HGV and it is clear to move back to lane 1, but not whilst solo. But why would you need a flash anyway to tell you when you have passed the HGV when not actually towing?

This has been my experience, not done much towing, always as favours for family/friends, but typically HGVs will flash a towing car, but rarely single vehicles.

I have in my time been flashed by HGVs in my car for other reasons, but that's another story 

[Varche]

Could be foreign drivers.

Flashing headlights in Spain means look out I am coming through or similar.

[Viral_Jim]

I noticed something similar in birmingham today, drivers wave, as though you've let them out, when in fact they've pulled out Infront of you, or cut you up, or similar.

Seems to be an attempt at gaslighting fellow road users 

[johnnydog]

Could be foreign drivers.

Flashing headlights in Spain means look out I am coming through or similar.

A quick flash of the headlights is usually a 'thankyou' or as discussed a courteous indication that you have safely passed a HGV whilst towing.
A longer flash can be a night time warning of a vehicles presence. Burning the paint however off the car you are flashing at is also a (BMW) drivers arrogant statement saying let me through / pass. It irritates me when you are overtaking within the speed limit on a motorway, and some (BMW) driver thinks he is entitled to exceed the speed limit and flashes you to move over. It usually has the opposite effect, causing a slight reduction in speed much to their annoyance
There are some responsible BMW drivers out there, so I do apologise to them....

[Viral_Jim]

While I agree that overtaking at 69mph in the outside lanes of major motorways is clearly within the law, I suspect doing so on any of the 120 or so miles of dual carriageway/ motorway (M5, M42, M40, M45, M1) that make up my daily commute you would incur the ire of 90% of people on the carriageway, not just the BMW drivers.

Personally I find myself equally irritated at people who use their (clearly ample reserves of) time to sit in the outside lane on motorways at or around 70 when there are perfectly usable lanes to their left but feel it's their duty, ordained by some higher power, to restrict me to a pre determined speed of their choosing

[BazaJT]

Lane discipline notwithstanding if they're travelling at 70mph they're doing so at a speed pre-determined by government not themselves surely?Don't remember ever being flashed by a HGV to say I was clear to pull back in.

[Bigron]

I often have the reverse situation: an HBV passes me and I flash him to indicate that it's ok for him to pull back in, and nearly always get the alternating left-right flashers as a thank you.
I think that there are some on here that would never live down being overtaken by an HGV! 

Ron.

[2boxerdogs]

When towing our caravan which we have a lot this year I would estimate 80 percent of English lorries flash indicators if you let them know they can pull over after overtaking & the same if you overtake them flashing to let you know that you have passed safely , foreign trucks  appear to have very little courtesy on our roads.

[Andy B]

I often have the reverse situation: an HBV passes me and I flash him to indicate that it's ok for him to pull back in, .....

Clearly other things on your mind Ron 

[Lizzie Zoom]

Could be foreign drivers.

Flashing headlights in Spain means look out I am coming through or similar.

That is the legal definition of the flashing headlights, or sounding your horn, in the UK.  It was decided in court some years back that the use of flashing of headlights or the sounding of horns, other than to warn others of your presence, was not a legal reason for doing so.  This was aimed at stopping the confusion about when to use those warning devices on your vehicle or not.

You will not see a police car flashing it's headlights, or sound their horn, to let you out of say a junction, or if they are cut up by some idiot They will just flash their lights and use their two tone and horn to flag you down or in a pursuit of you if you fail to stop and warn other motorists and pedestrians of their presence!!

[Andy B]

When towing, some wagons flash me back in .... some don't, regardless of UK or foreign 

[Sir Tigger KC]

If you're not towing anything and just in an ordinary car, you shouldn't be on the road if you need someone to flash you to let you know you've passed by. 

[STEMO]

Never heard of being flashed by an HGV. When I took a fully laden transit Luton with tail lift over the hill a couple of years ago, I was flashing HGV's to let them know it was safe to pull in.

