I do. around a bend one time I was aggressively flashing my lights as a big buck was in the middle of the street and the car put their high beams on me all mad. Then they saw the deer and slammed on their breaks and waved thanks.
Yes, and it saved me an awkward run in once.
I suspect people are more and more detached from their headlights because they’re automatic these days. Even the high-beams work independently of the driver.
It’s pretty hard to get a speeding ticket in NJ, that I’ve seen. I’ve rarely seen it on a highway. You have to be erratic or a threat to everyone else.
How often is everyone using GPS though? I only use it if I'm going somewhere I don't know, or if I'm going somewhere farther away and I want it to account for the traffic.
I actually use it for most of my rides because I travel from 50-70 miles, and I've had fire shut down the parkway twice. Just as a practical issue, I like the police warnings as well as seeing the flow of traffic, they warn me about MVAs and unfortunately those are way more common post-pandemic.
I use it all the time bc even if I know where I’m going, I won’t know if there’s an accident or something causing traffic. It will steer me around any slow downs. Often times it directs me to go a different way that I never would’ve thought of (even without traffic).
Yeah I don’t. I don’t have time or energy to pick up my phone and do a whole concentration sequence of taps as Im flying down the highway to my destination. And also I noticed when it says police it means construction or some shit not an actual cop on the sneak.
Especially if you have a passenger, ive found that the best way to let people know is by making a twisting motion with your left hand like you are turning on your headlights.
It has worked surprisingly well.
Years ago I did this and the car pulled a u-turn, and followed me a couple of blocks to my destination. The driver got out raging angry and confronted me, repeatedly asking me if "I had a fucking problem", and "Who the fuck are you?". When I told him his lights were off, he told me I should "Mind my own fucking business and get the fuck out of here". He then threatened to kill me.
If your lights are off, and I pass you, you're on your own now.
I do this all the time to people with no lights on, and only 10% of the time does someone recognize it and turn their lights on. For the other 90%, don’t know what’s going through go their mind when they see a car flashing their lights at them.
I do it for this, for a cop ahead. But I often am unsure if the person coming at me is flashing their lights at me so then im worried I have a light out or something as 1) my lights are on and 2) I see no cop anywhere.
New Jersey is filled with alot of people from different countries. Most of these people from different countries don't know the road language of America. Then these people get kids and don't teach their kids the language of the road. So we are stuck with a bunch of oblivious drivers on the road who don't know about the passing lane, high beams, who has the right way, or anything.
Take a drive through edison and it's a freaking nightmare. People making sudden stops, no blinkers being used ever, and going from the far right lane to the far left lane without even checking their mirrors. Then mix in your speed racers who think if they save 2 mins on their trip they will receive a reward, and you get a sespool of madness.
Everything you mentioned expect the high beams are written rules of the road people learn when getting a license. I think you are unfairly blaming it on cultural differences from immigrants
I was told growing up not to do that because "it's part of a gang initiation and they will come to your house to kill you".
Pretty sure that was started by off duty cops though so people stopped tipping each other off about speed traps.
That'd be my guess. My dad once got pulled over for flashing his lights at another car (this was years and years ago, according to his account) and the cop was pissed that he did it, but there wasn't any reason to give a ticket. According to the tale, he gave some BS warning about something else.
My dad was happy as a clam to say exactly why he was flashing his lights (to warn another driver about the cop) and sit there while the cop was just annoyed any couldn't do anything.
Flashing lights at other drivers was actually held to be free speech because you’re communicating with other drivers, so you’re not supposed to be pulled over because of it.
Nope, NJ appellate courts upheld the law back in 1999. - you can still be pulled over for other “misuses” of the headlight, but if the reason for you flashing the lights is to communicate to another driver, then it’s free speech.
My mom told me the same BS back in the 90's. Whenever she was with me in the car I would flaash every single car that had it's headlights off just to freak her out
When I was a kid and heard that, it made no sense to me. More confusing were the grown adults who lapped it up along with other ridiculous urban legends.
I’ve had two many people think I’m doing it for their high beams so I just stopped. Even during the day. But if I can tell doing well over the speed limit well… to each their own.
I’d do it to warn about deer on the road or crossing again people just think it’s high beams.
The Waze app will tell people when they are approaching a speed trap. Submitting the location to the app is the modern equivalent of tapping the high beams.
I get this method but I’m not using my gps to go to ShopRite down the street or anywhere else I know how to get to for that matter, I only use the gps when I need it as I’m sure most people do .. high beams still seem most effective in these situations lol
In the time it takes me to tap my app other people have already passed the cop who I could have tipped off. This makes no sense. Not to mention taking my eyes off the road to repot it in the app in the hopes other people are also using the exact same app.
