• @[email protected]
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    1 month ago

    There are no “polite flashes”. If you have to bully other cars out of the left lane, you’re driving faster than traffic allows.

    • Dynamo
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      111 month ago

      Polite or not, in German driving school you are taught to use either the horn or flash your high beams to signal intent to overtake. So flashing the high beams from a distance could be seen as polite since you will not ride their ass before they have time to move to the right to let faster traffic pass.

      • @[email protected]
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        91 month ago

        The fuck kinda driving school did you go to? Both flashing your high beams and using the horn is simply not allowed and counts as “Nötigung”. If someone is in the left lane while not actively overtaking, should move to the right, no discussion there. But when I encounter aggressive assholes, the kind who uses high beams, it’s always when there’s too much traffic to race across Germany.

        • Dynamo
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          141 month ago

          To signal intent to overtake flashing the light (outside of settlements) is legal and described in the StVo. It’s not illegal. Doing so while driving very close to the front car while they have no chance to make space can be „Nötigung“, yes. The situation described by OP falls under the legal use of high beams in my opinion.

          • @[email protected]
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            71 month ago

            OK, yes. The issue is only that I’ve never seen it used in an OK situation. Probably because I drive in the most suitable right lane, unless overtaking. I only ever see it being used while overtaking, which should be visible for the person speeding. And that is not a situation where it’s fine to signal your intent for overtaking. When there’s an Elefantenrennen that forces others into the left lane, you can signal all you want. There are simply too many cars to drive fast. I don’t know how often I’ve been bullied out of the left lane, fearing for my safety, only to merge right back right behind the asshole who’s now stuck behind the car that was right in front of me. I’ll never understand that mindset.

            Contrary to OP I hate driving on German highways because of the amount of aggressive assholes. I always found driving in the Netherlands much more relaxing.

            • DefederateLemmyMl
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              41 month ago

              I always found driving in the Netherlands much more relaxing.

              Ah yes, NL = Nur Links … I understand why you feel more at home there :D

    • @[email protected]
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      61 month ago

      Yeah. But if they pull over after somebody “politely” flashes at them, they aren’t obeying the traffic rules in the first place as those require them to drive in the right lane if they can at all times.

      • @[email protected]
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        31 month ago

        More often than not, people move to the right once they are done overtaking someone else. It’s just that these maneuvers take longer than the assholes who flash their high beams or who tailgate can handle. And those are the situations where the traffic situation simple doesn’t allow for their speeding.

    • DefederateLemmyMl
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      31 month ago

      At least where I live, the law allows for using flashes to indicate that you want to overtake.

    • @[email protected]
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      41 month ago

      If I’m going really fast I may give people who are just sitting on the left lane a single flash when I’m still quite far away so they are aware I’m closing in.

      Going fast is only possible on a quite empty road anyways.

      • @[email protected]
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        1 month ago

        Yes. And the Taycan behind me was very far, but coming very fast, so it was good to get a “notification” in time. I don’t mind as long as they are not breathing down my neck and flashing their lights constantly.

        I don’t do it myself, I usually just wait a bit and they notice (but I’m also not going 300).