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In Israel, flashing the warning lights or hazard lights or whatever they're called when driving, means "hey car behind me, you're on high beams and blinding me,

In Israel, flashing the warning lights or hazard lights or whatever they're called when driving, means "hey car behind me, you're on high beams and blinding me, please stop". Since moving to the US I haven't found an effective way to signal people about this, they certainly don't understand this signal. Flashing high beams quickly is either a warning about police ahead, or "turn on your damn lights" (there is also a hand gesture for this, spreading and closing your fingers towards them to illustrate a light beam). If someone is blinding you coming in front of you, you just turn on high beams and blind them back.

dzhiurgis 5y ago
How about when someone leaves their rear fog light on and you are behind them…
TylerE 5y ago
> Since moving to the US I haven't found an effective way to signal people about this, they certainly don't understand this signal. Between lifted pickup trucks and shoddy, poorly-aligned aftermarket HID lights, it's probably that a high percentage of them AREN'T using brights, even if it feels like it.
- kube-system 5y ago
  Or even poorly aligned OEM lights. Most US states don't have vehicle inspections, and the ones that do usually aren't checking headlight alignment.
  - dvirsky 5y ago
    You have to have your headlights alignment tested every year in Israel. And being caught with badly aligned lights can lead to a ticket if a police car is on the receiving end.
    - kube-system 5y ago
      A number of US states have inspections that cover proper operation of lights, but often in practice it isn't anything more than checking to make sure they aren't burnt out. Having improperly aimed headlights is also ticketable in the US but it isn't often enforced.
kelseyfrog 5y ago
Repositioning your review mirror to reflect their headlights directly back into the driver's eyes is not a solution (tested empirically).
t0mas88 5y ago
You can flash the rear fog lights for that. It's annoying enough for those behind you to at some point start looking at their own dashboard.
boomboomsubban 5y ago
>there is also a hand gesture for this, spreading and closing your fingers towards them to illustrate a light beam I try to use this in the US, though my success rate is rather low. And I wonder if the distraction just makes things less safe every time I do it.
vasco 5y ago
> If someone is blinding you coming in front of you, you just turn on high beams and blind them back. I do this too and would die a peaceful death if we crashed into each other with the feeling of fairness restored to the world.

dzhiurgis 5y ago

How about when someone leaves their rear fog light on and you are behind them…

TylerE 5y ago

> Since moving to the US I haven't found an effective way to signal people about this, they certainly don't understand this signal. Between lifted pickup trucks and shoddy, poorly-aligned aftermarket HID lights, it's probably that a high percentage of them AREN'T using brights, even if it feels like it.

kube-system 5y ago
Or even poorly aligned OEM lights. Most US states don't have vehicle inspections, and the ones that do usually aren't checking headlight alignment.
- dvirsky 5y ago
  You have to have your headlights alignment tested every year in Israel. And being caught with badly aligned lights can lead to a ticket if a police car is on the receiving end.
  - kube-system 5y ago
    A number of US states have inspections that cover proper operation of lights, but often in practice it isn't anything more than checking to make sure they aren't burnt out. Having improperly aimed headlights is also ticketable in the US but it isn't often enforced.

kelseyfrog 5y ago

Repositioning your review mirror to reflect their headlights directly back into the driver's eyes is not a solution (tested empirically).

t0mas88 5y ago

You can flash the rear fog lights for that. It's annoying enough for those behind you to at some point start looking at their own dashboard.

boomboomsubban 5y ago

>there is also a hand gesture for this, spreading and closing your fingers towards them to illustrate a light beam I try to use this in the US, though my success rate is rather low. And I wonder if the distraction just makes things less safe every time I do it.

vasco 5y ago

> If someone is blinding you coming in front of you, you just turn on high beams and blind them back. I do this too and would die a peaceful death if we crashed into each other with the feeling of fairness restored to the world.