People regularly flashing their lights at me?!

[BeBi]

Hi, I have a Yaris. For months and months we have been getting people flashing their lights at us when they are travelling behind us. This has some times gone on for over 5 minutes until we can get to somewhere safe to stop and check. Each time we stop and look though, we can't see anything wrong?! It has happened both day and night, so I am struggling to see what is going wrong. We have just been outside again and checked, and every light seems to be coming on ok. The car has also had at least 2 services and an mot since we first noticed it happening, and the garage hasn't picked anything up either. Has anyone else experienced anything like this too???

[CTScott]

Do you drive slower than traffic flows? Also, have you tried having someone you know follow you to see what they see?

[BeBi]

Not particularly slow. It seems to happen on any road type - main road doing 70, or a minor road in a town or coming to a roundabout......Next option is to try and get someone we know to follow us.

[bronsin]

Interesting. When you find out what it is be sure let us know! :iono:

[nortonfb]

Maybe something is visible when the car is loaded (has weight),
that's underneath?
Norton

[IllusionX]

If you just passed someone and they are flashing you, probably your headlights are too high?

I am not sure about being flashed in broad daylight.. it does seems strange. Please let us know what you find!

[BeBi]

It happened again last night when my partner drove to Leicester. It's only from people travelling behind us - which used to get me paranoid that we were dragging something, always checked and nothing. The car was empty other than my partner and his bag. I've just called the Toyota garage we bought it from (and had it serviced/MOTd at all the time). They have no record of any issue that has been raised in general with Toyota. We are wondering now if it is a intermittent fault - the back lights all come on to start with but after driving for 1+ hours they either stop all together or flicker on and off. Next option is to find a friend/family member to follow us for long enough to try and figure it out! Will keep you posted.

[CTScott]

It happened again last night when my partner drove to Leicester. It's only from people travelling behind us - which used to get me paranoid that we were dragging something, always checked and nothing. The car was empty other than my partner and his bag. I've just called the Toyota garage we bought it from (and had it serviced/MOTd at all the time). They have no record of any issue that has been raised in general with Toyota. We are wondering now if it is a intermittent fault - the back lights all come on to start with but after driving for 1+ hours they either stop all together or flicker on and off. Next option is to find a friend/family member to follow us for long enough to try and figure it out! Will keep you posted.

That still wouldn't explain the daytime honking though. Do you per chance have any stickers on your car (or perhaps a custom marker plate) that would induce the honking behavior?

[CrankyOldMan]

Are you in the wrong lane? It's not uncommon for people in my area to occupy the passing lane and fail to pass the vehicle on the right. While they are technically within their rights to drive at the speed limit in either lane, the rule is "keep right except to pass" on multi-lane roads. This induces lots of headlight flashing from me.

Does it only happen on dual carriageways, or is it on all road types?

Have you verified that the brake lights work correctly? I've seen vehicles that had the wrong relay type on their brake lights--i.e. the top light and brighter tail lights are on when driving and turn off when braking.

Are you resting your left foot on the brake pedal? Some brake pedals have very short travel before activating the switch.

CT - I don't see any reference to honking anywhere. Was there an edit? /shrug

[CTScott]

Are you in the wrong lane? It's not uncommon for people in my area to occupy the passing lane and fail to pass the vehicle on the right. While they are technically within their rights to drive at the speed limit in either lane, the rule is "keep right except to pass" on multi-lane roads. This induces lots of headlight flashing from me.

Does it only happen on dual carriageways, or is it on all road types?

Have you verified that the brake lights work correctly? I've seen vehicles that had the wrong relay type on their brake lights--i.e. the top light and brighter tail lights are on when driving and turn off when braking.

Are you resting your left foot on the brake pedal? Some brake pedals have very short travel before activating the switch.

CT - I don't see any reference to honking anywhere. Was there an edit? /shrug


Ah yes - I mean flashing, not honking.

[phaznet]

Gas cap? Brake Lights? Speed trap? Impatient driver?

[bairjo]

Check your wheel covers to see if they are wobbly. They may look like they are ready to fly off. Otherwise, I would say it is time for a road trip or two for you and an observing buddy following you.

[Kal-El]

Weird. I only flash people for 2 reasons. Usually because their lights are off at night but also if someone is driving slow in the left lane of the highway.

What's annoying is 9 times out 10, when I flash a head on car because of their lights being off, the car continues on never putting their lights on. I thought this signal was common knowledge? You see a flash, you confirm your lights are on. Either people are oblivious to road rules, or oblivious to other drivers. Both are scary.

[jambo101]

Not particularly slow. It seems to happen on any road type - main road doing 70, or a minor road in a town or coming to a roundabout......Next option is to try and get someone we know to follow us.

Just a guess but 70 kilometers an hour on a main road is probably somewhere around 40mph thats probably too slow,if an equivalentr speed is happening on minor roads you are probably doing 20-30mph,much too slow for most people and thus the flashing lights.

[mr_miles]

Weird. I only flash people for 2 reasons. Usually because their lights are off at night but also if someone is driving slow in the left lane of the highway.

What's annoying is 9 times out 10, when I flash a head on car because of their lights being off, the car continues on never putting their lights on. I thought this signal was common knowledge? You see a flash, you confirm your lights are on. Either people are oblivious to road rules, or oblivious to other drivers. Both are scary.

Over here on the west coast flashing once is usually a sign for "your brights are on" and a few flashes are for not having your lights on at all :)

I've always wondered though....how can you NOT notice they aren't on at night?

[pjon]

Just a guess but 70 kilometers an hour on a main road is probably somewhere around 40mph thats probably too slow,if an equivalentr speed is happening on minor roads you are probably doing 20-30mph,much too slow for most people and thus the flashing lights.

