Monday, March 28, 2005

High Beam

Q: When is it appropriate to "flash" someone using the high beams of my automobile?
A: Short answer -- never.

Neither are you an authority nor do you have the right to try to notify someone that either their high beams are on or you intend to pass (or some other reason). Let the police do their job: you will be surprised that they often do.

It used to be polite to let the driver of on coming vehicle know that the high beams on their car were still on. Peoples' tempers no longer allow for this gesture. There are also other reasons than tempers. Some new head light types are annoyingly bright even when on low beam. Many people drive with their fog lights on making it seem as though the front of their car is bright like having on high beams. Most of the annoyingly bright head lights are a high theft item and we can only hope so many of these lights are taken that car manufacturers quit using them. As for fog lights, if they are factory installed you cannot run bights and fog lights at the same time. Some people will install their own fog lights and run them with their high beams on and this is illegal. But let the police do their job. If you count four lights, not just two bright ones, it is only someone's fog lights and, generally, they really aren't that bright.

If you wish to pass someone not obeying the "Keep right except to pass," or "Slow traffic keep right" signs the best, and probably most difficult thing to do is to wait. I hate this option. But short of convincing state officials to allow for open season on rude drivers it is just about all that can be done. I have seen people use their high beams to let someone know they are blocking a lane. It almost always has the effect of pissing off the other driver such that they maintain their current position for mile after mile. It just isn't worth it.

One thing I have noticed people doing lately is waiting until they are about 20' away from an on coming car before flashing the high beams. This is just about one of the worst and most ignorant things a driver can possibly do. More than likely the driver doesn't even have on their high beams. And now they've been subjected to a bright flash of light at close range ruining their night vision. To top it off, they have had no time to realize their error in having their high beams on and make a correction. On more than one occasion I have been tempted to turn my car around to see why, if a person felt the need to flash their high beams, they didn't do it while they were still a quarter mile away or so leaving me with enough time to reach.

I used to be very careful about making sure my high beams were off before I met on coming traffic. Often you can see the reflection of an on coming car's head lights off of over head power lights, signs, guard rails, or bushes. Now I wait until I know the person sees my head lights before I kick them down to low beam. This does not help the other driver's night vision but I don't catch the 20'-away-blinding-flash anymore.

In summary, just don't do it. It is a waste of time. Mind your own business, pay attention to what you are doing with your own automobile, and arrive to your destination safely and without annoying other drivers.