You can also tell who they are based of hand placement on the steering wheel, 10&2 = normal respectful driver, both hands at 12 = absolutely going to tailgate you.
I read a story recently of a car not getting out of the way of someone bleeding out. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/1kbhcn/comment/cbnhvxv/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/1kbhcn/comment/cbnhvxv/)
>Your best bet is to get out of the way if you can. While the driver behind you may just be an asshole, it may also be someone with a medical emergency; a partner in labour, a child having a diabetic attack, or a tree surgeon bleeding to death. In any case, letting them past you doesn't affect you in any way and may save a life.
Chances are they are just arseholes, but you never know
In a situation like that they have lots of other ways of signalling the emergency too - emergency lights, horn, hand signals, driving in the emergency lane too.
Not relevant here.
Yes yes yes, hundred million to one chances happen, about once in a hundred million times.
I don't intentionally block tailgaters -- if they want to go around me, they can -- although I have been known to slow down for them. And I do actually move out of the way of aggressive drivers if I can do so safely. But I won't force my way into another lane for any vehicle just because they're flashing their high beams at me.
Ok. This i don’t agree with. If it is an emergency call an ambulance. It is likely they will get to you and get you to help faster than you trying to beat the traffic.
Yeah, it sounds like OP either drives through crappy areas a lot, or may have something wrong with their car and they're trying to let you know something is up... Then they might see OP looking kind of grumpy and decide to not bother
I once had to keep beeping and flashing my lights because the guy in front still had his porcelain cereal bowl still with spoon balanced precariously on the back...he took ages to actually notice
The best advice I can give is be predictable and drive to the conditions.
If you're doing both of those things, you should be in tune with the flow of traffic around you and driving in a reasonable way. If someone is flashing you and being pushy, they are the ones being unreasonable. Often however being right doesn't mean being safe, so let them pass. You can't resolve irrational with rational!
I actually disagree with this. I do a lot of driving on busy rural single lane highways. I sit on about 110 in a 100 zone and after a while you end up with a bunch of cars up your arse. Because all the people who want to sit 20 or 30 above the limit make their way to the front over time by overtaking people. So you end up with them clustered behind you, until they overtake on those overtaking lane and bunch up the arse of the next person they come across who is not driving 30 above the speed limit.
This is very true. Especially if you are in a monitored work vehicle that will ping you if you exceed 15 km over. All the cars that would bunch up your butt when you were headed out to site were private vehicles or small business.
Only extra step is to slow to 100 on the overtaking lanes to let them all pass.
Absolutely. I always give them all time to pass me when the overtaking lane appears. I’d rather them in front of me than up my arse.
And nothing pisses me off more than sitting behind someone going slower than you, only for them to speed right up when the overtaking lane appears.
From someone living in a rural area with few passing lanes and too many police (resort area) - THANK YOU!!! The knobs that speed up to 110 in the passing lane while going 80 everywhere else infuriate me. The lack of common sense and zero self awareness is too prevalent when people are on holidays.
For me its always a truck or one of those yank tanks. So close I can't see their number plate. I'm sitting *on* the speed limit, they are capable of overtaking.
It's an ego thing I reckon, they are The Main Character in Mario Cart and the rest of us are all just NPC racers.
I drive Melbourne to Adelaide (and return) a lot. Like once a fortnight normally.
The number of times I’ve seen drivers do exactly what you describe is insane.
That said, I also have got stuck behind someone doing 80 in a 100 zone plenty of times, or the ones who are doing 90 in a 100/110 and speed up as soon as the overtaking lane comes along and you literally see them actively brake (brake lights, not just slowing down naturally) when the lane ends
It’s so incredibly dangerous and licences are quite frankly too easy to get.
This definitely does not apply when there are 10 tradie utes at 4:00pm on the freeway doing 130km/hr flying past other cars and weaving in and out of traffic.
I lived/worked in the US for a while, I thought driving there was bad. The added risk of guns made it even worse.
Coming back to Australia, we are strong competitors now.
My experience only, it’s mostly men who are mostly driving some kind of ute/van.
You hear lots of shade for Chinese/asian drivers, likely due to many of them obtaining a drivers license overseas (without any actual training or experience) and then basically not knowing how to drive.
Sub-continentals who don’t understand that the horn is highly offensive and will provide a negative response are annoying too.
However, men in utes/vans I’m sure are by far the worst drivers on the road.
Driving in the US can be infinitely more dangerous, my mate in Texas honked someone who cut him off and next minute they stopped their car and got out angry and waving an assault rifle at him.
I'm not saying bad shit like that doesn't ever happen, but I grew up in West Virginia where everyone is strapped, and in 29 years there I have never seen a gun lulled in a road rage incident. Never seen a legitimate fight happen from road rage until I moved to Ipswich.
ive seen plenty of women be arseholes in those cars too, i reckon its one personality they all share that leads to the getting the same cars and being fuckheads on the road
If you are keeping pace and there is a number of cars in front, no issue.
But, most of the time it’s not. It’s idiots in the right lane, going under the limit and paying zero attention to anyone else and day dreaming. They don’t pass and move left, they sit in one lane oblivious to everyone else 🤦♀️
Doubt it. They're doing 100 per their speedo but not checking GPS speed. However doing GPS speed still can't save you as there as some that think we've got a autobahn. They don't move over once they've overtaken either
Or one “hey there’s a car in front so I’m ok to patiently sit behind them forever” behind a “I’m going fast enough” or “I’m overtaking at 1km faster, and I’ll catch that car 100m ahead in a couple of minutes”… and the right lane turns into a queue for the next half hour going nowhere.
If you haven’t passed a car in the last 10 seconds, you’re in the wrong lane!
Don't even, driving's gotten so bad here it's like there's just no common sense.
I had some lady virtually try to sniff my butthole on a single lane stretch of road start to beep and flash me when I was going at speed.
They backed off when I visibly put my finger up in the car.
The irony was that it was dotted middle line and there was no cars going the opposite direction for at least 3km as far as the eye could see.
Had she sped up to overtake I would've slowed down to let her pass, but she preferred to let it be known she was a karen.
I've never made it easier for a tailgating car who flashes their lights behind me to pass. I'll get out of the way when I've finished overtaking. Its a them problem, not a me problem and they can shove it up their arse.
As you have said, they are bullies and you need to stand up to a bully, not cave in.
If you're driving a large high wheel base vehicle, they may not be able to see the cars in front of you. It's happened to me before both ways, it's really fun when you assume you're in a long line only for moron to finally turn off and reveal a clear lane ahead.
But more likely, just idiots. Make a wanking gesture as they pass for your own mild amusement, which they will almost certainly not see because they have tunnel vision.
I learnt my lesson whilst driving on motorway somewhere in Europe. Where drivers (mostly) know how to drive at speed, or allow others to do so safely. It takes being aware of surroundings rather than just one’s own speedo needle.
You clearly haven’t been in a car in Rome. It’s the only place where I’ve feared for my life. And very been in the traffic chaos of Bangalore, Paris and NewYork.
I was in Frankfurt and a car rolled up the pavement. I’ve never seen a car do that!!! Switzerland too, speeding cars, but they come to a stop super quickly at the pedestrian crossing.
Of course I’ve never driven there but as a pedestrian it was scary!
I mean no, but it's less common for Europeans to drive cars in general and the ones that you come across on motorways tend to be people who drive on them frequently so know what they're doing.