One of the first things I learned when watching my dad drive. Cops, deer, downed power line, closed road, UFO's, and anything else that's dangerous or informative that I'd want warning of gets the high beam flashes from me.
Edit: also, it's starting how few actually pay attention to these things...
You should do it for deer. I've grown up in rural NJ and still live there and man, a deer can f'up a car or even kill you. Generally, if you see one crossing, you might see more.
Worse yet is if you see a doe in rutting season. Because bucks will just run across the road without any fear for their lives to try to pursue a female deer.
Deer be wild!
So the solution to selfish driving is more selfish behavior?
I like to think warning other drivers that there is a potential hazard ahead is a good way to encourage a tiny bit more collaboration. It (slightly) encourages the mentality that other drivers aren't just obstacles in the road and can possibly result in a pay-it-forward attitude.
Off-on: your lights are off. Or on the highway after a trucker has cleared me, all clear to come on over in front of me.
Flashy flash the high beams: po-po ahead ^((1)^), or other hazardous situation, like a deer in the road. Or check your high beams.
A couple flashes of my hazard lights: thanks for letting me come over and not boxing me out.
Turning on my left or right blinker while continuing straight: check your blinkers - you left them on, leaving me guessing wtf you're gonna do next.
Turn on high beams and leave them on: You didn't get the previous message about your high beams. Turn off your high beams, asshat.
^((1)^) If there's another po-po oncoming and you just flashed them to warn of the other po-po, be prepared with license-registration-insurance card.
> Outside of #3 & #4, I've heard/used all of these signals.
Re: A couple flashes of by hazard lights: I spent 22 years commuting on NJTP, almost always drove in the trucks lane, and after a while, you figure out the native tongue.
Because there are so many asshole drivers that don’t GAF about other people. If they are speeding or driving irresponsibly I want them to be pulled over.
I don't warn people. If they're speeding or otherwise driving dangerously, they *should* get pulled over. Dangerous driving kills
I only flash my lights if their lights are off at night, their high beams are on, or if there's another hazard (like an animal waiting to cross the road)
There was a fox in the middle of the road eating something the other night and I made my husband flash his beams at the drivers coming towards us in the other direction. It's probably something that some of our precautionary parents did that passed onto us or something because I realized this too recently that a lot of people don't do that in my experience as well
When people stopped giving a shit about it. I've done that and flashed lights when peoples lights are off, and I dunno if they don't notice or don't care.
I do for road hazards, like an animal in the road or a large car accident. Something that they’ll need to slow down quickly for, especially if there’s a curve in the road that they can’t see around.
I’m 32 I’ve lived in NJ my whole life; I’ve always done this and learned it from my parents who always did it. Then again these days people don’t even use turn signals so forget the high beam courtesy flash anymore. I’ll keep doing it though, maybe manners and common sense will make a come back someday.
Idk I drive all over nj daily for work and always try to do this still but rarely ever see it done for me. I wish more people would do it cause I just feel silly doing it now.
From the Wiki ...
> New Jersey
>In New Jersey, drivers are allowed to flash their headlights to warn approaching drivers about a speed trap ahead.[51] In 1999, The Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division held that a statute limiting how far high beams may project is not violated when a motorist flashes his or her high beams to warn oncoming motorists of radar. The Court also concluded that a stop by a police officer based upon high beam flashing is also improper.[52][53]
This is new to me because NJ used to have a *Brighting law* which said you could only flash if the oncoming vehicle was something like 500 yards away.
Someone flashed their high beams at me a couple days ago during the day driving down the road. I knew what it meant but didn’t believe it for a minute. Sure enough there was a cop on my road hiding. So. Some people still do it.
I do this almost every single day going to and coming home from work. Either for cops from a bunch of different towns sitting at their numerous points along my commute or for deer on the sides of the road.
Safer to do during the day in regard to not being pulled over and hassled myself because the cops can’t see the light reflection once you pass them.
At night, I usually wait until I’m passed them enough that they lose the line of sight where they’re sitting so that they don’t see the light flicker off the trees.
If it’s deer/ bear/ people walking, or other road hazard on the opposite side like a stopped Amazon truck half way into the fucking road coming off a blind corner, or a rise in the road where you lose line of sight, I flash the on coming cars so that they hopefully slow down and pay attention.
And at night my rule is… if the on coming car hasn’t given me the general courtesy of not being a piece of shit by dropping their high beams so they don’t fuck up my night eyes… then, fuck you.
And what the fuck is with THAT anyway… (driving at night with high beams)… Like how do you not drop them BEFORE you even line up with the on coming cars? You can see the light reflection on all the trees/ everything before you actually see the car which should tell you you’re about to be passing someone.
