I've never been one to flash cars for any reason, but I've recently passed broken down cars on blind bends and wondered how do I effectively inform the oncoming cars of the hazard that they are about to come across.
Is there an acceptable (International) way to warn cars of a hazard ahead?
Edited by Pugugly on 31/01/2009 at 20:19
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a warning triangle. Legaly required in most of europe.
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What do you do with the triangle as you drive towards the oncoming traffic, wave it out of the window? :)
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no
the driver of the dangerously located car should have a legal responsibility to put out a warning triangle to warn other drivers, so you dont have to.
Edited by Altea Ego on 31/01/2009 at 20:18
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Few weeks ago on the way to work in the dark a flock of sheep were strutting their stuff in the middle of an A road just before a village, I flashed at oncoming traffic including a service bus who rather rudely flashed aggressively back - there was a nasty bit of me that quoted Milligan "I hope you crash" But that's wrong I suppose.
Edited by Pugugly on 31/01/2009 at 20:21
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Come on AE thats not what Rudedog asked.
Edited by Old Navy on 31/01/2009 at 20:23
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maybe not but it is the answer.
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Meanwhile back to the OP's question ! :-)
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I have also gone down the "flash the oncoming car" as well... and had the same result... trouble is that nowadays flashing an oncoming vehicle seems to mean that they are doing something wrong (such as badly adjusted lights) so the old use, that of a warning, has been supeceded...
So the answer is "no there isn't a universally accepted way of allerting them", but you could still flash them and hope that they take it the way its intended and not as some sort of insult!!
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I either put hazards on on go from dipped to sidelights repeatedly.
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An acceptable way would be the old slowing down hand signal, couple of flashes to get the other drivers attention and giving the flat palmed up and down movement out of the window would get the message across.
You could have performed the same sign inside when it was possible to see the driver coming the other way, in many modern vehicle its almost impossible to see if someone's actually at the wheel.
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What gb said; no disrespect meant but I find that whilst nearly all truck drivers acknowledge this and slow down, a lot of car drivers just look at you blank and carry on regardless.
I too have had a couple of rude gestures back when doing this. Mind you, I'm not sure if that signal is still in the highway code but I'll bet any money that its not part of a test. I suspect a lot of younger drivers woudn't know what it meant.
Edited by Harleyman on 31/01/2009 at 21:34
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I flash and give the thumbs down signal out of the window. Even though this means 'speed trap' if it makes them slow down and keep their eyes peeled, then it has had the desired effect.
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Locally, as animals on the road are frequent, a rapid flashing of lights - say, 4-5 flashes - seems the accepted warning. Can be accompanied by hand signal as explained above. Also used for other obstructions.
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Do you all drive with your windows open in this weather?! :o
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Do you all drive with your windows open in this weather?! :o
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I dont need to, my aircon works above 5C and I live in sunny Scotland not Siberia.
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Neither do I, but several have said that they wave their hands around out of the window... I doubt I would have time to wind down the window and do that in the circumstances described! Unless they already have their window down or lower it straight after passing the obstruction! :)
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And what about the dark - they've been threatening to turn the street lights off here as well.
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And what about the dark - they've been threatening to turn the street lights off here as well.
No problem, warning triangles are reflective. Still need the window open to wave it though.:-)
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Ah of course ! Lucky I "kept" the one from the boot of the Beemer then !
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Problem is that you really need two triangles - one for the traffic coming behind you and one to warn the on coming traffic that they are likely to meet vehicles on their side of the road, as they overtake the obstruction.
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I seem to remember that it is compulsory to carry two triangles in your car somewhere on the continent.
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