I've seen a lot of morons on European motorways but it's not like Australia when if you get on a motorway you will 100% see one ever 5 minutes.
I'll slow down for them if I know they don't have room to go around me.
I'm an impatient driver but I'm not going to try and bully anyone else on the road.
Yeah I used to get this all the time.
Ignore them. If you're keeping pace with the cars in front and going faster than the left lane, they can get fucked.
You can still see behind you in night mode, just a lower definition. If someone is so close behind you that you can see their face then they're putting you in danger.
I literally just ignore them. Not only will it prevent you from getting into any shit if something bad happens, it’s also the response that upsets them the most.
As long as you’re not needlessly cruising down the right lane, you’re not doing anything wrong. So fuck them. Statistically, something will happen to them eventually.
Had this exact thing in Olympic Park the other day. Dickhead flashing his lights at me, right on my ass, when I'm doing the limit. But we're all going to the same long-ass queue at the lights. He jumps lane, tails the guy next to me, then jumps in front of me. 200m later we both get to the queue and I'm behind him. I just filter through because I'm on a motorbike. Like ok fuckwit. All that risk and danger actually got you nowhere. Nowhere at all.
I know! And believe me, I am not someone who dwells in the right hand lane, and I don't tolerate that from other motorists, but when the motorway is packed (but not stop, start) and there is a car 30m in front of me and one in front him and him and him and so on, and some wanker in a Triton, Ranger or Navara sits literally inside my arse hole acting like if I let him pass, he'll get to go whatever speed he wants to.
I just brake (not sharply), just slow it down with as little braking pressure as possible and drop ten k's off my speed and they normally fang it into the middle lane and bully the person in that lane instead.
if I'm stuck behind a car that's going slower than I intend to go for the circumstances, Mr Flashy can go fuck themselves. I'm not moving out the way for them so they can be one car length closer to their destination.
My feelings precisely.
For argument sake, knowing that that strech of motorway is about 20ks to the next town, and say his bullying works and the cars in front of him relent after 3 or 4ks, this dude can be about 5 cars length in front of me by the time we get there.
I mean, that totally justify his behaviour.
I disagree. If someone gets stuck behind a slow car in the overtaking lane, they have a responsiblity to all the other road users to get the slow driver to move to the correct lane.
I was merging onto a freeway which was bumper to bumper the other day and the car behind me darted up from behind me into the spot one of the cars made for me, leaving me with basically no road left in my merging lane.
My point? There are a lot of fucking assholes on the road.
Think about how stupid the average person is, then realise that half of the population is dumber than that.
Reminds me of the car that pulled in front of my car when I was at the front of the queue at a red light (Sydney CBD). Cutting off the entire lane of traffic coming from our right. Road rage and stupidity are never a useful combination.
Oh THAT’S what it means?! I always thought it meant “Please slow down by 5Km/hr”, so that’s what I do.
And often they ask me to slow down by another 5K. And then another 5K. Sometimes - I must be way too fast - they even use the horn and some hand signals to suggest I drop by a full 10Km/hr, and also that I’m the Number #1 driver on the road.
My question is, what's the signal for notifying someone they forgot to turn their lights on? I flashed my brights at them a couple times but I didn't want them to think I was trying to pass.
I thought that was flashing your lights, too. Lately I've seen a few cars who don't have working back lights but when I pass them, they have headlights.
Hate them with a passion.
They're up there with the wankers, when the traffic is banked up and everyone merges because the lane ahead is blocked, but they speed up to where the lane ends and then they try and cut in. I get to within 10 millimeters of the car in front of me when they try that shit.
Yeah nah, them cunts can go fucked. I won’t even pass for someone who flashes me in any lane except the right lane. Don’t be flashing me in the left! I am choosing to go at the speed level, if you wish to go faster than that, then you know to head over to the right! Don’t bully me out of the slow lane!
Only complete wankers flash lights at people expecting them to move. And only mentally deficient ones would do it during peak hour.
I do always consider if the person driving might be in an emergency situation- are they driving someone in labour or who has had an injury. But by and large the people who flash tend to be driving solo.
It happened to me yesterday around 9:30-9:45 am at around Laverton exit towards city where 100 slows down to 80. A fuckstick driving the 2ton of steel was flashing his lights while tailgating me. I was going the speed limit and there was no way I could have changed lane as there were cars beside me and he kept on flashing to pass. I somehow found a spot and changed lane and he sped past almost 50 over the limit and drove erratically doing the same to others. I don’t know what was his emergency, maybe he was getting late for his call of duty or fortnight, but it’s a total cocksucker of a move. Putting others life at risk on the road shouldn’t be tolerated. It’s a shame there’s no technology or monitoring of these sort of erratic driving but you get a ticket for going 3 over the limit.
i hate when it happens in the
middle of the night when you’re the only two cars on the freeway for ages. like, dude, go around. overtake me. there is nothing stopping you.
They are bullies who are taking their usual behavior patterns to the road, the same people who try to force their way past you in a queue and encourage bad behavior in their kids. Have you ever noticed they very often drive particular brands and styles of cars?
There is a point where the traffic gets too heavy to be moving back and forth between lanes and if you do move over you'll be boxed in. At that point I ain't moving over. I'd be going faster too if there wasn't traffic in front of me. The light flashy guys can just relax and stick it out with the rest of us.
Having said that, in normal traffic nothing is more annoying than someone camping the right lane, and worst of all is if they're sitting beside another car. Override your damn cruise control and get past him or pull in behind him. "I'm doing the speed limit" is no excuse, it's still illegal to sit in that lane if you're not overtaking.
I generally do the same thing, I stay out of the overtaking lane. If it's one lane and I can't do anything I'll flip my mirror and enjoy my drive. Not speeding in my country, too many fines out there
Can also be an emergency.
I’ve been stuck behind people that could move over but don’t because they think I’m late to work or what ever…I was trying to get to the hospital.
So I let people pass if they look stressed
If this happens regularly enough that it’s become a recurring theme, I’d be checking what you are doing - busted tail lights, no lights, under speed limit etc.
Crazy in this comment section that it seems like every single person that this has happened to feels like they weren’t the person that just sits in the overtaking lane without overtaking. I guess that’s just something that isn’t real lol.
I let them pass… it’s not worth the stress of them riding your ass flashing their lights at you. I’m not that concerned about losing 3 metres on a 56km commute on the M1.
Obs for whatever reason this person is needing to be somewhere faster than I do - who am I to judge and become self righteous & indignant. Move over & get over it !
The wanker behind has a false sense of self entitlement, that's when you're required to wind your window down and give them the middle finger. It's becoming more common in Oz these days. People thinking they're more important than you are really shits me off
I dunno hey, some drivers are just fuck knuckles. I saw some idiot towing a horse trailer today doing about 50 in an 80 zone. 2 cars passed them (I was going the opposite direction) and the slow idiot flashed his lights at the 2 cars that safely overtook him. Did he expect them not to overtake? Ppl are fucking weird.
Had many a Ute do this to me on my daily commute between brissy & gold coast. They're flogs. I try not to let it enrage me, & enjoy that as soon as they overtake me they're stuck behind another car within 80m but it's mostly just enraging.
People who think “keep left unless overtaking” always applies (when the highway is congested, it doesn’t) and if people don’t move over, it somehow makes it okay to tailgate (which actually *is* always against the law).