That will be 70 miles per hour not kilometres per hour. The o.p.'s location is England.:smile:
We don't do "foreign" yet on our roads.:wink:

[Kal-El]

I've always wondered though....how can you NOT notice they aren't on at night?

Seriously. Even if the lack of illumination in front of you isn't obvious, the dark gauges and controls in front of your face should let you know.

[jack black]

Seriously. Even if the lack of illumination in front of you isn't obvious, the dark gauges and controls in front of your face should let you know.

In most modern cars gauges are brightly illuminated all times. They actually dim when you turn on headlights. Also, when driving in city, you have brightly lit street, and with DRL on, so there are fewer clues. My wife had problems with that. I had to install automatic lights for her. It wasn't yaris though.

[CrankyOldMan]

I like the way that this thread lives on, despite a lack of feedback from the OP. /shrug

[IllusionX]

In most modern cars gauges are brightly illuminated all times. They actually dim when you turn on headlights. Also, when driving in city, you have brightly lit street, and with DRL on, so there are fewer clues. My wife had problems with that. I had to install automatic lights for her. It wasn't yaris though.


Speaking of the gauge cluster backlight. When your turn the illumination to the max, it's just as bright as if the headlights are off.

And honestly, my friend does that and he says he likes it that way. I can't bear with the bright light.

[jambo101]

That will be 70 miles per hour not kilometres per hour. The o.p.'s location is England.:smile:
We don't do "foreign" yet on our roads.:wink:

Sorry about that, thought you guys went metric..
That kinda ends my guesses at why traffic behind the op are flashing their lights..

[The Limo 2]

In the UK they drive in miles per hour, but when they stop for petrol, they buy it in litres. Sort of half "foreign". But each to their own.
Roy

[CKaelin]

Are you driving with just the day time running lights on and not the actual headlights? I Did this once when I first go the Yaris. Got pulled over by a statie! YIKES! Easy to do if you're not used to a car where the running lights are on. You will have no rear lights , however.

[mrpj]

In the UK they drive in miles per hour, but when they stop for petrol, they buy it in litres. Sort of half "foreign". But each to their own.
Roy

I did say "on our roads".
However, most people still convert those litres into gallons and calculate miles per gallon.
When considering buying a car it's the miles per gallon that partly influence the purchase, not litres/kilometre! Yes, crazy and mixed up.:redface:

[liseky]

I had two people flashing their headlights at me head on over a period of 2 months. It wasn't until I went to turn my brights on, that I'd noticed they'd been on the whole time. The little blue light on my panel wasn't lit to indicate the brights were on and it was always in that day/night crossover so I never even bothered checking or noticing. Not sure why the little blue light is out either!

I have noticed that a lot of motorcycles have flashing headlights. Is this just to make sure you know they're there?

[nookandcrannycar]

Do you drive slower than traffic flows?

^^^^^ This.....and it happens even if you are on a one lane in each direction road and are going a bit over the limit. A couple of hours ago = the last time this happened to me. There was no place to pull over. I was going 50 in a 45 and the guy behind me flashed his lights. I maintained 50 MPH. I crossed a bridge into The Woodlands, passed a fire station, and then signaled slowed down to make a right hand turn. Right before the turn, the idiot behind me turned on his high beams and his driving lights :rolleyes:.

[nookandcrannycar]

I had two people flashing their headlights at me head on over a period of 2 months. It wasn't until I went to turn my brights on, that I'd noticed they'd been on the whole time. The little blue light on my panel wasn't lit to indicate the brights were on and it was always in that day/night crossover so I never even bothered checking or noticing. Not sure why the little blue light is out either!

I have noticed that a lot of motorcycles have flashing headlights. Is this just to make sure you know they're there?

Much more likely to be a friendly reminder if the 'flasher' is traveling in the opposite direction.

[tk-421]

OP: How about putting up a bumper sticker asking: "WHY ARE YOU FLASHING YOUR LIGHTS AT ME?"
Might encourage some folks to let you know further down the road... :smile:

[nookandcrannycar]

OP: How about putting up a bumper sticker asking: "WHY ARE YOU FLASHING YOUR LIGHTS AT ME?"
Might encourage some folks to let you know further down the road... :smile:

:laugh::thumbsup:. After the scenario from post #26, I thought...wouldn't it be fun to have a rolling red ticker display facing rearward through the hatch window that could display spoken text (think Dragon NaturallySpeaking, etc.).

[nookandcrannycar]

I did say "on our roads".
However, most people still convert those litres into gallons and calculate miles per gallon.
When considering buying a car it's the miles per gallon that partly influence the purchase, not litres/kilometre! Yes, crazy and mixed up.:redface:

:laugh:.....and then a U.S. audience would translate Imperial gallons into U.S. gallons.

[The Limo 2]

Just think. If we were all metric we would all be talking the same language. Would have to translate nothing.
Roy

[tk-421]

That will happen right around the same time they start calling soccer "football". :biggrin:

[jack black]

I like the way that this thread lives on, despite a lack of feedback from the OP. /shrug

Prediction: his thread will go forever with the OP never coming back.

Here is my guess: funny smell coming from the car/driver/occupants combo.

[WeeYari]

Hello...hello...hello...

Echo...echo...echo...

[phaznet]

Looks like we couldn't save him/her in time.

[bairjo]

[quote=jack black;750247]Prediction: his thread will go forever with the OP never coming back.


Beuller?...Beuller?....

[nookandcrannycar]

Here is my guess: funny smell coming from the car/driver/occupants combo.

:bellyroll: