Etiquette when flashing ?

[OriginalBigAl]

With the advent of LED lights (not just the MG4) and brighter dipped lights in general, what is a suitable etiquette when opposing drivers flash their main beams at you?
For an example: the other night driving into town on dipped beams, the road being bumpy so the car was lurching up and down, an opposing driver flashed his main beams at me, for a little longer than was necessary, to inform me of an apparent but unfounded misdemeanour. I responded with a similar gesture to inform him of his mistake, more out of revenge than politeness.
Living in a hilly countryside this sort of unintentional temporary blinding from other drivers (dipped beam) and likely from myself is not an uncommon event and as in the above instance causes untold grumpiness.
Do we ? try to ignore it, and put up with it. ?
go around flashing main beams at all and sundry?
complain to ...... whom?
As more modern vehicles replace the old more yellowy head lighted versions it's only going to get more common and although personally I avoid night driving when I can it does remain a necessary evil at times.
This is not about drivers who have accidently left their main beams on, or their failing auto dip functions have let them down, for whom the main beam flasher was invented and and again frequently applied.

 

[salty]

Ignore him/her. He/she is obviously a Berk. Who takes the hump, at the slightest thing.

 

[MG Clive]

Ignore him/her. He/she is obviously a Berk. Who takes the hump, at the slightest thing.

I reckon 'Berk' is your word of the day.

 

[salty]

I reckon 'Berk' is your word of the day.

It is, but doesn't it just sum it up.
"Stupid, Foolish or Irritating Person"

 

[MG Clive]

It is, but doesn't it just sum it up.
"Stupid, Foolish or Irritating Person"

Hell yeah.

 

[LenEV2016]

It is, but doesn't it just sum it up.
"Stupid, Foolish or Irritating Person"

In the words of our dearly missed Bricktop I think they are also classed as a Twonk.

 

[salty]

In the words of or dearly missed Bricktop I think they are also classed as a Twonk.

Absolutely, certainly something beginning with, TW.

 

[Archev]

Hell yeah.

I get even more annoyed with the twits who park on “my” side of the road to run in to a shop or post seasonal complimentary cards, leaving headlights pointing straight at me worse still if they augment them with fogs burning eyeballs as well

 

[m4rmite]

Can I report a misleading thread title.
I was expecting something juicy

 

[MG Clive]

Can I report a misleading thread title.
I was expecting something juicy

Wrong forum mate.

 

[NikLiverpool]

I was getting flashed a lot when I was driving my model 3. Then I realised that the bloody thing every time it had an OTA it would reset the lights alignment to max height....
Therefore I went into the routine of re-aligning the lights every month.

So far with the IM or my wife's Atto3 I have never been flashed.

May be worth looking into the alignment of your lights.

 

[m4rmite]

Wrong forum mate.

I'm married, I always live in hope

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Can I report a misleading thread title.
I was expecting something juicy

I've got another one involving taking the dogs in the back of the car out for walks . Peter Kay has a classic scene involving the term used as a verb .

I was getting flashed a lot when I was driving my model 3. Then I realised that the bloody thing every time it had an OTA it would reset the lights alignment to max height....
Therefore I went into the routine of re-aligning the lights every month.

So far with the IM or my wife's Atto3 I have never been flashed.

May worth looking into the alignment of your lights.

The alignment is spot on when stationary or on level smooth roads , but in the MG4 the beams are vertically challenged on bumpy roads sometimes lighting up the tops of trees and 2 seconds later a pool of light 20 M in front of the car with the remainder pitch black. Adjusting with the 4 way height control only shifts the spread one way or the other , but never alleviates the problem so even a compromise setting is at times annoying.

 

[tsedge]

With the advent of LED lights (not just the MG4) and brighter dipped lights in general, what is a suitable etiquette when opposing drivers flash their main beams at you?

I think it is important not to make assumptions about why other people are flashing their lights at you or their motivations and important not to act out of any emotion (e.g. revenge).

My approach if I receive a flash and I am not on high beam is to do a quick single-flash back, to acknowledge and demonstrate I am not. Beyond that, if I receive further flashes, I just ignore them other than to check that nothing seems wrong with my car.

If I see lights that are too bright, similarly I offer up a quick single-flash and they either respond or they don't, but I try not to repeat this and not to get into a flashing competition or even worse a full-beam staredown. All of that just increases risks.

It is important to check your car, I remember as a young driver in the early 90s, I was driving along a motorway with the music turned right up and someone in a white van started to flash me repeatedly from behind. I got cross and pulled over to confront them, determined to tell them off.

As I walked back to them, they started pointing not at me but at the back of my car. I looked back and my entire exhaust system was being dragged behind the car, and had clearly been sparking across the carriageway as it swung behind the rear mount.

I had heard and felt nothing with my "pumping tunes"!

So... just occasionally, they are warning you of something you need to attend to!

 

[Rolfe]

I was getting repeated flashing before I realised that the undertray of my Peugeot had been dragging on the road for days, if not weeks.

 

[T1 Terry]

I get even more annoyed with the twits who park on “my” side of the road to run in to a shop or post seasonal complimentary cards, leaving headlights pointing straight at me worse still if they augment them with fogs burning eyeballs as well

Fortunately, over here in Aust, that is a guaranteed fine and loss of points on their licence ..... and double points during any holiday period. There is actually quite a collection of fines for such an offence, driving on the wrong side of the road, facing the wrong way when parked, head lights directed toward on coming traffic ......

T1 Terry

 

[T1 Terry]

Can I report a misleading thread title.
I was expecting something juicy

Like:
don't waste peoples time if it's cold and there will be nothing to see?

Flashing children is just poor form

Be ready to run if you flash a granny and she thinks it's a call to action

Be prepared for any female to threaten you with legal action in the small claims court

T1 Terry