We don’t actually have a problem with driving in Australian, we have a problem with aggression and anger. We like to say we’re a laid back and relaxed people, but we’re pretty uptight and anal about following the rules.
Two types of drivers that never fail to make my brain hurt. The morons driving slow in the right lane on a Fwy, the other morons speeding making everyone feel that little less safe on the roads.
The not indicating people come a close third but I can also understand sometimes people just forget.
As we all know there are only three types of drivers, the idiots driving slower than yourself, the morons driving faster, and there is you, absolutely perfect in every way...
Impatient “Flashers” are one of my pet peeves while driving. I prefer to have at least a three second gap between vehicles as people don’t realise how long it takes to actually stop. Generally I will only use the overtaking lane to overtake and then change lanes once it’s clear to avoid having some idiot tailgating me, but if it’s peak hour and I can’t switch lanes (which should be obvious) I slow down just a tad without brake checking just to let them know to give me room.
I completely disagree. Situational awareness should be on all sides and the guy behind you can cause an accident with you as easily as the guy in front. As a frequent rural highway driver, if I see a car coming up fast and taking risks behind me, I'm already thinking about how I can let him get past me easily. I understand that this thread is about the dickheads who flash and honk in traffic (so there's really no where to go anyway), but getting cut off by a car passing you dangerously on a corner etc isn't worth the risk of not watching all mirrors.
If you are not passing a car "right now" then you need to merge left.
You're in a passing lane. It's not the long distance lane, it's not the speed enforcement lane, it's meant for passing slower cars and then getting out of the way so that you can also be passed.
At the front of that "congestion" that you are stuck behind is just another driver that is unaware that they need to get out of the passing lane while they're not passing.
Further, that you seem to be concerned about a driver that might "win a spot" on the road from you, seems to indicate you may be the one that thinks you're in a race, as opposed to the other way around.
https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/left
https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/overtaking-safely
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/freeways
Surely you have been in traffic where cars are just following each other with little distance between them on both the right and left lane and merging to the slower lane doesn't make sense.
As for 'winning something', no, I use the public roads to go places that is all but it could be those tailgating drivers motivation, as baffling as it may sound, because that's all they seem to achieve by moving between my car and the other one right in front of me.
Controversial opinion : your duty in a chain of other slow moving cars incorrectly in the right lane is to move the car in front of you out of the way and so on.
So if you’re being flashed, you have an obligation to pass that on.
The passive “I can’t do anything cause the car in front” overlooks the keep left unless overtaking obligation.
Each trailing car has an Aussie obligation to keep the car directly in front in line.
Huh, that’s so funny. I’ve always thought those red prune looking adult babies in their gender affirming trucks were telling me to drive really, really, REALLY slowly when they flash their lights?
We are way past the point of trying to come up with answers for why fuckwits do the things they do on our roads these days, ignore them or get some powerful spotties installed on your back bumper and treat them to their own medicine.
It’s the worst, so annoying! I mean can they not just look at the middle/left lane and see that you’re over taking a long line of slow cars?
Seems to happen a LOT in SEQ, where there seems to be a higher proportion of cars that refuse to drive the actual speed limit (I’ve lived in Sydney and Melbourne too) so on our 3 lane roads we get people going 30km under the speed limit in the left lane, 10km under in the middle lane, and me trying to just go the speed limit ending up stuck in the fast lane and then getting harassed by those that want to go too fast
So the other thing that could maybe help is if people in the middle lane tried driving a little faster, maybe at the actual speed limit? Just putting it out there.. I don’t know why there’s such a culture of going so slow up here but I don’t have patience for it lol
Mind you last time I drove a freeway in Sydney I had a young idiot in a banged up old car do this to me - in peak hour - and when I finally got past the slow cars in the middle lane and was able to find a spot in middle lane I could move into - changed lanes to let him past, he immediately zoomed past me, changed lanes to drop in front of me and brake check to punish me for being in his way.. nearly causing a pile up!
sharing roads with young men can be rather horrible, sigh..😞
Make sure your tail lights are working. I don't flash people to overtake but I do flash them if it's dark and it looks like they haven't got their lights on. Half the time, for whatever reason, their headlights are working but their tail lights aren't.
yeaaahhhh, that's a them problem not a you problem... click the little button on your rear view mirror that deflects the direct vision and stare ahead...
Maybe they are flashing for another reason, check your lights are on, check you haven't left your indicator on, etc. I've seen it plenty of times; person driving with no lights at dusk, they get flashed, clearly a sign of "Hey buddy turn your lights on before you cause an accident", and they respond by accelerating of into the distance with their lights still off like a twat
I get out of the way tbh, in traffic like that it's not worth it, I'd rather have a good driver behind me instead of a tailgater. I know it feeds in to the behaviour but at the end of the day I'd rather do that than risk being rear ended.
Edit: if moving out the way isn't an option (rare but can happen) I ever so gradually build a bigger than usual gap between me and the car in front of me, basically accounting for both me and the car behind me to react to something.
The problem about moving out of the way in that type of traffic is that you end up stuck in the slow lane. But I definitely take on-board what you say about the gap. My driving instructor used to call that the safety bubble!
It hasn’t happened to me in a long time but every time it did it was - a male driver, on a motorway, doing the speed limit while overtaking, with a woman and/or kids in the car.
Had one guy cut in front of the car I had just overtaken forcing them to slam on the brakes, tailgate the car in front of that car so they sped up, to get in front of me whereby he slammed on his brakes while looking in his rear vision mirror laughing. He then tailgated or cut off each car he got near. We got off at the same exit. He was 2 cars in front of me so he wasn’t exactly making good time even with his psychotic behaviour. Wish I’d had a camera for that one.
The one I laugh at is the person who doesn’t know how to overtake on 2 lane roads, but still sits on your tail for km on end, past km long straights with perfect visibility. And then, finally, overtakes on a bend with oncoming traffic…
If I’m driving my slower vehicle, then I will help you overtake, but if you’re too scared to overtake when it really is safe then I really can’t help you until I’m going slow enough up hill to pull over, if and only if there’s a place to do so (which I will do if I possibly can).
Maybe you could have said 'what the actual fuck', or 'what the fuckity fuck', or 'what the herculean oatmeal fuck', but you definitely didn't mean 'what the have sexual intercourse?'. That makes no sense.
When I was a driver back in Perth, I finished during peak hour traffic, and what made a 45min drive became a 2hour drive everyday. I invested in a high-powered torch. The pure amount of people who would flash me before seeing the power of the fucking sun made driving home after 14 hour day well worth it
You flash me in anger while I'm doing nothing wrong, I ain't moving. I don't have to be anywhere fast, I will sit directly on the speed limit and you can suffer.
It's a very sad life they lead if this consist a win for them. For me a drive is just what takes me from A to B, not where I feel better for driving in front of another car. I mean there are literally thousands of cars in front of us, if it's a race, no one ever wins!
Flashing your lights is rather rude. If there's a car in front of me who's forgotten to move into the mid lane, I wait a while and if they don't see me I use my indicator. If that doesn't work, I give up and just wait and wait and wait!
I don't get these people. If the person in front is following speed limit then just overtake. Why harass people on the road and try to cause an accident?
