What does it mean when someone flashes their headlights of their car? Is that worse than honking someone?

Question

My friends always do it, instead of honking, also on the road I see people do it as well but never knew what it really means.

Answer 1

Things it could mean ::Speed trap ahead , Turn on your headlights its getting dark., or your headlights are shining in my eyes please dim them , and if they are on low beam your headlights are adjusted too high. or lastly if you know them HI.

Answer 2

turn your headlights on

Answer 3

it means get out of my way i'm going faster and i dont have all day.

Answer 4

Speed trap ahead or you need to turn your headlights on if it is dark.

Answer 5

there are three usual meaning for flashing your lights at someone. The first is your lights are not on  and they should be, second is that there are cops up ahead waiting to catch speeders.  third is if you are giving the person a signal to go, such as if a person is waiting to make a left hand turn, you are stopping to let them go.  So if your lights are on, no one is turning left, then you know to look out for police in ghost cars.

Answer 6

well it can mean there giving you way. say if you are about to turn but no one is giving way they will probably flash their light before stopping which means there letting you turn. it can mean thank you if you give way as well. but most people just put their hand up.

it can also mean that there is a speed trap or police ahead.

if they do it at night you probably don't have your light on or one of the above, most likely your lights.

all these above are for oncoming.

if their behind you, your driving too slow but there not being rude. otherwise he would honk.

i think that's pretty much it

hope i helped :)

Answer 7

Usually It just means to check what your doing and be very aware or your surroundings.

Answer 8

Depends on what country you drive in.

"Turn the high beams off, you idiot" in most European countries, when a car driving towards you in the night has the full/high/long beams on and is dazzling you.

At a junction to show other driver that you giving up your right of way so they can get out - apparently understood in Williams, Arizona too - I flashed a yellow schoolbus at a 4-way STOP junction, got a thumb up from the driver.

On multi-lane congested roads - traffic is moving very slowly and someone wants to change lanes, you "flash them" to indicate they can go.

In countries where using lights during daytime is compulsory, you flash a person with lights-off to turn them on.

To warn oncoming traffic - police/accident/speed trap ahead.

Or simply, "hey, I'm coming so watch out".

Answer 9

Sometimes, a driver may be trying to signal you about your lights or something.  Maybe they think you're coming at them at night with your brights on.

One day, I drove with my headlights on only to have 3 people flash their lights at me.  Trying to tell me, maybe, that my lights were on in the day time.  But, I was trying to be more visible, when it was a bit misty out.  And so what?

Sometimes at night, if a truck passes my husband, he will flash his lights when the truck is far enough past that it would be safe enough to pull back into the driving lane.

Answer 10

They are warning you of a speed trap that is ahead and if that person is caught it carries a heavy fine.

Answer 11

Depends:

If they are on-coming, it means one of two things:

    1) Turn on your lights! They are off!

    2) Speed trap ahead. Slow down.

If they are behind you, it means one thing:

    1) Get out of my way (you are probably going to slow in the fast lane).

Answer 12

It means your car is on fire...YOu should stop immediatly and run from your car screaming.

Answer 13

could be a few things, your brights are on, cop ahead, slow down... just depends

Answer 14

cops ahead or your headlights are off (at night) sometimes truckers flash their light to say "thanks" to someone who was courteous to them