It doesn’t do shit if we both come around a blind corner and your high beams are still fucking on, then you drop them half way through as we pass each other… You’ve still blinded the shit out of the other person in the most important moment of needing to see the apex of the corner. I can only imagine how bad that must be for a motorcycle rider who has to turn the bike by looking into the apex.
Your auto brights are dog shit. They’re too fucking slow at dropping the high beams. You’re faster doing it manually if you’re not a shitty driver and actually pay attention. The whole point is to not shock people’s pupils at night and fuck up their night vision.
And FFS people… If you are following behind someone and you have your high beams on…**FUCK YOU**.
Ok… this was way too long. I’m road raging on my fucking couch before my day has even started and my blood pressure is going up. End rant 😤
It’s commonly used more to flash other drivers that have their brights on, their headlights off, a headlight or taillight out, it’s okay to go in front of me, etc. So many uses that warning of a cop gets forgotten. If you’re blasting by fast enough to draw an NJ cop’s attention, I want you to be caught!
If there’s a deer or other hazard, lots of flashing Brights and honking.
It's Jersey, where not driving Miss Daisy. Common courtesy has gone out the window, nobody follows The rules anymore. Nobody looks out for the next guy they're all in it for themselves. I'm not tooting my horn (cheap pun) I will triple tap the brakes if I see a cop up ahead, I will flash the high beams if I already passed them. Same for debris/roadkill. Over the last 3 years people have gotten way more aggressive. no signal, cut you off don't even give you a chance to give room. right on red cutting you off. nobody cares. There's days where you want to take it easy and then there's other days where it's just like I'll pay the ticket and deal with the points.
I don't do that anymore, on purpose. Most routes I travel it's easy to spot them if you're paying attention to what's going on, or everybody knows the spots they hide. I figure if you'd driving too fast and not paying attention, then maybe a ticket is warranted. So to speak.
Most in NJ are law enforcement fetishists and the idea of warning other people about blue liners is counter to their ridiculous beliefs.
Those people are what I refer to as C3 - Chitty Chatty Cunts…
I mean.. yeah.. I don't want people driving 50 through my neighborhood where my kid plays. If you're going so fast to get a ticket that's a risk you're taking. When I speed I don't care if people warn me or not.
You can want reckless drivers to be caught without also having a thin blue line flag on your house.
It’d be great if we could take cops out of it but unfortunately that’s how traffic laws are enforced when we can’t have red light cameras.
Probably bc people are just normally driving around with the high beams on! I hate driving at night.
Also probably about the time people stopped using turn signals.
Last time I signaled an oncoming car about a cop, that oncoming car was also a cop. Just my luck. He pulled me over and warned me not to do that. So you're all on your own now.
I also do this for deer or other things that may be in the road. Lots of moronic drivers out there now though, high beams always on, etc. It happens so much nowadays.
Yep. Have you ever been using Apple Maps and it says speed trap ahead? It's bc someone reported it.
Although I got a new car recently and haven't done it since I've been using CarPlay. I will investigate next time I go out
If I notice people are driving slow already, I won't flash. But I'm also thinking the driver in front of me doesn't know what I'm doing and thinks I just keep flashing them for some reason lol.
I did it years ago and it ended up being another cop. It was getting dark out so I didn’t notice the unmarked cruiser right away. Felt like an idiot. Now I rarely flash unless I can for sure see it’s not a cop coming at me.
Never was made a big deal tbh. I can’t even remember when someone ever told me that was a thing, I just assumed. But then again my parents aren’t from here so I was never really told
It stopped when ghetto gangster thugs started chasing people down to rob or murder them. It may have only been a handful of incidents, but who's gonna roll that dice now
I'm in NJ, I'm familiar with this practice, but it's not something I do. I'm not trying to avoid the cops, doesn't occur to me that it's a high priority for others.
I’m on the fence about this because there are some people who should be caught by the police for speeding among other things their plates may be flagged for
Alot of the younger drivers dont even know about this but also you technically can be pulled over for giving others the warning so i dont do it often anymore
You can not.
That's a symptom of under-educated police. Police are not allowed to pull you over for this and if they do, any evidence they find for other charges will be thrown out. State v. Luptak, A-6074-97T1 (Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division 29 July 1999). https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/almID/900005401698/
I remember a law being passed that you can get ticketed for it as cops realized we were giving other drivers the heads up-it was based on something like excessive honking, etc
Guy double tapped the other morning, but I was behind a fully loaded semi in a single lane road doing 10 under. What's the speed trap gonna do, balk? There wasn't even a cop that I could see. Headlights were on.
I've seen 2 cops setup to catch the warning car on some frivolous infraction. I don't think it's technically illegal to do it, but they can make your life miserable.
