People who flash at T Junctions

[ScienceBoy]

OK Not one to rant usually but this is happening to me more and more...

Driver A is sitting on the joining road at a T junction waiting for space to pull out, looking both ways.

Driver B approaches from the left on the main road and indicates to go into the same T junction.

Driver A sees driver B, realises they cannot go because of them and then starts looking down the road for a safe gap.

Driver B flashes at Driver A, Driver A is busy looking down the road either way assessing when a safe time to go would be.

Driver B flashes Driver A repeatedly.

Driver A realises what B is doing, makes sure its safe then proceeds.


OK this does not sound to bad but its when Driver B does this at inopportune times or at the last second. I (Driver A) sit there looking like a lemon while I asses what's coming down the road while driver B thinks I am not paying attention.

Who taught driver B to do this?

I agree they have good intentions but 7/10 times this just leads to a more unsafe situation and delay than there would have been if they had just turned into the junction like they should have done according to the rules of the road.

 

[CMAC]

slow evening waiting on your tea?

 

[kev_off_the_tee]

slow evening waiting on your tea?

Or just slow at getting out at junctions ;p

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Sounds to me like you don't let other drivers out at junctions?? *whistle*

 

[anotherdouble]

Flashing your lights should only be done to let other drivers be aware of your presence and nothing else.

 

[JustOne]

I have flashed people sitting at T junctions so they know it's OK to pull out...... however it normally takes them so long to do so that they're then in danger and end up not pulling out at all. It's a bad habit to get into flashing someone to pull out as you only need to do it ONCE when something is coming in the opposite direction to realise you might have sent someone to their death.

I did get flashed once by a woman at a T junction.... and she wasn't in a car! Let's just say that her 'bodywork' was amazing!!

 

[rosecott]

Flashing at T-junctions? It's time you joined a golf club to burn off your excess libido and stop this obscene behaviour.

 

[chrisd]

Not so bad as (usually) women who insist on driving 3 miles on the outside lane of a dual carriageway becuase they are turning right at the end of it! Who taught them to drive like that?

 

[Imurg]

Flashing your lights should only be done to let other drivers be aware of your presence and nothing else.

Is the correct answer....

99% of people use this signal incorrectly.

If you were in Rome and in a similar situation, someone flashed their lights at you and you took it to mean "after you" then you'd both end up in Rome General...One thing Italian drivers are good at is warning you of their approach.

When the Highway Code as revised a few years ago, I suggested to the Powers That Be that this signal should be changed in meaning.
If 99% of people are using it to convey one message when 1% (possibly less) are using it correctly then there's going to be a crunch sometime....They respectfully declined.

If someone flashed you, you take it to mean Go but they are, in fact, alerting you to their presence, in the event of a collision the fault would lie at your door. Although the Highway Code is not Law, it can be used to determine fault........

So don't Flash!!

 

[la_lucha]

I also find it annoying when I am waiting to cross a main road and a vehicle will slow down and let me cross when just two cars behind them there is a huge gap. I have been driving the car that follows these numptys and the amount of times that I have nearly driven into the back of them as they slow for no apparent reason is crazy.

As the person on foot I find this equally annoying as being in one of the cars that nearly crashes.

 

[ScienceBoy]

When just two cars behind them there is a huge gap.

This is quite often the case when I notice this. I plan to go and then go about preparing to move when the time is right only to find everything is grinding to a halt in front of me. Very annoying to me and all other road users bar one (the person who has stopped)!

99% of people use this signal incorrectly. So don't Flash!!

Which is why I don't just pull out and make sure I am reading their intentions correctly.

I follow the rules of the road and generally end up looking like a lemon as I try to decode what someone else is thinking while the person behind me hovers their hand over the horn.

Sometimes people playing by the rules is frustrating but I ALWAYS err on the side of caution and only go when its safe to do so.

If people just stopped flashing me when they are on the main road and let me do what I should be doing and wait for a gap things would be fine! I am never in a hurry and 99/100 I don't need to be let out.

I do know they are trying to be kind but really the situation I have described is not the time nor the place to let people out. Sitting in a T junction I expect to wait for a safe gap and plan that into my journey time when I leave!

 

[BeachGolfer]

Driving practices are vastly different depending on if you live in a city or a rural area. In the city scenario described above, driver A would expect to go if the road on which driver B was traveling had static or slow moving traffic or if driver B had his right indicator going.
In the rural scenario, Bubba would have his left indicator and turn his tractor right (cutting the corner) regardless of traffic whatsoever then travel 15mph for 10 miles or until all the crud was off his wheels.

Can we now discuss how the lefthand lanes on most motorways could now be classed as greenfield sites?

 

[znuffzz]

this thread was not what i expected....

 

[Alex1975]

Flashing your lights should only be done to let other drivers be aware of your presence and nothing else.

yep, dont want to neglect the horn!!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

And my related T-junction tip (through bitter experience).

If I am drive A waiting to turn onto main road - and a car is approaching from my right and indicating to turn left into the road I am sitting in - I NEVER assume the car IS going to turn in. I did once and pulled out (to turn right down the main road) and the other driver continued straight on into my side. His left hand indicator had been going - but not to turn left - it had not switched off from the previous time he'd turned left.

And so in such situations I WAIT until the intentions of the approaching car are absolutely clear. This can irritate drives behind me seeing the approaching car signalling to come in and me sitting there (especially if I then have to wait longer to exit) - but tough - they can wait.

 

[ScienceBoy]

And my related T-junction tip (through bitter experience).

If I am drive A waiting to turn onto main road - and a car is approaching from my right and indicating to turn left into the road I am sitting in - I NEVER assume the car IS going to turn in. I did once and pulled out (to turn right down the main road) and the other driver continued straight on into my side. His left hand indicator had been going - but not to turn left - it had not switched off from the previous time he'd turned left.

Similar thing happened to me on my driving test! I saw the guy actually turn the wheel to enter the junction so I started to pull out, next thing I knew he had decided to carry on at the VERY last instant, swerved out of the junction and almost into the back of my car. I failed the test :-(

I do agree, I always wait until the person is actually turning in at least. My aim is to drive safe as the journey is only a means of getting me to my destination, I would rather arrive late than not at all!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I would rather arrive late than not at all!

Not a bad motto for life in general

 

[ScienceBoy]

Can we now discuss how the lefthand lanes on most motorways could now be classed as greenfield sites?

Its amazing how on 4, 5 and 6 lane motorways people assume the far left lane is for turning into the next junction only! It quite often isnt, most lorry drivers are savvy to this and just trundle on past two outer lanes of stationary traffic!

It can be quite dangerous actually when people from the two "fast" lanes are trying to cut back into the "slow" lanes to jump the queue.

The only thing I hate more than this is having to cross 3 or more lanes to pass someone doing 50 in the middle lane of an almost empty 6 lane motorway! What the hell are they doing that there??

I even came across one person who did 50 in the middle lane of a 5 lane part of the M25 for ages ( I was doing 65ish as my car doesn't like going over 70 as its a 3cyl 1L), i moved across 3 lanes to pass them properly, when I got along side the guy instantly sped up to 70, so I backed off and moved back to my original lane as he was now going faster than me. As soon as I had made my way back he slowed to 50 again and I had to overtake him again! Guess what he did?