[Bigron]

If you're not towing anything and just in an ordinary car, you shouldn't be on the road if you need someone to flash you to let you know you've passed by. 

Yes. The usual "rule" when solo is to wait until you can see the overtaken vehicle (HGV or not) clearly in your rear view mirror before pulling back in. Much the same for when towing, I imagine - just leave more "clear water" before pulling in?

Ron.

[johnnydog]

While I agree that overtaking at 69mph in the outside lanes of major motorways is clearly within the law, I suspect doing so on any of the 120 or so miles of dual carriageway/ motorway (M5, M42, M40, M45, M1) that make up my daily commute you would incur the ire of 90% of people on the carriageway, not just the BMW drivers.

Personally I find myself equally irritated at people who use their (clearly ample reserves of) time to sit in the outside lane on motorways at or around 70 when there are perfectly usable lanes to their left but feel it's their duty, ordained by some higher power, to restrict me to a pre determined speed of their choosing

Being pedantic / standing on my high horse, if you are travelling within / at the speed limit, and clearly making progress on the vehicle being overtaken, why should any driver be pressured into either accelerating to pass the vehicle being overtaken quicker, and in doing so possibly exceed the speed limit, just to appease the following driver who wishes to drive at speeds  breaking the limit?
I regularly tow a car transporter with my Omega, which is restricted to 60mph on motorways. I regularly encounter HGV's doing 1/2 mph overtakes in lane 2, which sometimes takes a good few minutes, and effectively partly blocks the motorway whilst doing so. I appreciate they officially restricted to 56 mph, but there actions regularly mean that I have to wait behind them for however long it takes them to pass another HGV as I cannot use the 'outside'lane (whether that be on a 3or 4 lane motorway). Imagine what their reaction would be if I flashed them to move over or get of the way - a V sign or other gesticulation would be the very least. Why should car drivers be treated differently just keeping to the speed limit?
I have a HGV Class 1, so I understand why it is done, but it doesn't mean it's right.
Going off at a slight tangent, another thing that irks me is motorcycles overtaking a line of stationary vehicles in the oncoming lane on the approach to traffic lights or junction and pulling in at the front of the cars.  If I was to do that in a car and pull up at the front of the line of traffic before setting off when on green, holy hell would be let loose.
Rant over..

[John-Ha]

Personally I find myself equally irritated at people who use their (clearly ample reserves of) time to sit in the outside lane on motorways at or around 70 when there are perfectly usable lanes to their left but feel it's their duty, ordained by some higher power, to restrict me to a pre determined speed of their choosing

You are quite correct to be irritated, if not something more.  Rule 264 of the Highway Code states:
Rule 264

You should always drive in the left-hand lane when the road ahead is clear. If you are overtaking a number of slower-moving vehicles, you should return to the left-hand lane as soon as you are safely past.

Unfortunately it's should, not must.

[Viral_Jim]

While I agree that overtaking at 69mph in the outside lanes of major motorways is clearly within the law, I suspect doing so on any of the 120 or so miles of dual carriageway/ motorway (M5, M42, M40, M45, M1) that make up my daily commute you would incur the ire of 90% of people on the carriageway, not just the BMW drivers.

Personally I find myself equally irritated at people who use their (clearly ample reserves of) time to sit in the outside lane on motorways at or around 70 when there are perfectly usable lanes to their left but feel it's their duty, ordained by some higher power, to restrict me to a pre determined speed of their choosing

Being pedantic / standing on my high horse, if you are travelling within / at the speed limit, and clearly making progress on the vehicle being overtaken, why should any driver be pressured into either accelerating to pass the vehicle being overtaken quicker, and in doing so possibly exceed the speed limit, just to appease the following driver who wishes to drive at speeds  breaking the limit?