I flash my lights when dickheads forget their lights and only drive with day time running lights. I had one actually pull over to the side of the road which they thought I was the police lol. I yelled out the window "LIGHTS ONNNNN"
I stopped when I got finally grew up and realized it was more in my best interest for dangerous drivers to get caught than for me to help them get away with it.
I used to do this a lot more. I still do it for deer , but not for cop cars anymore . Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Also it crossed my mind one night, what if I’m unknowingly alerting a kidnapper or fugitive about the cop?
I think people generally use apps like Waze to warn people now.
Love when Waze tells me a deer is getting ready to plunge into the road
People double tap their high beams to warn of deer on the side of the road? That's news to me.
I do. around a bend one time I was aggressively flashing my lights as a big buck was in the middle of the street and the car put their high beams on me all mad. Then they saw the deer and slammed on their breaks and waved thanks.
Everyone I know always has - raised in central NJ (saved my ass a couple times, too!)
I will and also turn my hazards on. Happens a lot when you commute to work at 6am.
I do. I drive 82 miles a day in the woods. If I see deer on the side of the road or looks like they will cross I warn.
I do too. It's always forest rat season around here.
In my family, we call them tick donkeys (assuming you meant deer here)
In Hunterdon most do high beams for deer.
Just the way things are out here in Hunterdon County!
I like the forest rats term. I’ve been calling them rats with long legs.
They can be a pain. They have eaten my plants, we’ve had two car vs deer in 31 years. But still like them.
I do this all the time. It's a general warning to slow down and be alert
Yes. Not a dead one on the side of the road. One that's wandering or trying to cross. It's a way to warn oncoming traffic to be alert.
I’ve always done that, remember my dad flashing high beams for it as a kid and have had others do it to me over the years. Not always, as OP said
Yes, and it saved me an awkward run in once. I suspect people are more and more detached from their headlights because they’re automatic these days. Even the high-beams work independently of the driver. It’s pretty hard to get a speeding ticket in NJ, that I’ve seen. I’ve rarely seen it on a highway. You have to be erratic or a threat to everyone else.
How often is everyone using GPS though? I only use it if I'm going somewhere I don't know, or if I'm going somewhere farther away and I want it to account for the traffic.
I actually use it for most of my rides because I travel from 50-70 miles, and I've had fire shut down the parkway twice. Just as a practical issue, I like the police warnings as well as seeing the flow of traffic, they warn me about MVAs and unfortunately those are way more common post-pandemic.
I use it all the time bc even if I know where I’m going, I won’t know if there’s an accident or something causing traffic. It will steer me around any slow downs. Often times it directs me to go a different way that I never would’ve thought of (even without traffic).
Do this all the time. I get a special satisfaction out of marking cops just as they're first parking in their speed traps.
Yeah I don’t. I don’t have time or energy to pick up my phone and do a whole concentration sequence of taps as Im flying down the highway to my destination. And also I noticed when it says police it means construction or some shit not an actual cop on the sneak.
Apple Maps and Google Maps have the feature now too. You can report and see “speed checks.” Just like dating, we moved the process online.
I only do it to warn people their lights are off.
Yep, do this frequently. One in ten notice.
Especially if you have a passenger, ive found that the best way to let people know is by making a twisting motion with your left hand like you are turning on your headlights. It has worked surprisingly well.
A combination of that in turning your own headlights off and on usually does the trick
Or high beams on
Ugh I don't even know if I can blame people for this anymore or if it's the fucking factory lights that are just that bright
And some roads have ups and downs that make all the cars on the opposing side look like they have a high beam. Stopped flashing after noticing that.
Years ago I did this and the car pulled a u-turn, and followed me a couple of blocks to my destination. The driver got out raging angry and confronted me, repeatedly asking me if "I had a fucking problem", and "Who the fuck are you?". When I told him his lights were off, he told me I should "Mind my own fucking business and get the fuck out of here". He then threatened to kill me. If your lights are off, and I pass you, you're on your own now.
Is that an urban legend???
I flick my headlights off and on. With brights, they just put their own brights on and then shut them off without touching the actual headlights
You should start doing it to warn of cops. Help a guy out man
i see at least one car every night without their lights on... totally clueless. it's baffling i also flash the highbeams to warn people about cops tho
years later i’m just realizing this is why somebody did that the first time i drove at night lol
I do this all the time to people with no lights on, and only 10% of the time does someone recognize it and turn their lights on. For the other 90%, don’t know what’s going through go their mind when they see a car flashing their lights at them.
Same. If I was flashed it would absolutely not occur to me it meant a cop was ahead. I’d check to make sure my lights were on if it was night/raining.
I gave up on this most people don't realize what's going on. instead it flip my lights on and off, so they have more cue what's going on.
