The different meanings of flashing your brights
Why it is technically not legal
Wrapping up
The different meanings of flashing your brights
If you see someone flash their brights when they pass you on the other side of the road, it could mean one of a few things or it could be that they are flashing their brights at a vehicle that is near you instead. For our purposes, lets assume they are flashing their brights at you.
The most frequent reason that someone flashes their brights at another driver is that the other driver is driving at night with their headlights off. So, the first thing you should check is that your headlights are on. Another reason they might be flashing their brights is that one of your headlights might be out. Pull over and check to see if both your headlights are working as well if someone has flashed their brights at you. A less frequent but definite possible reason for someone flashing their brights in your direction could be that you are driving with your brights on in a situation that does not call for it. Thus, you should also check that your regular headlights are on rather than your own brights.
Sometimes, someone flashing their brights at you might mean that there is a police car up ahead hidden or semi-hidden, trying to catch speeders. So, you should also make sure that you are not exceeding the speed limit as soon as you get brights flashed at you. Finally, if you come to an intersection or road where only one car can pass through and the driver across from you flashes their brights, it means they are giving you the right of way to go first.
Why it is technically not legal
There generally are no specific laws that specifically say flashing your brights at another driver is illegal. However, a police officer’s interpretation of the act could make the practice illegal in certain situations. One such situation is if you are caught flashing your brights in order to warn someone of police up ahead of them. This could be considered interfering with the police in some way. You can get a hefty fine in this instance. You might also get pulled over for flashing your brights if an officer deems it as a distraction or an act of aggression. This is extremely rare, but it is possible.
Wrapping up
When one driver flashes their brights at another driver, it is almost always some sort of courtesy. They might be letting you know that your headlights are not on at night, that one of your headlights is out, that you are driving with your brights on or that there are police up ahead trying to catch people speeding. So, when someone flashes their brights at you, you should quickly make sure your headlights are on, that your brights are not on, that you do not have a headlight out and that you are not speeding. If you are at an intersection or a narrow two-way road and someone flashes their brights at you, they are giving you the right of way to go first.
