Things drivers learn to do

[obi_waynne]

Do you flash when a lorry overtakes you to tell him it's clear to move in?

Do you turn off your headlights when in stationary traffic and avoid pressing the brake pedal?

These things are not covered in the test or the code but quite a few people do it. Are there any other things you do that are not taught but are useful habits for drivers to cultivate?

 

[HDi fun]

Yes and yes. Not often I get overtaken by a lorry though.

 

[obi_waynne]

I can well imagine! Perhaps if you were going slowly doing your nails it might happen, when the moon is blue and pigs have evolved wings!

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

Turn off your headlights etc why ?please explain .

 

[obi_waynne]

To avoid dazzling the driver in front/distracting oncoming drivers etc.. You'd keep your sidelights on though. Headlights are of no use in stationary traffic

 

[st24]

I flash lorries in.
I use the handbrake in stationary traffic because the high level brakelight is quite bright.
I have never thought about headlights though.
As long as they are dipped I can,t see its an issue.

 

[HDi fun]

If they're correctly aligned then dips shouldn't dazzle but I do make a point of turning off in traffic queues anyway

 

[T9 man]

I must admit to never having thought of doing that

 

[RobBentley]

It's funny how this sort of this is very custom to the country too... We flash our lights to let people out/in, whereas my experience in Belgium is they flash their lights to signal they're coming through!

 

[TCJBOLDIE]

I flash lights to let a car waiting to enter from a side street in heavy/peak hour traffic but get p'd off when they are too ignorant/dumb to acknowledge the courtesy shown them with a thank you wave.
Over here it is an offense to flash as a warning that there is a mobile radar speed camera ahead but some drivers still flash and I give a wave to say thanks for the warning.

 

[yankfan101]

When I was taking my test, when horse & carts were still common,(joke),I flashed a truck to come out & then carried on, the tester asked me why I'd done that, he's working & im not so he needs to get on his way,, & I still passed. Yes to the first question but no to the second.

 

[RobBentley]

Nice you still passed. I think some testers are more relaxed and appreciate the confidence that demonstrates. I was convinced I had failed my test... I went into a small housing estate during the test, big queue behind me of cars and on the other side of the road.. tonnes of parked cars. We all fitted fine despite the parked cars - until a double decker appeared. I didn't fit past him, he had no option to go up the kerb because of the parked cars his side and I couldn't reverse due to having a stream of cars as far as I could see in my rear-view mirror... so I mounted the kerb to get passed him. I figured at the time - that'll be a failure, so then I didn't care much for the rest of the test (probably helped my confidence thinking back!).... and low and behold the tester never mentioned the 'kerb/bus incident' and I passed with just a single minor for 'blindspot check'.