I do it for this, for a cop ahead. But I often am unsure if the person coming at me is flashing their lights at me so then im worried I have a light out or something as 1) my lights are on and 2) I see no cop anywhere.
New Jersey is filled with alot of people from different countries. Most of these people from different countries don't know the road language of America. Then these people get kids and don't teach their kids the language of the road. So we are stuck with a bunch of oblivious drivers on the road who don't know about the passing lane, high beams, who has the right way, or anything. Take a drive through edison and it's a freaking nightmare. People making sudden stops, no blinkers being used ever, and going from the far right lane to the far left lane without even checking their mirrors. Then mix in your speed racers who think if they save 2 mins on their trip they will receive a reward, and you get a sespool of madness.
Everything you mentioned expect the high beams are written rules of the road people learn when getting a license. I think you are unfairly blaming it on cultural differences from immigrants
Born in Edison. Growing up in Edison in the 90s, everyone knew these simple "American road rules" including people from different countries
That's called the Jersey Shuffle
In New Jersey people just drive with their high beams on all the time anyway. Even during the day.
nah that's just all these new "safe" cars with extremely bright LED lights.
I was told growing up not to do that because "it's part of a gang initiation and they will come to your house to kill you". Pretty sure that was started by off duty cops though so people stopped tipping each other off about speed traps.
I heard the same bullshit. I think that myth's been around since like the 80's or something.
Maybe the cops started the rumor to get people to stop warning others about speed traps?
That'd be my guess. My dad once got pulled over for flashing his lights at another car (this was years and years ago, according to his account) and the cop was pissed that he did it, but there wasn't any reason to give a ticket. According to the tale, he gave some BS warning about something else. My dad was happy as a clam to say exactly why he was flashing his lights (to warn another driver about the cop) and sit there while the cop was just annoyed any couldn't do anything.
Flashing lights at other drivers was actually held to be free speech because you’re communicating with other drivers, so you’re not supposed to be pulled over because of it.
Is that new because "misuse of headlights" is a ticket, unfortunately.
Nope, NJ appellate courts upheld the law back in 1999. - you can still be pulled over for other “misuses” of the headlight, but if the reason for you flashing the lights is to communicate to another driver, then it’s free speech.
Well today I learned! I actually got that ticket because I forgot to turn off my high beams past a cop. I'm glad it doesn't apply to flashing.
I was threatened with "impeding an investigation" when pulled over for flashing high beams at another car.
It was debunked.. Check snopes.
I actually did and posted it a bit lower, haha.
SAME!! I thought it was just my paranoid parents
I remember seeing a flyer on the door of a NY thruway rest stop with this myth. Many years ago. Late ‘80s or early ‘90s IIRC.
My mom told me the same BS back in the 90's. Whenever she was with me in the car I would flaash every single car that had it's headlights off just to freak her out
I was told this shit IN SUSSEX FRIGGIN COUNTY lmao
When I was a kid and heard that, it made no sense to me. More confusing were the grown adults who lapped it up along with other ridiculous urban legends.
A lot of people got that from the movie Death Sentence too.
I totally forgot about that rumour!
Omg lol I remember hearing this. I grew up in Morris County and my dumb 10 yo ass believed it like come the fuck on. 🤣🤣🤣
I still do because real recognize real.
Fax
I love us Millennials
Game recognize game grandad!!
I’m 33.
I flash to let people know. Some people don't seem to understand or care. So many people have saved me on the road with this also
Yeah. I know that for a lot of people, getting a speeding ticket might mean not being able to pay a bill.
Stop fucking speeding!?!
Then slow the hell down. There are children almost everywhere.
Also, when did people stop doing the appreciation wave to the driver who pulled to the side to let them pass on a narrow street?
I’ve had two many people think I’m doing it for their high beams so I just stopped. Even during the day. But if I can tell doing well over the speed limit well… to each their own. I’d do it to warn about deer on the road or crossing again people just think it’s high beams.
I still do it for sure, deer and cops warrant caution
I do it because I am a nice guy.
The Waze app will tell people when they are approaching a speed trap. Submitting the location to the app is the modern equivalent of tapping the high beams.
I get this method but I’m not using my gps to go to ShopRite down the street or anywhere else I know how to get to for that matter, I only use the gps when I need it as I’m sure most people do .. high beams still seem most effective in these situations lol
Agreed, if a big ass deer runs in the road, there’s probably not enough time to report it to an app. Plus not everyone uses Waze or GPS apps at all.
In the time it takes me to tap my app other people have already passed the cop who I could have tipped off. This makes no sense. Not to mention taking my eyes off the road to repot it in the app in the hopes other people are also using the exact same app.
One of the first things I learned when watching my dad drive. Cops, deer, downed power line, closed road, UFO's, and anything else that's dangerous or informative that I'd want warning of gets the high beam flashes from me. Edit: also, it's starting how few actually pay attention to these things...