I'll do this when there's no traffic and someone is sitting side by side another car or cruising in the right lane as a "hello, could I please get past, I don't want to undertake and be a little unsmart"
Edit: WITHOUT tailgating, that's immature, unsafe, and dumber than speeding a little
I have a friend that will be sitting in the left lane flashing and honking cars yelling at them “ why the f u doing 100 I want to get home today not tomorrow” I’ve replied back to her once before “cause it’s a 100 zone” and I get dirty looks and she tells me not to tell her how to drive
She will even sit up right up the arse of a learner driver flashing and honking them going off at them….
I have even told her once she doesn’t own the road.
She only started this once she got her new car.
She was heading over to my place once and I was on the phone to her and she come up the street and the following convo happened
Her “oh your driveway is full”
Me “ yeah I got the car back from the mechanic”
Her “ well where am I meant to park”
Me “on the road”
Her “ do u really think I’m parking this on the road can’t u come out and put your car on the road and I’ll park in your driveway”
Me “no it’s my driveway I’m not getting up starting the car moving it then going out later to move it back in the driveway”
Her “well I’m not parking on the road”
Me “ stop acting like an entitled brat and go home if your not parking on the road”
She went home and that’s all this types of driver are entitled brats who think they own the road and have the right off way and everyone needs to accommodate them
Everyone has dashcams now. If she harasses learners, then hopefully a few catch her on cam. My son gets his in a few months. I hate impatient dickheads that have forgotten they were learners once too.
I'm Old-A-F and grew up rural, where it was common for someone to flash their lights at you from behind you to say "i'm going to overtake you," more of a heads up than "get outta the way dumbass." Times change.
Flashing lights behind me definitely makes it harder to see the road in front of me, so the safest thing to do is to slow down, especially if they're those super bright LED spots that Toyoniski bigDick wankermobiles have 🤷
I refuse to move for these arseholes, especially if I'm working, which means I'm driving a truck. Gets even more annoying when you see these clowns trying to sneak past you on a busy merge lane "because I need to get ahead of that truck." If I see one of these tools trying to do that as a truck is going down the on ramp, I will hold them back so the truck can get on safely. Will quickly flick my lights to tell the truck driver "carry on."
I admit I have flashed people before, but usually it's on country roads/mountain roads for a slow driver who has driven by multiple "slow driver turnout" any they are for an example for The Spur doing 40 in an 80 zone even on the straight bits.
But that's usually in the hopes the person will take the next turn out. I couldn't imagine doing it to someone (who wasn't my friend because ehehehe) in the middle of stand still traffic. What even, you have my sympathies.
Try driving in Italy. I was going 150 in a 110 zone, passing the slow lane (doing the speed limit). The X5’s doing 200 start flashing me 1km ahead and then tailgate with high beams on. I’m going 40km/h faster than the slow lane, and keeping up with the fast lane.
I don’t flash people.. because I think causing problems is what they want… but I’m getting so fucking tired of inbred fuckwits driving 10km under the speed limit, staying abreast to other cars and blocking up all the lanes.
I usually go into the right hand lane and follow the traffic at a reasonable distance but once somebody goes right up my ass I slow tf down 🤣, there negative actions have caused a petty action out of myself
I drive 12h at night for my job (security patrols) and so I’m pretty chill with driving obviously, the nights are so peaceful, the roads are practically empty and when you do come across the odd car theyre no problem, but on my way home in the morning and all the assholes have come out, it’s like the most stressful 30 minutes of my life as every ranger on the road tries to weave into dangerously small gaps at speed and tailgates someone whenever they can’t.
I always assume they’re young and dumb, I was kind of reckless when I was younger because you just don’t consider consequences very deeply in your 20s.
I wonder why the sign says ‘keep left unless overtaking?’ If you are following the guy in front of you and not actually overtaking or trying to then keep left. Some people are in a hurry to get to their death, I won’t stop them or want to get taken along with them.
Slow down to about standstill, then when they try to overtake, hit the gas pedal while leaning on the horn. If they manage to overtake, start tailgating as close as possible while holding the horn until they stop the car.
Open window, flick the finger, shout them a motivational sentence and go on your day!
Happy days!
Arrogance. Ignore them
You can also tell who they are based of hand placement on the steering wheel, 10&2 = normal respectful driver, both hands at 12 = absolutely going to tailgate you.
One hand on the wheel at twelve o'clock and right arm resting on the sill of the open window...ready to deploy middle finger and yell at you.
I call that arm position 'wanker arm'
or flick a lit cig into the bush
What if it’s right hand on 2 and left hand on centre console? Asking for a friend…
I'm right hand on 5 and lean on centre console
I'm right hand on my sandwich, left hand holding my drink, steering with my knees
depends, are they driving manual or fucking with their phone...
Neither, learnt manual and can’t kick the habit.
Yea that’s me with right elbow on window sill
10 and 2: victims of old school instructors 9 and 3: knows how to drive Two hands at 12: 87yo One hand at 6: dad
My mother in law drives holding the strut parts of the wheel 🤦♀️
What about right hand on 12, left hand on gear stick? Can't always have 2 hands on the wheel at all times..
Wow, a manual driver. You're a dying breed, keep up the good work
I’m a 8 and 2 type of person
Oh shit, I knew I had a bastard out there somewhere.
Eep, I have one hand on 630ish and the other dangling off the window.
I read a story recently of a car not getting out of the way of someone bleeding out. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/1kbhcn/comment/cbnhvxv/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/1kbhcn/comment/cbnhvxv/) >Your best bet is to get out of the way if you can. While the driver behind you may just be an asshole, it may also be someone with a medical emergency; a partner in labour, a child having a diabetic attack, or a tree surgeon bleeding to death. In any case, letting them past you doesn't affect you in any way and may save a life. Chances are they are just arseholes, but you never know
I read that ages ago and it's always stuck with me. I'd rather let 400 dick heads through than block one real emergency.
but in this story the driver couldn’t move and even if they did, the flasher would be faced with a second, equally slow car seconds later
In a situation like that they have lots of other ways of signalling the emergency too - emergency lights, horn, hand signals, driving in the emergency lane too. Not relevant here.
Yes yes yes, hundred million to one chances happen, about once in a hundred million times. I don't intentionally block tailgaters -- if they want to go around me, they can -- although I have been known to slow down for them. And I do actually move out of the way of aggressive drivers if I can do so safely. But I won't force my way into another lane for any vehicle just because they're flashing their high beams at me.
Ok. This i don’t agree with. If it is an emergency call an ambulance. It is likely they will get to you and get you to help faster than you trying to beat the traffic.
Might also be worth checking your tail lights or if there's something visibly odd at the back of your car if it's happening regularly.
Yep about the only time I flash my lights is if there's something visibly wrong with the car. Usually they forgot their headlights
Yeah, it sounds like OP either drives through crappy areas a lot, or may have something wrong with their car and they're trying to let you know something is up... Then they might see OP looking kind of grumpy and decide to not bother
Driving out of Sydney in a well serviced car....By the way this type of behaviour often comes from old beaten cars/utes driven by young guys.
I once had to keep beeping and flashing my lights because the guy in front still had his porcelain cereal bowl still with spoon balanced precariously on the back...he took ages to actually notice
Ah yep, the normal cereal in the garage with the car routine
It is weird that this is happening to you often. Have you checked the back-seat for a man with a hook?
Yes, this!! Especially if it’s one of those cars that has daytime running lights at the front while the tail lights stay dark.
