I have a debate going with a friend who says it's illegal to flash your headlights (or highbeams if it's night time) to signal someone that you'd like to pass.

For example, you're in the left lane of a 4 lane divided highway (aka the fast lane) and someone is going slower than you. You're coming up on them so you flash your lights to signal them that you'd like them to pass. Is this illegal?

Warren

 

Well, they still call that feature 'flash-to-pass' in the owner's manual, which you know the company lawyers wouldn't let them do if it were illegal.

On the other hand, why would you use flash-to-pass in the USA? In this country, it's just a signal to the person blocking you that it's time to get the 357 ready for action.

 

I don't THINK it's illegal, but widely regarded as a dick move.

 

It's more common that I had imagined.

A friend of mine was just shot at a couple days ago. If you saw the look on her face, terrified. People shouldn't have to be scared on the roads they use to go to work and back.

 

despite a law Colorado passed last year, making it illegal to continually drive in the left lane on a divided highway, most drivers remain firmly planted no matter what you do.

drivers think its an insult if you want to drive faster than the pace they set.

flashing your lights is a wast of time.

 

Not any worse than parking it in the left lane, but most people on the road are total idiots that have no regard for anybody else on the road.

 

 

People think the left lane is the "fast lane", meaning anything a)faster than the speed limit or b)"fast" by their standards.
I wish we treated it as a passing like, like in Europe. Works much better there.

 

I flash my high-beams at someone if they're hugging the left lane and I want to pass them. I don't know about the legality of it, never been pulled over for it. Oh, and if someone decides to be a dick about it, I drive an S2000, I could probably outrun them.

 

I have and would only "flash to pass" on a two lane highway. Most of the time though on two lanes, people are nice enough to pull over.

In LA though no one follows any kind of driving etiquette so there's no point in trying, and 2. I don't want to die.

I only flash to "tell" people there lights aren't on or to signify there's a cop or speed trap up ahead (mostly on the highway). But most people are probably too ignorant in these "rules" that its probably of no use anyway.