On the way home from work yesterday and saw two examples of why flashing headlights is bad.
A car ahead of me turned left at a roundabout and I followed. Just after the turn is an exit from an industrial park. The driver ahead flashed his lights, presumably to allow someone out from the exit. Unfortunately, a cyclist between two cars in a queue going the other way, took the flash as his go to cross - the driver had to stamp on the brakes hard to avoid a collision.
Five hundreds yards further on and I got to the back of a five car queue waiting to pbutt a parked car. A bus had stopped at a bus stop where pbuttengers were seen to leave the bus. The bus indicated right, so the driver at the front of the queue flashed the bus (even though the bus had right of way). The bus driver flashed thanks in return. Unfortunately, the entrance to my road was 10 yards ahead of the bus, and a driver waiting to turn right took the flash as an invitation to turn - the bus really had to stamp on the brakes to avoid a collision.
You all must see this type of incident from time to time yet many of you will still flash headlights - WHY?
-- Cessna172
