Why Do Truckers Do Crazy Things With Their Indicators!

20 Jun Blog

Truck drivers have, for a long time, used creative and effective way of interacting with other drivers when at the wheels using their lights. So, if you have encountered a trucker flashing their lights at you, do not be annoyed as it may mean several things.

Below are some of the reasons why truckers flash their lights at you:

• To Signal a Roadblock or an Accident. There could be a large object on the road or an accident ahead. As an indication of an impending altercation, some truckers in opposing traffic will flash their high beams many times.
• There is a Speed Trap Ahead. You may have witnessed a truck driver flash his high lights twice as he passed you on the other side of the road. Though it is illegal in some places, some truckers have been known to give you a heads up that a police speed trap is on its way.
• To Make a Lane Change. Truck drivers will sometimes flash their lights to give you the thumbs up to complete your lane and move back in front of them. This is especially useful after dark when you’re not sure if they ever saw you pass them in the first place.
• To Express Gratitude. The double flash of the bright beams is generally seen as a massive “thank you” between all vehicles, frequently for allowing them into a needed traffic lane. Many truckers, though, would tell you that this ‘thank you is best offered during daylight hours when high beams are less likely to temporarily impede your vision.

• To Determine the Proximity of an Oncoming Vehicle. As a service to other drivers, truckers’ flashlights. It might be difficult to measure distances in the rearview mirror while overtaking a truck. So, to ensure you have moved far enough ahead to safely get back into the lane. Truckers flash their lights quickly; it signals the passing car that “all is clear.”
• The Blinker. When a truck is overtaking another truck on the highway, the truck that has been overtaken usually flashes his lights when the back of the overtaking trailer is past the front of his truck indicating to the over taker that he is ok to pull into the lane again. Once the overtaking truck has pulled into the lane, he usually does a quick burst of his right indicator and left indicator again as a sign of thank you to the other truck driver he has just overtaken.
• They’re Angry. A trucker may also flash their lights at you because you’ve done something to anger them. Whether you cut them off in traffic or are simply driving poorly, you might consider a trucker flashing their bright lights as a way of cursing at you. Truckers typically drive hundreds of miles each day and have very little patience for unsafe drivers. We strongly suggest not driving dangerously around them because semi-trucks are substantially larger and thousands of pounds heavier than passenger vehicles.

As a road user, understanding these light signals is important. Communicating with other drivers is crucial for everyone to drive carefully. Unable to use turn signals and other indicators can be fatal. As everyone driving has a goal of getting to his destination safely, slow down and take your time when you’re in doubt. A reminder from Tegral Transport Equipment.