ROG:
The reason that flashing in started was when lorries had those stupid silly car type mirrors on them so trying to make a judgement was a lot harder than the modern large mirrors we now have
Yeah, but even modern mirrors in the dark and the rain etc…
Plus, like someone else said, it’s nice to flash someone in when they’re at a distance you’re comfortable with, rather than not flashing and eventually nobody will wait for the flash and they’ll be taking your badge off.
I flash to say ‘you’re at a safe distance past me’ but then it’s upto the other driver if they want to come in, some think it means ‘GET IN HERE NOW!’ or something the way they dive bomb in and then 4 seconds later they pull back out
ADR 1:
^^^^^^^^ THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM ^^^^^^^ Really ■■?
Driver by profession - ie the thing they do to earn the majority of their money - doesn’t mean any better than anyone else.
I’m a driver by profession but I can type better than some people who type for their profession, but they’re still a professional typist and I’m not
The flashing of lights goes back to the pre motorway days,when it was A & B roads only for lorries travelling around the UK. As a previous poster says,the mirrors were small,also a driver would wave you you past and flash you back in. Before lorries had winkers you used the sidelights to acknowledge the other driver.
ROG:
The reason that flashing in started was when lorries had those stupid silly car type mirrors on them so trying to make a judgement was a lot harder than the modern large mirrors we now have
I agree no one really needs flashing in, it’s just a sort of camaraderie these days. And it’s becoming less and less common. Next time you overtake someone, take a sly look at them in their mirror … you can usually tell by their expression, or even the way they are sitting or the way they are holding their steering wheel whether they are going to flash you in or not. If they flick a ■■■ out the window when you are passing so it hits you in the windscreen you can guarantee they won’t flash in. Not got a problem with not being flashed in, it just seems that more and more lorry drivers on the roads these days are smug arrogant so and so’s.
ROG:
The reason that flashing in started was when lorries had those stupid silly car type mirrors on them so trying to make a judgement was a lot harder than the modern large mirrors we now have
I agree no one really needs flashing in, it’s just a sort of camaraderie these days. And it’s becoming less and less common. Next time you overtake someone, take a sly look at them in their mirror … you can usually tell by their expression, or even the way they are sitting or the way they are holding their steering wheel whether they are going to flash you in or not. If they flick a ■■■ out the window when you are passing so it hits you in the windscreen you can guarantee they won’t flash in. Not got a problem with not being flashed in, it just seems that more and more lorry drivers on the roads these days are smug arrogant so and so’s.
ROG:
The reason that flashing in started was when lorries had those stupid silly car type mirrors on them so trying to make a judgement was a lot harder than the modern large mirrors we now have
I agree no one really needs flashing in, it’s just a sort of camaraderie these days. And it’s becoming less and less common. Next time you overtake someone, take a sly look at them in their mirror … you can usually tell by their expression, or even the way they are sitting or the way they are holding their steering wheel whether they are going to flash you in or not. If they flick a ■■■ out the window when you are passing so it hits you in the windscreen you can guarantee they won’t flash in. Not got a problem with not being flashed in, it just seems that more and more lorry drivers on the roads these days are smug arrogant so and so’s.
And at the point when the ■■■ gets flicked out they wake up and speed up.
Javiatrix:
I always thought it was because it can be a lonely job and it’s pretty much the only human communication you get on a long journey…
“Hey ho sonny Jim, congratulations on a smooth overtake and for enjoying the freedom of the road just like me, now take your place ahead!” FLASH
“Lovely job me old mate, I take my place ahead of you and acknowledge the mutual respect!” Indicator wiggle
Or am I mistaken?
You are mistaken. In my case it’s hey ho sonny Jim, you have successfully overtaken me, but because you are only driving a simple class 2 rigid I will not flash you in as I rank you right down there with van drivers and taxi cab drivers. I will therefore save my flash for the artic that is behind you doing exactly the same speed as you and with a better mirror array than your crappy merc axor.
corij:
safer never to flash . was told the only time you should flash is in an emergency
On a serious note, I’ve noticed that most of the large supermarket chain drivers no longer flash in. Do you think this is due to a H&S directive?