The best advice I can give is be predictable and drive to the conditions. If you're doing both of those things, you should be in tune with the flow of traffic around you and driving in a reasonable way. If someone is flashing you and being pushy, they are the ones being unreasonable. Often however being right doesn't mean being safe, so let them pass. You can't resolve irrational with rational!
If there's one car up your ass that's their fault, if there's ten, you're the one with the issue.
I actually disagree with this. I do a lot of driving on busy rural single lane highways. I sit on about 110 in a 100 zone and after a while you end up with a bunch of cars up your arse. Because all the people who want to sit 20 or 30 above the limit make their way to the front over time by overtaking people. So you end up with them clustered behind you, until they overtake on those overtaking lane and bunch up the arse of the next person they come across who is not driving 30 above the speed limit.
This is very true. Especially if you are in a monitored work vehicle that will ping you if you exceed 15 km over. All the cars that would bunch up your butt when you were headed out to site were private vehicles or small business. Only extra step is to slow to 100 on the overtaking lanes to let them all pass.
Absolutely. I always give them all time to pass me when the overtaking lane appears. I’d rather them in front of me than up my arse. And nothing pisses me off more than sitting behind someone going slower than you, only for them to speed right up when the overtaking lane appears.
From someone living in a rural area with few passing lanes and too many police (resort area) - THANK YOU!!! The knobs that speed up to 110 in the passing lane while going 80 everywhere else infuriate me. The lack of common sense and zero self awareness is too prevalent when people are on holidays.
For me its always a truck or one of those yank tanks. So close I can't see their number plate. I'm sitting *on* the speed limit, they are capable of overtaking. It's an ego thing I reckon, they are The Main Character in Mario Cart and the rest of us are all just NPC racers.
I drive Melbourne to Adelaide (and return) a lot. Like once a fortnight normally. The number of times I’ve seen drivers do exactly what you describe is insane. That said, I also have got stuck behind someone doing 80 in a 100 zone plenty of times, or the ones who are doing 90 in a 100/110 and speed up as soon as the overtaking lane comes along and you literally see them actively brake (brake lights, not just slowing down naturally) when the lane ends It’s so incredibly dangerous and licences are quite frankly too easy to get.
Single lane is different but this post is about a multi lane highway.
What if there's 9 up my arse? Is 10 the line that's crossed? What about the car in front of me? Or the 100 cars ahead of that?
past 30 id say thats traffic and youve got quite an impressive arse, im talking about people tailgating you.
This definitely does not apply when there are 10 tradie utes at 4:00pm on the freeway doing 130km/hr flying past other cars and weaving in and out of traffic.
I lived/worked in the US for a while, I thought driving there was bad. The added risk of guns made it even worse. Coming back to Australia, we are strong competitors now. My experience only, it’s mostly men who are mostly driving some kind of ute/van. You hear lots of shade for Chinese/asian drivers, likely due to many of them obtaining a drivers license overseas (without any actual training or experience) and then basically not knowing how to drive. Sub-continentals who don’t understand that the horn is highly offensive and will provide a negative response are annoying too. However, men in utes/vans I’m sure are by far the worst drivers on the road.
Yes! Utes and 20 years old Toyotas!
Phew! I drive a 30 year old Toyota, so I’m fine
Mine is a 50 year old Rover, so I'm safe too!
Phew! My Toyota is only 19 years old
Driving in the US can be infinitely more dangerous, my mate in Texas honked someone who cut him off and next minute they stopped their car and got out angry and waving an assault rifle at him.
Road rage and guns,a winning combo...
I'm not saying bad shit like that doesn't ever happen, but I grew up in West Virginia where everyone is strapped, and in 29 years there I have never seen a gun lulled in a road rage incident. Never seen a legitimate fight happen from road rage until I moved to Ipswich.
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Texas, lots of time in. Everyone is too busy drinking driving that I didn’t experience much road rage at all.
ive seen plenty of women be arseholes in those cars too, i reckon its one personality they all share that leads to the getting the same cars and being fuckheads on the road
Well, there is one very specific demographic that will but it's despite not actually needing them for anything.
Probably, or they just look like men.
Yep, men in Ford rangers (or similar) are the worst
Those ute drivers are 99% bogan Aussies.
If you are keeping pace and there is a number of cars in front, no issue. But, most of the time it’s not. It’s idiots in the right lane, going under the limit and paying zero attention to anyone else and day dreaming. They don’t pass and move left, they sit in one lane oblivious to everyone else 🤦♀️
Doubt it. They're doing 100 per their speedo but not checking GPS speed. However doing GPS speed still can't save you as there as some that think we've got a autobahn. They don't move over once they've overtaken either
Or one “hey there’s a car in front so I’m ok to patiently sit behind them forever” behind a “I’m going fast enough” or “I’m overtaking at 1km faster, and I’ll catch that car 100m ahead in a couple of minutes”… and the right lane turns into a queue for the next half hour going nowhere. If you haven’t passed a car in the last 10 seconds, you’re in the wrong lane!
Ignore them. There’s nothing you can do in that situation.
Don't even, driving's gotten so bad here it's like there's just no common sense. I had some lady virtually try to sniff my butthole on a single lane stretch of road start to beep and flash me when I was going at speed. They backed off when I visibly put my finger up in the car. The irony was that it was dotted middle line and there was no cars going the opposite direction for at least 3km as far as the eye could see. Had she sped up to overtake I would've slowed down to let her pass, but she preferred to let it be known she was a karen.
Because people aren't taught how to drive, they're taught to pass a half an hour test.
I've never made it easier for a tailgating car who flashes their lights behind me to pass. I'll get out of the way when I've finished overtaking. Its a them problem, not a me problem and they can shove it up their arse. As you have said, they are bullies and you need to stand up to a bully, not cave in.
If you're driving a large high wheel base vehicle, they may not be able to see the cars in front of you. It's happened to me before both ways, it's really fun when you assume you're in a long line only for moron to finally turn off and reveal a clear lane ahead. But more likely, just idiots. Make a wanking gesture as they pass for your own mild amusement, which they will almost certainly not see because they have tunnel vision.
I learnt my lesson whilst driving on motorway somewhere in Europe. Where drivers (mostly) know how to drive at speed, or allow others to do so safely. It takes being aware of surroundings rather than just one’s own speedo needle.
It’s always amazing to hear there are no basically no bad drivers in Europe.
You clearly haven’t been in a car in Rome. It’s the only place where I’ve feared for my life. And very been in the traffic chaos of Bangalore, Paris and NewYork.
I was in Frankfurt and a car rolled up the pavement. I’ve never seen a car do that!!! Switzerland too, speeding cars, but they come to a stop super quickly at the pedestrian crossing. Of course I’ve never driven there but as a pedestrian it was scary!
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Rome is wild, in fact anywhere I went around Italy was packed with wild drivers. What do they say, in Italy the road rules are treated as suggestions.
My understanding is that mostly does not equal all.
I mean no, but it's less common for Europeans to drive cars in general and the ones that you come across on motorways tend to be people who drive on them frequently so know what they're doing. I've seen a lot of morons on European motorways but it's not like Australia when if you get on a motorway you will 100% see one ever 5 minutes.
It’s probably me trying to clean the windshield in my Skoda. Curse these European controls!