I didn't say that they should, I was merely making an observation about the way our motorways are used today. If the outside lane is being used for a genuine overtake, the only time I have ever flashed someone is when they have pulled out directly into my path - typically the seems to be Peugeot drivers. Not sure why 

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

While I agree that overtaking at 69mph in the outside lanes of major motorways is clearly within the law, I suspect doing so on any of the 120 or so miles of dual carriageway/ motorway (M5, M42, M40, M45, M1) that make up my daily commute you would incur the ire of 90% of people on the carriageway, not just the BMW drivers.

Personally I find myself equally irritated at people who use their (clearly ample reserves of) time to sit in the outside lane on motorways at or around 70 when there are perfectly usable lanes to their left but feel it's their duty, ordained by some higher power, to restrict me to a pre determined speed of their choosing

Being pedantic / standing on my high horse, if you are travelling within / at the speed limit, and clearly making progress on the vehicle being overtaken, why should any driver be pressured into either accelerating to pass the vehicle being overtaken quicker, and in doing so possibly exceed the speed limit, just to appease the following driver who wishes to drive at speeds  breaking the limit?
I regularly tow a car transporter with my Omega, which is restricted to 60mph on motorways. I regularly encounter HGV's doing 1/2 mph overtakes in lane 2, which sometimes takes a good few minutes, and effectively partly blocks the motorway whilst doing so. I appreciate they officially restricted to 56 mph, but there actions regularly mean that I have to wait behind them for however long it takes them to pass another HGV as I cannot use the 'outside'lane (whether that be on a 3or 4 lane motorway). Imagine what their reaction would be if I flashed them to move over or get of the way - a V sign or other gesticulation would be the very least. Why should car drivers be treated differently just keeping to the speed limit?
I have a HGV Class 1, so I understand why it is done, but it doesn't mean it's right.
Going off at a slight tangent, another thing that irks me is motorcycles overtaking a line of stationary vehicles in the oncoming lane on the approach to traffic lights or junction and pulling in at the front of the cars.  If I was to do that in a car and pull up at the front of the line of traffic before setting off when on green, holy hell would be let loose.
Rant over..

It isn't possible to carry out this manoeuvre in a car with driving downright dangerously. Its perfectly possible to do it safely on a motorcycle, due to its size and manoeuvrability. Still needs care and reading of both sides of the road ahead, so can carry risks, but nothing like the level of risk if someone was mad enough to try it in a car. 
Once the bike is at the front of the line of traffic its highly unlikely it is going to hold up the cars behind when the lights change.
Very different story with pushbikes though, and for some reason they actually have boxes marked out especially for them at traffic lights to allow them to go to the front, and then hold everyone up behind them when the lights change.

[Bigron]

Yes Albs, but those cycle boxes are for political reasons.....

Ron.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Yes Albs, but those cycle boxes are for political reasons.....

Ron.

I've always thought they are the 'killing zone'.     

[Bigron]

Shh, that's the secret purpose, Sir Tigger! That's also why the MAMILs are so visibly attired - to make easy tergets for us. 

Ron.

[Sir Tigger KC]

Shh, that's the secret purpose, Sir Tigger! That's also why the MAMILs are so visibly attired - to make easy tergets for us. 

Ron.

I want James Bond's Aston Martin with the guns in the front and the oil slick out the back! 

My front guns would fire paint balls though!    Such fun!! 

[LFF64]

Ok yes I know it is usually when towing I was actually towing albeit a small trailer .
I was just stating I had not noticed it in general , motorway travel in the Pathfinder is a little slower and I get time to look a little more .
I have been on the M25 today and noticed how slow most of the traffic is in general , I had cruise control set at 70 and the amount of time I came up behind traffic travelling a fair bit slower than this but in almost all lanes .
 Obviously you get the few travelling much faster that motorway rules don’t seem apply to them and use the inside lanes as the overtaking lanes , and then there are the ones that only use the one lane I was in lane two cruise set at 70 overtaking lane traffic and leaving room for the undertakers to get past . You get the cars that come up behind you and will not go past even if the outer lanes are clear and wait for you to go over back in to lane 1 or 2 before they can go past