Forum Discussion

holstein13's avatar
holstein13
Explorer
Jan 24, 2015

Do you flash people?

A while ago, I noticed that truckers often flash their headlights when a vehicle has signaled that they want to change into their lane and they have passed the truck. I'm assuming this meant, go ahead and change lanes now. I hope it doesn't mean, "By no means should you change lanes now."

This turned out to be pretty useful for me when I first started driving my motorhome. I was new to Class As and it was nice to have confirmation that I could safely switch lanes so I began to do it myself whenever I saw someone with their turn indicator on as they were passing me.

The next thing I noticed was that some of the truckers I had flashed were flashing their brake / parking lights at me. I'm assuming to say thanks. Again, I hope it means that.

I liked the gesture but I couldn't figure out how to flash my brake / parking lights to say thanks to those who signaled me. I tried tapping the brakes, but that would slow me down and take me out of cruise mode and I even tried turning on and off my headlights, but I'd end up flashing my headlights and I didn't want to do that so I gave up.

Then I got my diesel pusher and, lo and behold, there were two buttons on the steering wheel. One on the left for flashing my headlights and one on the right for flashing my brake / parking lights. (Imagine the hallelujah chorus at this point)

I had no idea that there were dedicated buttons for this on big rigs. So my question to all of you is, do you flash people?

(Keep it clean guys, I'm talking about lights here.)
  • I love getting flashed while my train goes by a group of..... oh, wrong flashing...

    As per your flashing, I have been doing it since the 90s when I was towing race car haulers. It seems that with my setup, trucks don't flash me that often. I guess they see a Jeep and Roo and think he is on his own. With all honesty, I wish they did. My door tow mirrors are at their extremes and not the best. I miss the west coast mirrors on my 91 dually.
  • I have always flashed trucks over whether I'm in the car or motorhome. Sometimes the truckers would give an 'appreciation' flash back, sometimes not.

    On our previous coach, I had to turn on the headlights to use the flash feature for the headlight button to work on the steering wheel. The courtesy marker lights flash button would work without the headlights turned on.

    The Dynasty used a fairly old fashioned type high-beam stalk indicator where you couldn't pull the stalk in to flash the brights, the lights had to be on.

    On the new coach, it's like a car, with the headlights off (daytime running lamps on), you can pull in the stalk inward to activate the high-beams. About 80% of the time, the truckers will give an 'appreciation' blink of their tail lights or move their turning signal left and right a few times.

    When the truckers flash me over, I will turn on my hazard lights a few times in appreciation.

    MM.
  • Absolutely. Always have. If you don't have a marker light "flash" button (like on a Freightliner Smart Wheel), you can say thank you with two or three winks of the hazard lights.
  • When I first saw your post I thought you were referring to something entirely non-RV related and I was relieved to see you were playing it straight.

    I used to drive a truck and the courtesy of flashing your lights is very much appreciated. Some will acknowledge your courtesy and some will not. Some will do the same for you and some will not. If there is one group that I have found that doesn't seem to ever either flash for us to pull in or acknowledge our courtesy it is the truckers from Quebec. Not sure why they don't acknowledge, but they don't.

    I've always taken the attitude that courtesy is contagious, just like stupidity is also contagious. Courtesy makes life more fun.
  • I have for decades. You don't want to upset the most talented and experienced drivers on the road, a road which you have to share.

    Besides, its just plain courtesy
  • Yes. Always have in any vehicle I drive. Drove my dad's trucks as a kid and learned that.