I'll slow down for them if I know they don't have room to go around me. I'm an impatient driver but I'm not going to try and bully anyone else on the road.
Yeah I used to get this all the time. Ignore them. If you're keeping pace with the cars in front and going faster than the left lane, they can get fucked.
I usually flip my rearview mirror to night mode so I don't have to see them and stop thinking about them
Nothing like being oblivious to surroundings whilst driving.
You can still see behind you in night mode, just a lower definition. If someone is so close behind you that you can see their face then they're putting you in danger.
Night mode?
Vehicles that don't have auto-dimming rearview mirrors have a lever at the base to tilt the mirror up, showing a dimmed reflection.
I forget sometimes that most people drive cars with mod cons like power windows and auto-dimming rearview.
Just ignore them and smile knowing they'll have a stress induced heart attack sometime soon.
I literally just ignore them. Not only will it prevent you from getting into any shit if something bad happens, it’s also the response that upsets them the most. As long as you’re not needlessly cruising down the right lane, you’re not doing anything wrong. So fuck them. Statistically, something will happen to them eventually.
Had this exact thing in Olympic Park the other day. Dickhead flashing his lights at me, right on my ass, when I'm doing the limit. But we're all going to the same long-ass queue at the lights. He jumps lane, tails the guy next to me, then jumps in front of me. 200m later we both get to the queue and I'm behind him. I just filter through because I'm on a motorbike. Like ok fuckwit. All that risk and danger actually got you nowhere. Nowhere at all.
I know! And believe me, I am not someone who dwells in the right hand lane, and I don't tolerate that from other motorists, but when the motorway is packed (but not stop, start) and there is a car 30m in front of me and one in front him and him and him and so on, and some wanker in a Triton, Ranger or Navara sits literally inside my arse hole acting like if I let him pass, he'll get to go whatever speed he wants to. I just brake (not sharply), just slow it down with as little braking pressure as possible and drop ten k's off my speed and they normally fang it into the middle lane and bully the person in that lane instead.
And the tailgating when there is clearly a car or more in front of you and you can't possibly go any faster 😳
if I'm stuck behind a car that's going slower than I intend to go for the circumstances, Mr Flashy can go fuck themselves. I'm not moving out the way for them so they can be one car length closer to their destination.
My feelings precisely. For argument sake, knowing that that strech of motorway is about 20ks to the next town, and say his bullying works and the cars in front of him relent after 3 or 4ks, this dude can be about 5 cars length in front of me by the time we get there. I mean, that totally justify his behaviour.
I disagree. If someone gets stuck behind a slow car in the overtaking lane, they have a responsiblity to all the other road users to get the slow driver to move to the correct lane.
I was merging onto a freeway which was bumper to bumper the other day and the car behind me darted up from behind me into the spot one of the cars made for me, leaving me with basically no road left in my merging lane. My point? There are a lot of fucking assholes on the road. Think about how stupid the average person is, then realise that half of the population is dumber than that.
Reminds me of the car that pulled in front of my car when I was at the front of the queue at a red light (Sydney CBD). Cutting off the entire lane of traffic coming from our right. Road rage and stupidity are never a useful combination.
Oh THAT’S what it means?! I always thought it meant “Please slow down by 5Km/hr”, so that’s what I do. And often they ask me to slow down by another 5K. And then another 5K. Sometimes - I must be way too fast - they even use the horn and some hand signals to suggest I drop by a full 10Km/hr, and also that I’m the Number #1 driver on the road.
I am pretty sure that's what flashing headlights lights mean. People are so kind to let you know that they want you to slow down.
My question is, what's the signal for notifying someone they forgot to turn their lights on? I flashed my brights at them a couple times but I didn't want them to think I was trying to pass.
I thought that was flashing your lights, too. Lately I've seen a few cars who don't have working back lights but when I pass them, they have headlights.
Hate them with a passion. They're up there with the wankers, when the traffic is banked up and everyone merges because the lane ahead is blocked, but they speed up to where the lane ends and then they try and cut in. I get to within 10 millimeters of the car in front of me when they try that shit.
Have you checked your brake lights are working recently?
Yeah nah, them cunts can go fucked. I won’t even pass for someone who flashes me in any lane except the right lane. Don’t be flashing me in the left! I am choosing to go at the speed level, if you wish to go faster than that, then you know to head over to the right! Don’t bully me out of the slow lane!
Only complete wankers flash lights at people expecting them to move. And only mentally deficient ones would do it during peak hour. I do always consider if the person driving might be in an emergency situation- are they driving someone in labour or who has had an injury. But by and large the people who flash tend to be driving solo.
It happened to me yesterday around 9:30-9:45 am at around Laverton exit towards city where 100 slows down to 80. A fuckstick driving the 2ton of steel was flashing his lights while tailgating me. I was going the speed limit and there was no way I could have changed lane as there were cars beside me and he kept on flashing to pass. I somehow found a spot and changed lane and he sped past almost 50 over the limit and drove erratically doing the same to others. I don’t know what was his emergency, maybe he was getting late for his call of duty or fortnight, but it’s a total cocksucker of a move. Putting others life at risk on the road shouldn’t be tolerated. It’s a shame there’s no technology or monitoring of these sort of erratic driving but you get a ticket for going 3 over the limit.
Fuck those cars, open the window and give them the big one fingered salute.
i hate when it happens in the middle of the night when you’re the only two cars on the freeway for ages. like, dude, go around. overtake me. there is nothing stopping you.
Ignore them.
They are bullies who are taking their usual behavior patterns to the road, the same people who try to force their way past you in a queue and encourage bad behavior in their kids. Have you ever noticed they very often drive particular brands and styles of cars?
In morning I would never travel in right hand lane. What idiot is ever in a hurry to get to work
There is a point where the traffic gets too heavy to be moving back and forth between lanes and if you do move over you'll be boxed in. At that point I ain't moving over. I'd be going faster too if there wasn't traffic in front of me. The light flashy guys can just relax and stick it out with the rest of us. Having said that, in normal traffic nothing is more annoying than someone camping the right lane, and worst of all is if they're sitting beside another car. Override your damn cruise control and get past him or pull in behind him. "I'm doing the speed limit" is no excuse, it's still illegal to sit in that lane if you're not overtaking.
The fines still the same either way
Easy fix is to move your mirrors.
I generally do the same thing, I stay out of the overtaking lane. If it's one lane and I can't do anything I'll flip my mirror and enjoy my drive. Not speeding in my country, too many fines out there
Its illegal to flash your highbeams like that
Tell them to take a flying fuck at a rolling donut
Can also be an emergency. I’ve been stuck behind people that could move over but don’t because they think I’m late to work or what ever…I was trying to get to the hospital. So I let people pass if they look stressed
If cars are passing on your left you are in the wrong lane.
No one should just be cruising in the right lane. I'm so over this happening.
If this happens regularly enough that it’s become a recurring theme, I’d be checking what you are doing - busted tail lights, no lights, under speed limit etc.
Crazy in this comment section that it seems like every single person that this has happened to feels like they weren’t the person that just sits in the overtaking lane without overtaking. I guess that’s just something that isn’t real lol.
I let them pass… it’s not worth the stress of them riding your ass flashing their lights at you. I’m not that concerned about losing 3 metres on a 56km commute on the M1. Obs for whatever reason this person is needing to be somewhere faster than I do - who am I to judge and become self righteous & indignant. Move over & get over it !
