High beaming ettiquette

[TLontheDL]

What exactly does a flash of high beam mean in your city/state/country? Instantly one would think of it as an offensive gesture but not necessarily, right?

I was traveling out of state last month and once I reached Oklahoma and Colorado, 70% of on coming traffic high beamed me and wouldn't turn it off unless i high beamed them back. I am guessing it is a way of saying hi instead of honking their horn. At 1st I thought of it as an offensive gesture but i came to realize its just a friendly gesture! As my 28 yrs of living in Texas, I have never seen or heard of this. It was new to me and I thought it was pretty cool!

Also a positive high beam that I have always known was the "there is a police up ahead - slow down" warning for others on the oncoming traffic. They'll flash their high beams a few times instead of just having it on. I do it for others b/c people do it for me. Its good karma, if you believe in that kind of junk. ;)

[firelizard]

Here a flash of the highs incoming means "you're blinding me dumbass".
Behind you, it's usually to get your attention for something.

[Dominik]

Something like "Pull over so i can kill you"

I use it to warn others about upcoming speed traps, reminding people about their highbeams, and letting them know that they are going too slow in the fast lane (if they are in front of me), or to let people know they are pissing me off royally

Interesting to note, in Australia the rule book says you can turn your highbeams on before you overtake someone

Are you sure the others werent pissed off at your HIDs or something?

[scifihifi]

im guessing that your lights are so brights people were signaling you that your brights were on

[hahajoey]

i highbeam to point out other peoples' mistakes

[Pagong]

I like to turn on my rear foglights to blind tailgaiters ;D Just playing...

[Dark Anghell]

Well...things seem to be different in US from the rest of the world. I have yet to see someone high-beam me to warn about a speed trap. In Europe people do that all the time...so if it's the middle of the day and someone shines their lights, it means theres a cop up ahead.

Now back to US...I use my high-beams to let people know that I'm going faster than them and they should get out of my way (on a 2 lane highway where left lane is for passing only, but people like to drive there going 45MPH in a 60mph zone). I also do the same if I am about to pass someone at night, if it's night time but the person is driving without their lights turned on, and last but not least to say "hey! turn off your high-beams...you're blinding me!"

[mdenoga]

Here a flash of the highs incoming means "you're blinding me dumbass".
Behind you, it's usually to get your attention for something.


a flash of high beams can also mean "b*tch learn how to drive" when u get cut off...sorry i get road rage sometimes. :buck2:

[carb0]

I use it to warn others about upcoming speed traps, reminding people about their highbeams, and letting them know that they are going too slow in the fast lane (if they are in front of me), or to let people know they are pissing me off royally