Flashing lights

[Editor - France Magazine]

Hello expats,

When driving in Britain, we flash our lights to other motorists at a junction to say 'you go first'. We've been told that in France, it's the opposite - if a motorist flashes his lights, it means 'I'm going first'. Is this true in your experience?

Thanks for your help!

Carolyn

 

Editor,

France Mag

[Clair]

Yes it's true.

They also flash to warn you if the gendarmes are about...

[Benjamin]

Really confusing this one.

I've seen lorries flashing one another back in after overtaking in the same way that British drivers do.

[mint]

Yes, and if you flash and also wave a hand to indicate "carry on", they seem to have no problems understanding.

Mind you, I do that with all the aggressive ones because I'd rather they go on ahead than stick close to my rear end threatening to bump into me.

[Clair]

A lorry driver being overtaken will flash the overtaking driver to let him know it is safe to move back in the lane, as it is difficult to asses the distance at the back of the trailer.

[Maricopa]

Around the sometimes narrow roads here, lorries often "indicate" right, to let you know it is clear to overtake.[:)]

[Pickles]

Having recently joined the flock who have purchased a telepeage transponder (doofer) through the Alis offer (thanks are due to everyone who drew attention to the offer, BTW), I noted that in the "Autoroute: mode d'emploi" leaflet sent with it, it says "Si l'automobiliste qui vous précède tarde à se rabattre, signalez lui votre approche par un appel de phares". I wasn't aware that French drivers needed to be encouraged to do this: it seems to come quite naturally to them!

Regards

Pickles

[Ron Avery]

Clair said "A lorry driver being overtaken will flash the overtaking driver to let him know it is safe to move back in the lane, as it is difficult to asses the distance at the back of the trailer".

The lorry signal is not quite the same as a danger flash, its two longer "flashes", as Clair says  to let a driver know that their back is past your vehicle and they can safely go back in.  When I was driving an old bus down the A20 to Toulouse for the Gailac Primeur promotion I nearly lost the use of my left arm using the headlight switch so much.  With a max speed of 55kph I was passed by everyone, but all of the lorries bar none signalled "thank you" by the use of their indicators or hazard lights.

Many autoroutes have signs that says "flashing means danger and not go ahead, so don't do it!!"

Multiple flashing of lights by approaching cars can also means an accident or another road problem like cows on the road, the Gendarme sign is often accompanied round here by a thumbs down. 

[Chancer]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

Mind you, I do that with all the aggressive ones because I'd rather they go on ahead than stick close to my rear end threatening to bump into me.

[/quote]

How do you manage to flash someone stuck close to your rear? - American Graffiti style??

[powerdesal]

A common 'thank you' from truckers is (in UK) a 'left-right-left' indicator operation after you have signalled that they are clear to pull in.

[Âme]

Did a long drive yesterday... I was flashed several times on the motorway:  lots of lorries on a busy two-lane section of the A64, east of Toulouse, so pulling out into a overtaking lane with, of course, quite small gaps between vehicles it was hard to judge whether the gap was car-length + 12", or too small to get into.  On a number of occasions I was flashed to say 'go ahead'.   Maybe it was two longer flashes, it certainly wasn't a warning, I've seen plenty of those!

Noticed the change in driving as I passed through La Jonquera into Spain. The traffic doesn't flow as well south of the border, simply because drivers don't pull back into the travelling lane, after over-taking, as they do, religiously, in France.

I noticed, in the past, motorcycles flash in the driver's wing

mirror, to indicate that they are about to overtake.  Perhaps that was

back when I drove a RHD vehicle?  Very

sensible, I think. 

So, to answer the original question: if a motorist flashes his lights, it means 'I'm going

first'. Is this true in your experience?  I thought this when I began to drive in France 20 years ago, but now I perceive a much more sophisticated vocabulary of flashes & winks. [:-))][;-)][Www]

[Théière]

[quote user="powerdesal"]A common 'thank you' from truckers is (in UK) a 'left-right-left' indicator operation after you have signalled that they are clear to pull in.
[/quote]

A sort of Truckers Bisous [kiss][kiss]

[Sunday Driver]

Going back to the original post by Carolyn....

In the UK, traffic levels are such that unless you push your way out into a traffic stream, you might sit at a junction all day.  Whilst the 'after you' flash is not an approved signal, it is part of the UK driving culture and often helps to encourage better traffic flow.

In France, traffic is generally much lighter so this is less of an issue.  As priority rules are more defined (you all know the penalty for ignoring a stop sign), the driver who has right of way merely carries on exercising his priority and has no need to flash his lights to indicate that he's doing so. If he thinks the other driver may not have seen him coming, then a flash serves to alert the other driver to his presence.

 

 

[Cendrillon]

[quote user="teapot"]

[quote user="powerdesal"]A common 'thank you' from truckers is (in UK) a 'left-right-left' indicator operation after you have signalled that they are clear to pull in.

[/quote]

A sort of Truckers Bisous [kiss][kiss]

[/quote]

LOL!

[I]So would the French trucker's "bisous" be "right-left-right" ?[:$]

[mint]

[quote user="J.Rs gone native"][quote user="sweet 17"]

Mind you, I do that with all the aggressive ones because I'd rather they go on ahead than stick close to my rear end threatening to bump into me.

[/quote]

How do you manage to flash someone stuck close to your rear? - American Graffiti style??

[/quote]

Silly old me!  Funny how you write something and consider it to be perfectly understandable when it isn't!

What I meant, JR, is that I'd nearly always flash someone to come out of a side road, junction, whatever, if they look impatient or aggresive so that I can keep them in front of me instead of behind me.

If they're behind me and are too close, I drive as close to the verge as possible and slow down to send them the message to go ahead and overtake if that's what they want to do.

I'm often surprised how they do just overtake, including on a bend, up a hill, on a dip when they can't possibly what's coming from the opposite side.