Proffesional Courtesy
 

I'm wondering what happened to (Proffesional Courtesy) on the road & in the Trucking Bizz such as use of lights and such at Night or in Adverse Weather Conditions. I wonder if it is a due to lazyiness. I don't care isum Or maybe our current class of So Called Professional Drivers think it a sign of weakness.Just another instance of our Former Old School Ways gone by the way side forever.Doe's anybody care anymore! What's your spin on this issue?

It's the "New Breed" :roll:

No longer flashing the truck lights is not a matter of laziness.

It is more of a legal issue. In this type of situation, the "Good Samaritan Law" does not apply to us. We are trained that if we give the "ALL OK" signal to another truck, we could be held legally liable for the damages that might result if that truck gets into an accident in pulling back into the lane.

I think maybe he's talking about drivers that don't bother to turn on their lights late in the evening or in rainy conditions. ???

It's not just trucks - I'm seeing more and more cars that are not running lights well after dusk.

They are all idiots who are looking for a reason to get pulled over.

JBenson, I've looked online for over a half an hour to find a legitimate source to back your statement and could not.

To the best of my knowledge, a driver of a commercial vehicle is responsible for controlling his own vehicle and is responsible for any direct action that causes death, injury, or damage to property.

Which is reinforced by the saying (use boston accent): 'ey! Truhst nohbahdy [trust nobody]!"

In which I state that anytime I see another motorist give me the "go ahead" signal, however that may be, I always double check to make sure it really is ok to go ahead. If I make a mistake and cause an accident, I am the one held liable, not the signalling motorist.

I have heard that you can get a ticket in the State of Arizona for flashing your lights to a fellow passing truck driver because they should be able to know where the end of their vehicle is. And yes, that is applicable in inferred terms elsewhere, as reinforced by the straight backing maneuver every state examiner requires a driver to perform in order to acquire a CDL.

However, the Good Samaritan law, has no bearing in this case. The Good Samaritan law protects ordinary citizens from prosecution if they perform aide to a person or property in distress or an emergency situation, unless their actions are found to be grossly negligent or reckless. This has nothing to do with truckers giving other truckers the "go ahead" signal. Correct me if I am mistaken.

In VA, flash your lights to let another truck know their clear and some 4 wheeler ahead of you in your lane sees it and thinks your mad at them for something, they can call the cops for aggressive driving on you. Same if you toot your horn to someone you know, if another driver hears it and thinks your doing out of anger towards them, they can call the cops on you for aggressive driving too.

The light flashing bothers me because the state highway rules say that your supposed to flash your lights if you come up behind someone slower than you that is in your way. It says that you flash them as a courtesy to ask them to pull over yet it can get you pulled for aggressive driving. Same with the horn tooting, your supposed to toot your horn before you pass someone in VA but it can also get you hit with aggressive driving.

If you run in Western Canada you'll find that they do that also.

Driving and not having lights on at all times? I can place the blame squarely at Bill Clinton's feet. :P

Hat Rak said:

I'm only in my 2nd week of Truck School, so I will accept your view. Here is where I found the information. I have a book called Driver's ABC's, Surviving the First Year Guidebook

There is a chapter on Courtesies That Professional Drivers Extend Toward One Another which mentions Flashing Headlights off and Back On After Passing:

Cool, thanks for the exerpt.

A lot of Canadian trucks can not shut their lights off because of the daytime running lights.
Some are a pain in the butt to disconnect.
In the US a lot of scalemasters PMS if you run across their scale with the lights on.
In Canada they PMS if the daytime running lights don't work.
I've had guys in the US pass me and then cut in about 2 feet in front of my truck and moan because nobody flashed lights at them and then along comes a hill and you end up passing them again.
Personally I could really care less if anybody flashes their lights or not but I don't really consider it proper to cut back in until at least 1 full trailer length in front.
With all the rocks on the road in wintertime it's just a little common sense.
I kind of laugh when I run across 80 with the longer grades and the supertruckers take a run at a five mile grade. Especially when it's 110 degrees outside and the get their truck nice and hot at the bottom of a long pull.
I have very few trucks let me know when to come back in, like I said I don't really care but in the wintertime in the blowing snow it's kind of nice to see someone do it.
That's why I'm glad my CB has a nice on'off switch.
I use my VHF to talk to my friends when I run across them but lots of times I can go a whole month without turning the CB on.