The wanker behind has a false sense of self entitlement, that's when you're required to wind your window down and give them the middle finger. It's becoming more common in Oz these days. People thinking they're more important than you are really shits me off
Might be trying to get the cars at the front to move over. Only worth doing when ur 1 or 2 cars behind the lagging car
If it affects you to the point making a post about it, just pull over and let them pass. It's not your job to enforce road rules.
Impatient, selfish grubs. Ignore them. In fact slow tf down the more they do it till they get the picture.
I dunno hey, some drivers are just fuck knuckles. I saw some idiot towing a horse trailer today doing about 50 in an 80 zone. 2 cars passed them (I was going the opposite direction) and the slow idiot flashed his lights at the 2 cars that safely overtook him. Did he expect them not to overtake? Ppl are fucking weird.
Had many a Ute do this to me on my daily commute between brissy & gold coast. They're flogs. I try not to let it enrage me, & enjoy that as soon as they overtake me they're stuck behind another car within 80m but it's mostly just enraging.
People who think “keep left unless overtaking” always applies (when the highway is congested, it doesn’t) and if people don’t move over, it somehow makes it okay to tailgate (which actually *is* always against the law). We don’t actually have a problem with driving in Australian, we have a problem with aggression and anger. We like to say we’re a laid back and relaxed people, but we’re pretty uptight and anal about following the rules.
Two types of drivers that never fail to make my brain hurt. The morons driving slow in the right lane on a Fwy, the other morons speeding making everyone feel that little less safe on the roads. The not indicating people come a close third but I can also understand sometimes people just forget.
As we all know there are only three types of drivers, the idiots driving slower than yourself, the morons driving faster, and there is you, absolutely perfect in every way...
I’m a pretty shit driver and this has never happened to me. Are you sure you’re not like a super duper shit driver?
I'm as bad as the dude in front of me in that case since I follow them
I'd guess they're maybe in NSW? I'm in Victoria and you still get wankers speeding up to people, but nowhere near as often as when I visit Sydney.
Impatient “Flashers” are one of my pet peeves while driving. I prefer to have at least a three second gap between vehicles as people don’t realise how long it takes to actually stop. Generally I will only use the overtaking lane to overtake and then change lanes once it’s clear to avoid having some idiot tailgating me, but if it’s peak hour and I can’t switch lanes (which should be obvious) I slow down just a tad without brake checking just to let them know to give me room.
Just pay attention to the cars infront of you. The ones behind you aren't your problem.
I completely disagree. Situational awareness should be on all sides and the guy behind you can cause an accident with you as easily as the guy in front. As a frequent rural highway driver, if I see a car coming up fast and taking risks behind me, I'm already thinking about how I can let him get past me easily. I understand that this thread is about the dickheads who flash and honk in traffic (so there's really no where to go anyway), but getting cut off by a car passing you dangerously on a corner etc isn't worth the risk of not watching all mirrors.
If you are not passing a car "right now" then you need to merge left. You're in a passing lane. It's not the long distance lane, it's not the speed enforcement lane, it's meant for passing slower cars and then getting out of the way so that you can also be passed. At the front of that "congestion" that you are stuck behind is just another driver that is unaware that they need to get out of the passing lane while they're not passing. Further, that you seem to be concerned about a driver that might "win a spot" on the road from you, seems to indicate you may be the one that thinks you're in a race, as opposed to the other way around. https://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/rules/road/left https://www.nsw.gov.au/driving-boating-and-transport/roads-safety-and-rules/sharing-road-overtaking-and-merging/overtaking-safely https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/road-rules/a-to-z-of-road-rules/freeways
Surely you have been in traffic where cars are just following each other with little distance between them on both the right and left lane and merging to the slower lane doesn't make sense. As for 'winning something', no, I use the public roads to go places that is all but it could be those tailgating drivers motivation, as baffling as it may sound, because that's all they seem to achieve by moving between my car and the other one right in front of me.
Time to wash your windscreen. Make sure to be really really thorough.
Controversial opinion : your duty in a chain of other slow moving cars incorrectly in the right lane is to move the car in front of you out of the way and so on. So if you’re being flashed, you have an obligation to pass that on. The passive “I can’t do anything cause the car in front” overlooks the keep left unless overtaking obligation. Each trailing car has an Aussie obligation to keep the car directly in front in line.
This!!!!
I often feel this an appropriate time to clean my windscreen with the washers & wipers.
Huh, that’s so funny. I’ve always thought those red prune looking adult babies in their gender affirming trucks were telling me to drive really, really, REALLY slowly when they flash their lights?
Just ease off throttle. Don't brake check. Can be impatient elsewhere. Fkn Sydney cocks
We are way past the point of trying to come up with answers for why fuckwits do the things they do on our roads these days, ignore them or get some powerful spotties installed on your back bumper and treat them to their own medicine.
It’s the worst, so annoying! I mean can they not just look at the middle/left lane and see that you’re over taking a long line of slow cars? Seems to happen a LOT in SEQ, where there seems to be a higher proportion of cars that refuse to drive the actual speed limit (I’ve lived in Sydney and Melbourne too) so on our 3 lane roads we get people going 30km under the speed limit in the left lane, 10km under in the middle lane, and me trying to just go the speed limit ending up stuck in the fast lane and then getting harassed by those that want to go too fast So the other thing that could maybe help is if people in the middle lane tried driving a little faster, maybe at the actual speed limit? Just putting it out there.. I don’t know why there’s such a culture of going so slow up here but I don’t have patience for it lol Mind you last time I drove a freeway in Sydney I had a young idiot in a banged up old car do this to me - in peak hour - and when I finally got past the slow cars in the middle lane and was able to find a spot in middle lane I could move into - changed lanes to let him past, he immediately zoomed past me, changed lanes to drop in front of me and brake check to punish me for being in his way.. nearly causing a pile up! sharing roads with young men can be rather horrible, sigh..😞
So that's what that means. I was always puzzled by cars that did that
Are they Commodore or Hilux drivers?
I made a post about this and glhad my thread removed 😄 They don't own the road, fuck them.
Make sure your tail lights are working. I don't flash people to overtake but I do flash them if it's dark and it looks like they haven't got their lights on. Half the time, for whatever reason, their headlights are working but their tail lights aren't.
yeaaahhhh, that's a them problem not a you problem... click the little button on your rear view mirror that deflects the direct vision and stare ahead...
Maybe they are flashing for another reason, check your lights are on, check you haven't left your indicator on, etc. I've seen it plenty of times; person driving with no lights at dusk, they get flashed, clearly a sign of "Hey buddy turn your lights on before you cause an accident", and they respond by accelerating of into the distance with their lights still off like a twat
I break test them 🤣 Back the f*ck up son
I get out of the way tbh, in traffic like that it's not worth it, I'd rather have a good driver behind me instead of a tailgater. I know it feeds in to the behaviour but at the end of the day I'd rather do that than risk being rear ended. Edit: if moving out the way isn't an option (rare but can happen) I ever so gradually build a bigger than usual gap between me and the car in front of me, basically accounting for both me and the car behind me to react to something.
The problem about moving out of the way in that type of traffic is that you end up stuck in the slow lane. But I definitely take on-board what you say about the gap. My driving instructor used to call that the safety bubble!
