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[LFF64]

Has any one else noticed that HGV s rarely flash thier headlights to say you have passed them and it is Ok to pull in after you pass them on the motorway , we went up to Carfest last weekend so up the M40 and M6 and today up the M1 and back to take the granddaughter home to leicester and I didn’t notice anyone doing it either for me or anyone else

[johnnydog]

In my experience, HGV drivers flash you following an overtake if you are towing a trailer or caravan, purely to let you know when your outfit has safely passed the HGV and it is clear to move back to lane 1, but not whilst solo. But why would you need a flash anyway to tell you when you have passed the HGV when not actually towing?

[plym ian]

I notice also when they used to flash their lights to warn you of a speed camera van ahead but don’t even do that anymore

[johnnydog]

They do round our way. I approached one yesterday, and was already primed as I had had an informative flash about 1/2 mile earlier.
Perhaps Lancashire folk are a bit more friendly and helpful towards others.....

[Raeturbo]

Yes we err......flash for speed scameras here too.

[Viral_Jim]

In my experience, HGV drivers flash you following an overtake if you are towing a trailer or caravan, purely to let you know when your outfit has safely passed the HGV and it is clear to move back to lane 1, but not whilst solo. But why would you need a flash anyway to tell you when you have passed the HGV when not actually towing?

This has been my experience, not done much towing, always as favours for family/friends, but typically HGVs will flash a towing car, but rarely single vehicles.

I have in my time been flashed by HGVs in my car for other reasons, but that's another story 

[Varche]

Could be foreign drivers.

Flashing headlights in Spain means look out I am coming through or similar.

[Viral_Jim]

I noticed something similar in birmingham today, drivers wave, as though you've let them out, when in fact they've pulled out Infront of you, or cut you up, or similar.

Seems to be an attempt at gaslighting fellow road users 

[johnnydog]

Could be foreign drivers.

Flashing headlights in Spain means look out I am coming through or similar.

A quick flash of the headlights is usually a 'thankyou' or as discussed a courteous indication that you have safely passed a HGV whilst towing.
A longer flash can be a night time warning of a vehicles presence. Burning the paint however off the car you are flashing at is also a (BMW) drivers arrogant statement saying let me through / pass. It irritates me when you are overtaking within the speed limit on a motorway, and some (BMW) driver thinks he is entitled to exceed the speed limit and flashes you to move over. It usually has the opposite effect, causing a slight reduction in speed much to their annoyance
There are some responsible BMW drivers out there, so I do apologise to them....

[Viral_Jim]

While I agree that overtaking at 69mph in the outside lanes of major motorways is clearly within the law, I suspect doing so on any of the 120 or so miles of dual carriageway/ motorway (M5, M42, M40, M45, M1) that make up my daily commute you would incur the ire of 90% of people on the carriageway, not just the BMW drivers.

Personally I find myself equally irritated at people who use their (clearly ample reserves of) time to sit in the outside lane on motorways at or around 70 when there are perfectly usable lanes to their left but feel it's their duty, ordained by some higher power, to restrict me to a pre determined speed of their choosing

[BazaJT]

Lane discipline notwithstanding if they're travelling at 70mph they're doing so at a speed pre-determined by government not themselves surely?Don't remember ever being flashed by a HGV to say I was clear to pull back in.

[Bigron]

I often have the reverse situation: an HBV passes me and I flash him to indicate that it's ok for him to pull back in, and nearly always get the alternating left-right flashers as a thank you.
I think that there are some on here that would never live down being overtaken by an HGV! 

Ron.

[2boxerdogs]

When towing our caravan which we have a lot this year I would estimate 80 percent of English lorries flash indicators if you let them know they can pull over after overtaking & the same if you overtake them flashing to let you know that you have passed safely , foreign trucks  appear to have very little courtesy on our roads.

[Andy B]

I often have the reverse situation: an HBV passes me and I flash him to indicate that it's ok for him to pull back in, .....

Clearly other things on your mind Ron 

[Lizzie Zoom]

Could be foreign drivers.

Flashing headlights in Spain means look out I am coming through or similar.

That is the legal definition of the flashing headlights, or sounding your horn, in the UK.  It was decided in court some years back that the use of flashing of headlights or the sounding of horns, other than to warn others of your presence, was not a legal reason for doing so.  This was aimed at stopping the confusion about when to use those warning devices on your vehicle or not.

You will not see a police car flashing it's headlights, or sound their horn, to let you out of say a junction, or if they are cut up by some idiot They will just flash their lights and use their two tone and horn to flag you down or in a pursuit of you if you fail to stop and warn other motorists and pedestrians of their presence!!