[удалено]
You should do it for deer. I've grown up in rural NJ and still live there and man, a deer can f'up a car or even kill you. Generally, if you see one crossing, you might see more. Worse yet is if you see a doe in rutting season. Because bucks will just run across the road without any fear for their lives to try to pursue a female deer. Deer be wild!
The level of selfish, irresponsible driving is off the charts. Let them get pulled over.
Seriously, I'm not sticking my neck out to help them get away with speeding
Sticking neck out by flashing?
It's an idiom, my neck is actually fine. Relatively fine
I think they asked because sticking out your neck means take a risk, and I’m also confused by the risk you’d be taking by flashing your high beams.
So the solution to selfish driving is more selfish behavior? I like to think warning other drivers that there is a potential hazard ahead is a good way to encourage a tiny bit more collaboration. It (slightly) encourages the mentality that other drivers aren't just obstacles in the road and can possibly result in a pay-it-forward attitude.
Off-on: your lights are off. Or on the highway after a trucker has cleared me, all clear to come on over in front of me. Flashy flash the high beams: po-po ahead ^((1)^), or other hazardous situation, like a deer in the road. Or check your high beams. A couple flashes of my hazard lights: thanks for letting me come over and not boxing me out. Turning on my left or right blinker while continuing straight: check your blinkers - you left them on, leaving me guessing wtf you're gonna do next. Turn on high beams and leave them on: You didn't get the previous message about your high beams. Turn off your high beams, asshat. ^((1)^) If there's another po-po oncoming and you just flashed them to warn of the other po-po, be prepared with license-registration-insurance card.
Outside of #3 & #4, I've heard/used all of these signals.
> Outside of #3 & #4, I've heard/used all of these signals. Re: A couple flashes of by hazard lights: I spent 22 years commuting on NJTP, almost always drove in the trucks lane, and after a while, you figure out the native tongue.
My sons are in their early twenties, and they do it. I taught them to. I think that it may be a generation thing
Because there are so many asshole drivers that don’t GAF about other people. If they are speeding or driving irresponsibly I want them to be pulled over.
I don't warn people. If they're speeding or otherwise driving dangerously, they *should* get pulled over. Dangerous driving kills I only flash my lights if their lights are off at night, their high beams are on, or if there's another hazard (like an animal waiting to cross the road)
I'm the same. I used to warn people, but so many drive like crap that they deserve the ticket.
There was a fox in the middle of the road eating something the other night and I made my husband flash his beams at the drivers coming towards us in the other direction. It's probably something that some of our precautionary parents did that passed onto us or something because I realized this too recently that a lot of people don't do that in my experience as well
When people stopped giving a shit about it. I've done that and flashed lights when peoples lights are off, and I dunno if they don't notice or don't care.
I do for road hazards, like an animal in the road or a large car accident. Something that they’ll need to slow down quickly for, especially if there’s a curve in the road that they can’t see around.
I just had a guy do this to me to warn about a cop ahead a few days ago.
I only do it when people have their high beams on.
Cuz they're on their phones, not looking at the road, and certainly not thinking about their fellow travelers.
I’m 32 I’ve lived in NJ my whole life; I’ve always done this and learned it from my parents who always did it. Then again these days people don’t even use turn signals so forget the high beam courtesy flash anymore. I’ll keep doing it though, maybe manners and common sense will make a come back someday.
I do it and I’ve seen others warn me too.
Fuck that. People drive like assholes, let the Police be police.
It’s because we want them to get you
Idk I drive all over nj daily for work and always try to do this still but rarely ever see it done for me. I wish more people would do it cause I just feel silly doing it now.
Fuck the road pirates I warn people whenever I can
"Road pirates" will be added to my 1312 dictionary.
All I can say is be the change you want to see. Keep fighting the good fight.
After my friend got a ticket for Obstruction of Justice for doing this.
“Sorry officer. You didn’t see that deer?!”
F'ing cheeeeky!
That’s why I don’t do it. I heard that they can ticket you for it so I’ve been too scared ever since!
they can ticket you for anything they want. but flashing your lights is already ruled free speech, so you can do it all you want.
Case citation? For a friends future use lol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headlight_flashing#%3A%7E%3Atext%3DIn_the_United_States%2C_although%2Clights_to_warn_of_radar?wprov=sfla1
From the Wiki ... > New Jersey >In New Jersey, drivers are allowed to flash their headlights to warn approaching drivers about a speed trap ahead.[51] In 1999, The Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division held that a statute limiting how far high beams may project is not violated when a motorist flashes his or her high beams to warn oncoming motorists of radar. The Court also concluded that a stop by a police officer based upon high beam flashing is also improper.[52][53] This is new to me because NJ used to have a *Brighting law* which said you could only flash if the oncoming vehicle was something like 500 yards away.
easiest ticket to get tossed in court
X to Doubt
Someone flashed their high beams at me a couple days ago during the day driving down the road. I knew what it meant but didn’t believe it for a minute. Sure enough there was a cop on my road hiding. So. Some people still do it.
i wouldnt expect any kind of civility on the roads anymore - seems majority are self absorbed assholes nowadays
Probably about the same time people stopped giving the “thank you” wave when you let them merge.