At a guess I’d say that as they spend a lot of time being overtaken they have probably reached the point where there flash has been ignored that many times that they’ve given up doing it.
I actually got up close to a van in stationary traffic today and tested my lights as I’d been ignored that many times I thought they weren’t working! Oh, once again, merely indicating in IS NOT an acknowledgement.
corij:
safer never to flash . was told the only time you should flash is in an emergency
On a serious note, I’ve noticed that most of the large supermarket chain drivers no longer flash in. Do you think this is due to a H&S directive?
At a guess I’d say that as they spend a lot of time being overtaken they have probably reached the point where there flash has been ignored that many times that they’ve given up doing it.
I actually got up close to a van in stationary traffic today and tested my lights as I’d been ignored that many times I thought they weren’t working! Oh, once again, merely indicating in IS NOT an acknowledgement.
I’m guessing you work for a chain that limits their hgvs to 52mph then
I despair. It also isn’t necessary to say “please” or “thank you”, or to hold the door for the person behind you - so let’s stop doing all that too eh?
It’s courtesy, camaraderie and often helpful. It doesn’t hurt anyone and costs nothing. But hey, if it’s too much trouble for some people, maybe they should get a job on a checkout where “please” and “thank you” are usually dispensed with, along with any other unnecessary niceties like a smile.
grumpybum:
I despair. It also isn’t necessary to say “please” or “thank you”, or to hold the door for the person behind you - so let’s stop doing all that too eh?
It’s courtesy, camaraderie and often helpful. It doesn’t hurt anyone and costs nothing. But hey, if it’s too much trouble for some people, maybe they should get a job on a checkout where “please” and “thank you” are usually dispensed with, along with any other unnecessary niceties like a smile.
And they put your change down on the counter instead of in your hand. It’s not just the haulage industry that has become rude and arrogant, it the whole world. I blame the parents.
goofy and friendly to all with flash happy antics youre kidding yourselves — you carry on flashing,flashing to let somebody out a junction , flash at a mate- one day somebody will misinterpret it and pull in/out into the path of summat and whose to blame eh
goofy and friendly to all with flash happy antics youre kidding yourselves — you carry on flashing,flashing to let somebody out a junction , flash at a mate- one day somebody will misinterpret it and pull in/out into the path of summat and whose to blame eh
Best stay inside from now on then. Someone might see you wave at someone you know and misinterpret that as a warning to stop - then they may get run over! Or you might hold a door open for someone and they trip through it. You might get injured doing many things in life, so you’d be better off staying out of it.
corij:
safer never to flash . was told the only time you should flash is in an emergency
On a serious note, I’ve noticed that most of the large supermarket chain drivers no longer flash in. Do you think this is due to a H&S directive?
At a guess I’d say that as they spend a lot of time being overtaken they have probably reached the point where there flash has been ignored that many times that they’ve given up doing it.
I actually got up close to a van in stationary traffic today and tested my lights as I’d been ignored that many times I thought they weren’t working! Oh, once again, merely indicating in IS NOT an acknowledgement.
I’m guessing you work for a chain that limits their hgvs to 52mph then
Not at all. I personally set my own limit at 86kph for my own sanity! It won’t work for everyone I agree, but for me having a few mph “wiggle room” leaves me feeling much more relaxed, less likely to get wound up by the car travelling slightly slower in front, less likely to get involved in 5 mile elephant races, and generally a less aggressive driver. I’m old enough and wise enough to know that my state of mind greatly affects my driving at all times and personally I like the feeling of finishing a shift fresh and relaxed without hunched up shoulders.
What it boils down to is that I like a safety “bubble” in front of me and I can achieve that by letting everyone else go faster than me. Plus I’m hourly paid.
