Total Motorcycle Community Forums

what does it mean in your town/city/state/country?

correct me if im wrong but doesn't blinking mean you're gonna go and not stop here in california?

In most states, when someone flashes their lights, it means "Go ahead!"

It is usually used by truckers when they are telling each other it is ok to switch lanes or pass. I know a lot of people use it to let people know it is ok for them to come over into the lane (when the other vehicle has their blinker on).

I used to live in California too, and I don't remember it meaning that they should yield. I think you have it backwards. I usually don't flash my lights when on the bike.. If someone invades my right-of-way, I honk at them.

I'm not sure if it has a general meaning anywhere. I don't ever flash my lights at oncoming traffic because I have no idea what the other person will think it means.

I also flash High beam when I want to let a car in front of me know it is safe to change to my lane (acknowledge their present), this is when I'm driving. With bike I don't flash at all. I always ride with high beam in day time and low beam night time and when with a group ride.

gah! i must have mixed it up from the country i came from.

thanks, i'll never blink again when i want to go.

I thought you're supposed to flash highs when you pass?

GeoffXR200R wrote:I thought you're supposed to flash highs when you pass?

You mean flash your lights when you're behind that person and plan on gettnig ahead of him on a 2 lane road? I hope that's not what you mean because the only time I'd probably notice that is at night. It would probably blind me, I might move a bit in my lane but most importantly I'd be pissed off.

I flash the lights when I want someone to go. Say you reach a stopsign at the same time and you want to be courteous and want them to go first. Or when someone is an idiot, starts to pull out of a parking spot blocking you, but waits for you to keep going before they fully pull out.

If a motorcycle flashed his lights at me, I would think he was telling me to go, but since I long ago learned that people are mentally challenged, I wait to see what they're really going to do before I take off.

storysunfolding wrote: I flash the lights when I want someone to go. Say you reach a stopsign at the same time and you want to be courteous and want them to go first. Or when someone is an idiot, starts to pull out of a parking spot blocking you, but waits for you to keep going before they fully pull out.

If a motorcycle flashed his lights at me, I would think he was telling me to go, but since I long ago learned that people are mentally challenged, I wait to see what they're really going to do before I take off.

this one im sure... here in CA you make a hand signal like saying "c'mon" and that means you want them to go ahead.

i do this even on the bike, especially on 4-way stops when i reach the stop sign almost the same time as anotehr vehicle.

storysunfolding wrote:

GeoffXR200R wrote:I thought you're supposed to flash highs when you pass?

You mean flash your lights when you're behind that person and plan on gettnig ahead of him on a 2 lane road? I hope that's not what you mean because the only time I'd probably notice that is at night. It would probably blind me, I might move a bit in my lane but most importantly I'd be pissed off.

This is gonna look bad since I sometime do that, flash behind the slower car, but this is on FWY with more than 3-4 lanes, and that person happen to drive around 65-70mph on the most left lane (not in carpool lane).

JustJames wrote:

storysunfolding wrote:

GeoffXR200R wrote:I thought you're supposed to flash highs when you pass?

You mean flash your lights when you're behind that person and plan on gettnig ahead of him on a 2 lane road? I hope that's not what you mean because the only time I'd probably notice that is at night. It would probably blind me, I might move a bit in my lane but most importantly I'd be pissed off.

This is gonna look bad since I sometime do that, flash behind the slower car, but this is on FWY with more than 3-4 lanes, and that person happen to drive around 65-70mph on the most left lane (not in carpool lane).

Yeah, i thought it was suppose to be a "get your arse outa the fast lane, i wanna pass" or a "please don't change lanes, i'm passing" for night time when it'd be harder to see.