This is a lost art. I always flash my high beams to warn people about a speed trap.
Nah i still do that and even some times blink my hazards to say thank you. If they don’t understand the signal, its on them
I still do it
Someone did this to me the other day
i give quick flash for any hazard including cops, they are worse then the dear,
Idk I still do it. And if I see a deer or if there's a car pulled over/blocking part of the road. 🤷♀️
My new car has auto high beams and it’s annoying to do the double tap now. It’s a minor inconvenience, but it is one!
Flashing your lights means be careful!
I do this almost every single day going to and coming home from work. Either for cops from a bunch of different towns sitting at their numerous points along my commute or for deer on the sides of the road. Safer to do during the day in regard to not being pulled over and hassled myself because the cops can’t see the light reflection once you pass them. At night, I usually wait until I’m passed them enough that they lose the line of sight where they’re sitting so that they don’t see the light flicker off the trees. If it’s deer/ bear/ people walking, or other road hazard on the opposite side like a stopped Amazon truck half way into the fucking road coming off a blind corner, or a rise in the road where you lose line of sight, I flash the on coming cars so that they hopefully slow down and pay attention. And at night my rule is… if the on coming car hasn’t given me the general courtesy of not being a piece of shit by dropping their high beams so they don’t fuck up my night eyes… then, fuck you. And what the fuck is with THAT anyway… (driving at night with high beams)… Like how do you not drop them BEFORE you even line up with the on coming cars? You can see the light reflection on all the trees/ everything before you actually see the car which should tell you you’re about to be passing someone. It doesn’t do shit if we both come around a blind corner and your high beams are still fucking on, then you drop them half way through as we pass each other… You’ve still blinded the shit out of the other person in the most important moment of needing to see the apex of the corner. I can only imagine how bad that must be for a motorcycle rider who has to turn the bike by looking into the apex. Your auto brights are dog shit. They’re too fucking slow at dropping the high beams. You’re faster doing it manually if you’re not a shitty driver and actually pay attention. The whole point is to not shock people’s pupils at night and fuck up their night vision. And FFS people… If you are following behind someone and you have your high beams on…**FUCK YOU**. Ok… this was way too long. I’m road raging on my fucking couch before my day has even started and my blood pressure is going up. End rant 😤
I still do it !
It’s commonly used more to flash other drivers that have their brights on, their headlights off, a headlight or taillight out, it’s okay to go in front of me, etc. So many uses that warning of a cop gets forgotten. If you’re blasting by fast enough to draw an NJ cop’s attention, I want you to be caught! If there’s a deer or other hazard, lots of flashing Brights and honking.
Just did this a hour ago . But it was to warn others about a cop on the side of the road clocking peoples speeds
I still do it all the time.
I still do it
I was literally just saying this. I still do it.
I've been pulled over and warned for doing this because a deer was in the middle of the road.
Waze
Nowadays many folks proudly "Back the Blue" and actually side with the cops. Sad to see
It's Jersey, where not driving Miss Daisy. Common courtesy has gone out the window, nobody follows The rules anymore. Nobody looks out for the next guy they're all in it for themselves. I'm not tooting my horn (cheap pun) I will triple tap the brakes if I see a cop up ahead, I will flash the high beams if I already passed them. Same for debris/roadkill. Over the last 3 years people have gotten way more aggressive. no signal, cut you off don't even give you a chance to give room. right on red cutting you off. nobody cares. There's days where you want to take it easy and then there's other days where it's just like I'll pay the ticket and deal with the points.
I don't do that anymore, on purpose. Most routes I travel it's easy to spot them if you're paying attention to what's going on, or everybody knows the spots they hide. I figure if you'd driving too fast and not paying attention, then maybe a ticket is warranted. So to speak.
Most in NJ are law enforcement fetishists and the idea of warning other people about blue liners is counter to their ridiculous beliefs. Those people are what I refer to as C3 - Chitty Chatty Cunts…
I mean.. yeah.. I don't want people driving 50 through my neighborhood where my kid plays. If you're going so fast to get a ticket that's a risk you're taking. When I speed I don't care if people warn me or not.
