Signaling a driver about their headlights

[malcontent]

Over the years I have had a few occasions to come across drivers here who are driving down the road and forgot to turn on their headlights. When I encounter this I switch my own headlights on and off, which is what we do in the U.S. to signal the driver that they don’t have their headlights on. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to register with drivers here at all, they just ignore me and go along their merry way, headlights off. Just wondering if there is some other way people signal other drivers here, or maybe it’s just not done?

[sundaymorningstaple]

After all my years of driving here, it's just like turn signals.

[malcontent]

I know in Malaysia they have some signals - for example, using the hazard lights usually means “I am creating a hazard” - such as going the wrong way down a one way street... I often referred to it as the immunity button, as long as the hazard lights are on, no rules apply!

[Myasis Dragon]

Over the years I have had a few occasions to come across drivers here who are driving down the road and forgot to turn on their headlights. When I encounter this I switch my own headlights on and off, which is what we do in the U.S. to signal the driver that they don’t have their headlights on. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to register with drivers here at all, they just ignore me and go along their merry way, headlights off. Just wondering if there is some other way people signal other drivers here, or maybe it’s just not done?

They've got the headlights turned off to save wear and tear on the alternator.

[PNGMK]

Over the years I have had a few occasions to come across drivers here who are driving down the road and forgot to turn on their headlights. When I encounter this I switch my own headlights on and off, which is what we do in the U.S. to signal the driver that they don’t have their headlights on. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to register with drivers here at all, they just ignore me and go along their merry way, headlights off. Just wondering if there is some other way people signal other drivers here, or maybe it’s just not done?

They've got the headlights turned off to save wear and tear on the alternator.

And fuel.

But no seriously there is no signal apart from the one where you hold both palms up and squeeze your hands together in a boob squeezing motion. Only will work if you're a pedestrian.

[Max Headroom]

In the UK, oncoming drivers flash their high beams for a split second when their traffic light has turned red whilst they're coasting to a stop with me waiting to turn into the junction. It tells me no further cars are expected from their end, enabling me to turn before all cars at their end have come to a full stop. A wee gain, but it's welcome all the same.

I think it's safe to say that beam protocol here in Singers has a ways to go.









Edit: edit.

[Lisafuller]

Over the years I have had a few occasions to come across drivers here who are driving down the road and forgot to turn on their headlights. When I encounter this I switch my own headlights on and off, which is what we do in the U.S. to signal the driver that they don’t have their headlights on. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to register with drivers here at all, they just ignore me and go along their merry way, headlights off. Just wondering if there is some other way people signal other drivers here, or maybe it’s just not done?

I’ve observed the same thing. The drivers here don’t respond to that at all, now I just honk and try to signal to them, otherwise I move on and hope they realize on their own.

[sundaymorningstaple]

The other one you don't see here is slower drivers in the left lane flashing the headlights to confirm overtaking prime mover (Tractor Trailer rig) driver he is clear of car flashing the lights so he can move his rig back into the left most lane.

However, I've always like this one as it seems so apt here.

[abbby]

Yes its usually a signal to inform the driver something's not right.
I once had a person kept flashing me telling me my boot re-opened and I was still driving! Thank goodness he flashed continuously or I would have driven all the way home with my boot opened.

[malcontent]

The other thing you’ll experience in the U.S. is oncoming cars will flash their high beams repeatedly to let you know police (speed trap) ahead. I think some states have even tried to make doing that illegal, but seems pretty hard to enforce.

One thing that is consistent, both here and in the U.S. is the 10 over rule (mph there, kph here), if you continually exceed that, you’ll get ticketed eventually. Canada seems to allow 20kph over, but I haven’t put that to the test as extensively as I have here or in the U.S.

[x9200]

Over the years I have had a few occasions to come across drivers here who are driving down the road and forgot to turn on their headlights. When I encounter this I switch my own headlights on and off, which is what we do in the U.S. to signal the driver that they don’t have their headlights on. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to register with drivers here at all, they just ignore me and go along their merry way, headlights off. Just wondering if there is some other way people signal other drivers here, or maybe it’s just not done?

They don't consider the lights off to be any problem so there is no way the message could get through.

[PNGMK]

Over the years I have had a few occasions to come across drivers here who are driving down the road and forgot to turn on their headlights. When I encounter this I switch my own headlights on and off, which is what we do in the U.S. to signal the driver that they don’t have their headlights on. Unfortunately this doesn’t seem to register with drivers here at all, they just ignore me and go along their merry way, headlights off. Just wondering if there is some other way people signal other drivers here, or maybe it’s just not done?

They don't consider the lights off to be any problem so there is no way the message could get through.

A former Traffic Cop told me that a car at night moving with lights off was considered to a very high chance of DUI and that's why he would normally stop them.

[PNGMK]

[malcontent]

The poor lane discipline here would get most drivers here pulled over for suspicion of being a drunk driver, if they drove like that in the U.S.

And the way people lay on the horn in an extended, angry fashion (over very minor things)... doing that in the U.S. would eventually lead to them getting physically assaulted at best, and possibly shot, at worst.

[PNGMK]

^ Agreed.