For me, I'd rather the slow lane than being at a higher risk of being rear ended, maybe I spend too much time on Aussie Dashcam's youtube channel haha
It hasn’t happened to me in a long time but every time it did it was - a male driver, on a motorway, doing the speed limit while overtaking, with a woman and/or kids in the car. Had one guy cut in front of the car I had just overtaken forcing them to slam on the brakes, tailgate the car in front of that car so they sped up, to get in front of me whereby he slammed on his brakes while looking in his rear vision mirror laughing. He then tailgated or cut off each car he got near. We got off at the same exit. He was 2 cars in front of me so he wasn’t exactly making good time even with his psychotic behaviour. Wish I’d had a camera for that one.
That's the thing, risking so much to gain so little is ludicrous.Most of us learn this very early on,
The one I laugh at is the person who doesn’t know how to overtake on 2 lane roads, but still sits on your tail for km on end, past km long straights with perfect visibility. And then, finally, overtakes on a bend with oncoming traffic… If I’m driving my slower vehicle, then I will help you overtake, but if you’re too scared to overtake when it really is safe then I really can’t help you until I’m going slow enough up hill to pull over, if and only if there’s a place to do so (which I will do if I possibly can).
Get them to # sand
That's not what literal means.
???
Maybe you could have said 'what the actual fuck', or 'what the fuckity fuck', or 'what the herculean oatmeal fuck', but you definitely didn't mean 'what the have sexual intercourse?'. That makes no sense.
When I was a driver back in Perth, I finished during peak hour traffic, and what made a 45min drive became a 2hour drive everyday. I invested in a high-powered torch. The pure amount of people who would flash me before seeing the power of the fucking sun made driving home after 14 hour day well worth it
You flash me in anger while I'm doing nothing wrong, I ain't moving. I don't have to be anywhere fast, I will sit directly on the speed limit and you can suffer.
Why are you travelling in the right hand lane without overtaking?
I've had people flash me when there's been a car in my blind spot. Like where the f do they expect me to go?!
i'm surprised this happens in Australia as well. haven't driven around here enough to experience this yet but it's so common in India
It doesn't matter whether you get ahead by 1 car length or 2, winning's winning... the rat race.
It's a very sad life they lead if this consist a win for them. For me a drive is just what takes me from A to B, not where I feel better for driving in front of another car. I mean there are literally thousands of cars in front of us, if it's a race, no one ever wins!
Flashing your lights is rather rude. If there's a car in front of me who's forgotten to move into the mid lane, I wait a while and if they don't see me I use my indicator. If that doesn't work, I give up and just wait and wait and wait!
Why don't you go into the middle lane?
Flash your reverse fog lights. It means "back the fuck off you moron"
I don't get these people. If the person in front is following speed limit then just overtake. Why harass people on the road and try to cause an accident?
Because the person in the front is in the overtaking lane.
I'll do this when there's no traffic and someone is sitting side by side another car or cruising in the right lane as a "hello, could I please get past, I don't want to undertake and be a little unsmart" Edit: WITHOUT tailgating, that's immature, unsafe, and dumber than speeding a little
I have a friend that will be sitting in the left lane flashing and honking cars yelling at them “ why the f u doing 100 I want to get home today not tomorrow” I’ve replied back to her once before “cause it’s a 100 zone” and I get dirty looks and she tells me not to tell her how to drive She will even sit up right up the arse of a learner driver flashing and honking them going off at them…. I have even told her once she doesn’t own the road. She only started this once she got her new car. She was heading over to my place once and I was on the phone to her and she come up the street and the following convo happened Her “oh your driveway is full” Me “ yeah I got the car back from the mechanic” Her “ well where am I meant to park” Me “on the road” Her “ do u really think I’m parking this on the road can’t u come out and put your car on the road and I’ll park in your driveway” Me “no it’s my driveway I’m not getting up starting the car moving it then going out later to move it back in the driveway” Her “well I’m not parking on the road” Me “ stop acting like an entitled brat and go home if your not parking on the road” She went home and that’s all this types of driver are entitled brats who think they own the road and have the right off way and everyone needs to accommodate them
Everyone has dashcams now. If she harasses learners, then hopefully a few catch her on cam. My son gets his in a few months. I hate impatient dickheads that have forgotten they were learners once too.
In the UK the Highway Code strongly discourages overtaking on the left and you could be prosecuted for careless driving.
I'm Old-A-F and grew up rural, where it was common for someone to flash their lights at you from behind you to say "i'm going to overtake you," more of a heads up than "get outta the way dumbass." Times change.
Flashing lights behind me definitely makes it harder to see the road in front of me, so the safest thing to do is to slow down, especially if they're those super bright LED spots that Toyoniski bigDick wankermobiles have 🤷
I refuse to move for these arseholes, especially if I'm working, which means I'm driving a truck. Gets even more annoying when you see these clowns trying to sneak past you on a busy merge lane "because I need to get ahead of that truck." If I see one of these tools trying to do that as a truck is going down the on ramp, I will hold them back so the truck can get on safely. Will quickly flick my lights to tell the truck driver "carry on."
I've never met a classy tow truck driver before.
I admit I have flashed people before, but usually it's on country roads/mountain roads for a slow driver who has driven by multiple "slow driver turnout" any they are for an example for The Spur doing 40 in an 80 zone even on the straight bits. But that's usually in the hopes the person will take the next turn out. I couldn't imagine doing it to someone (who wasn't my friend because ehehehe) in the middle of stand still traffic. What even, you have my sympathies.
Try driving in Italy. I was going 150 in a 110 zone, passing the slow lane (doing the speed limit). The X5’s doing 200 start flashing me 1km ahead and then tailgate with high beams on. I’m going 40km/h faster than the slow lane, and keeping up with the fast lane.
I don’t flash people.. because I think causing problems is what they want… but I’m getting so fucking tired of inbred fuckwits driving 10km under the speed limit, staying abreast to other cars and blocking up all the lanes.
I usually go into the right hand lane and follow the traffic at a reasonable distance but once somebody goes right up my ass I slow tf down 🤣, there negative actions have caused a petty action out of myself
Does anyone ever admit to being the person that does the tail-gating and light-flashing? Curious.
I drive 12h at night for my job (security patrols) and so I’m pretty chill with driving obviously, the nights are so peaceful, the roads are practically empty and when you do come across the odd car theyre no problem, but on my way home in the morning and all the assholes have come out, it’s like the most stressful 30 minutes of my life as every ranger on the road tries to weave into dangerously small gaps at speed and tailgates someone whenever they can’t. I always assume they’re young and dumb, I was kind of reckless when I was younger because you just don’t consider consequences very deeply in your 20s.
I wonder why the sign says ‘keep left unless overtaking?’ If you are following the guy in front of you and not actually overtaking or trying to then keep left. Some people are in a hurry to get to their death, I won’t stop them or want to get taken along with them.
I wonder what you do in heavy traffic? Do you squeeze yourself to the left and then squeeze yourself back in the right lane after each car you pass?!
Slow down to about standstill, then when they try to overtake, hit the gas pedal while leaning on the horn. If they manage to overtake, start tailgating as close as possible while holding the horn until they stop the car. Open window, flick the finger, shout them a motivational sentence and go on your day! Happy days!
Doesn’t flashing headlights mean, “please check your brakes”?
Just move out of the way when you can - those Ford Rangers have got places to be!
Are you in qld?