What Flashing Your High Beams Really Says About New York Drivers

Flashing your high beams at other drivers to tell them to move over on New York roads leaves many drivers angry and others asking, "What's the big deal?"

If you spend time driving on any of the two or three-lane highways across New York State, you've probably encountered the high beam flash that has drivers split on whether it's OK to do or frowned upon.

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Flashing High Beams in New York

Picture yourself driving along a two-lane highway (NYS Thruway, 84, 17) somewhere in New York. You're cruising right along when you approach a car in the left lane that's going slower than you. As you approach, you realize the other driver isn't moving over to the right lane.

What do you do?

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Do you follow behind safely until they eventually move over, or do you give them a flash of your headlights to signal them to move over? Is the "flash" an acceptable way to communicate with another driver, or is it rude?

Is it a Form of Aggressive Driving?

Other drivers believe that at NO time is it ever OK for another driver to flash their headlights at them to get them to do anything. Some drivers say that if this happens to them on a highway, they will go out of their way to stay in the left lane and slow down even more in an attempt to frustrate the flasher.

To be clear, the left lane is a passing lane and should only be used to pass other cars that are driving slower than you. Once you complete the pass and it's safe, you are required to move back into the right lane to continue on your way.

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How do you handle a situation like this? Has it ever happened to you? Share your thoughts with us through our station app above. We may use your thoughts in a future article.