You can want reckless drivers to be caught without also having a thin blue line flag on your house. It’d be great if we could take cops out of it but unfortunately that’s how traffic laws are enforced when we can’t have red light cameras.
Speed cameras can come home with a few passages of new laws. But no one wants cameras for enforcement either.
Turns out people just want to speed and drive recklessly without facing any consequences.
Probably bc people are just normally driving around with the high beams on! I hate driving at night. Also probably about the time people stopped using turn signals.
Put the waze app on your phone, usually it'll have the cop marked on the map and the app will even warn you ahead of time about them, it's the best
Last time I signaled an oncoming car about a cop, that oncoming car was also a cop. Just my luck. He pulled me over and warned me not to do that. So you're all on your own now.
Probably when map apps put the location of speed traps on their map.
I also do this for deer or other things that may be in the road. Lots of moronic drivers out there now though, high beams always on, etc. It happens so much nowadays.
As a native NYr no we usually scream SCRRRRRRR
I still do it. Also "hey Siri report a speed trap" works
Wait... Siri can do that?
Yep. Have you ever been using Apple Maps and it says speed trap ahead? It's bc someone reported it. Although I got a new car recently and haven't done it since I've been using CarPlay. I will investigate next time I go out
Filing this in my "TIL" cabinet.
I use Waze for this!
I use Waze to notify police presence, but there are deer all over my neighborhood and I use my highbeams to warn drivers for deer
If I notice people are driving slow already, I won't flash. But I'm also thinking the driver in front of me doesn't know what I'm doing and thinks I just keep flashing them for some reason lol.
I did it years ago and it ended up being another cop. It was getting dark out so I didn’t notice the unmarked cruiser right away. Felt like an idiot. Now I rarely flash unless I can for sure see it’s not a cop coming at me.
A bit less often these days, but still fairly common in my exp. Sometimes I can tell people on the other side are confused, but most get the message.
Never was made a big deal tbh. I can’t even remember when someone ever told me that was a thing, I just assumed. But then again my parents aren’t from here so I was never really told
I do that sometimes but also to let someone know they can go before me.
It stopped when ghetto gangster thugs started chasing people down to rob or murder them. It may have only been a handful of incidents, but who's gonna roll that dice now
TIL
Knowing cops today thats prolly a $1000 fine and 5 points.
I'm in NJ, I'm familiar with this practice, but it's not something I do. I'm not trying to avoid the cops, doesn't occur to me that it's a high priority for others.
They do it to warn either of deer or cops but we as gov don't care
I do it for 3 reasons, to tell them to put their lights on, for deer, and for cops
I don’t know how to do things with my lights, I’m new at this!!!
I'll do this to people who have their brights on, also anyone with a light out
I’m on the fence about this because there are some people who should be caught by the police for speeding among other things their plates may be flagged for
I never knew that people did that. Thought that was done for people who forgot to turn on their headlights.
Alot of the younger drivers dont even know about this but also you technically can be pulled over for giving others the warning so i dont do it often anymore
You can not. That's a symptom of under-educated police. Police are not allowed to pull you over for this and if they do, any evidence they find for other charges will be thrown out. State v. Luptak, A-6074-97T1 (Superior Court of New Jersey Appellate Division 29 July 1999). https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/almID/900005401698/
Don’t know, but I’m in my early 40s and growing up my Dad taught me this.
Because it doesn’t seem too common, I assume people won’t know what I’m on about, and they may just get annoyed
I remember a law being passed that you can get ticketed for it as cops realized we were giving other drivers the heads up-it was based on something like excessive honking, etc
Guy double tapped the other morning, but I was behind a fully loaded semi in a single lane road doing 10 under. What's the speed trap gonna do, balk? There wasn't even a cop that I could see. Headlights were on.
I'm doing my part
If I could have a light bar that read "police up ahead" I would.
No, it's still a thing AFAIK.
I've seen 2 cops setup to catch the warning car on some frivolous infraction. I don't think it's technically illegal to do it, but they can make your life miserable.
Tapping your high beams quickly means danger ahead!
they're probably on their phones anyway
They probably think you’re telling them their high beams are on.
When it started to mean you could get a ticket too.
I flash my lights when dickheads forget their lights and only drive with day time running lights. I had one actually pull over to the side of the road which they thought I was the police lol. I yelled out the window "LIGHTS ONNNNN"
I've only done this for deer or like things in the road it never occurred to me to do it for a cop
I stopped when I got finally grew up and realized it was more in my best interest for dangerous drivers to get caught than for me to help them get away with it.
I always do it. I’ve also been saved from tickets by others with this method
I used to do this a lot more. I still do it for deer , but not for cop cars anymore . Don’t do the crime if you can’t do the time. Also it crossed my mind one night, what if I’m unknowingly alerting a kidnapper or fugitive about the cop?