So you were driving down the road the other day and saw a single headlight coming at you. You assumed it was a motorcycle on the outside of the lane, but as the vehicle drew closer you realized you were looking at a car with one headlight out. You might have been able to warn this driver their headlight was out, if only you knew the universal signal: flashing your own high beams.

Obviously, the above scenario is dangerous because it’s hard to tell where the corners of the oncoming vehicle are. Having a headlight out also reduces the driver’s visibility. Finally, it’s illegal and can result in an expensive ticket.

That said, we can’t always tell when we have a headlight out. Perhaps we only have one bulb out and only for our high beams or our low beams. Sometimes, we find out we have a headlight out when another driver warns us.

The universal signal for getting an oncoming motorist’s attention is flashing your high beams at them. Switch on your headlights (if they aren’t already on), then switch to high beams for a second as they approach you. You can even flash your high beams three times to really drive the point home.

There are multiple reasons a driver might use this signal to get an oncoming motorist’s attention. So one someone flashes their “brights” at you, you’ll need to work out what they were trying to say. One of the most common uses of this signal is to warn of a police speed trap. But if said driver cruisers for a few miles and doesn’t see a police cruiser, they may begin to wonder if something is wrong with their vehicle.

I personally have used this signal to warn drivers if their hood was a bit open or there was something wrong with their trailer. I hoped they would get out and walk around their vehicle to check for any problems. If they did this kind of inspection, headlights would likely be one of the first things they would check. And if they actually had a bulb out, you might have saved them a lot of hassle.

Next, find out what it means with a semi truck driver flashes their high beams.