1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Cars flashing me at night

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by Chippingawayatlife, Dec 17, 2016.

Page 2 of 4
  1. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,044
    7,587
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    As far as I've found, I don't have any in the back either.

    It's the front ones which seem to be not much good (like most these days) - though I've not experienced thick fog with them yet, but in light fog they reflected back quite uselessly.
     
    #21 alanclarkeau, Dec 18, 2016
    RCO likes this.
  2. Philthunder

    Philthunder Member

    Joined:
    Jul 15, 2016
    37
    30
    0
    Location:
    Uk
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius PHV
    Model:
    Excel
    Where do you drive? Saturday in patchy fog even cars with headlights on were hardly visible, rear tail lights were hardly showing up. Fog is not so bad as it used to be, and on fast motorways, the slipstream tends to thin it out. On back roads you can come upon cars just showing head and tail lights very fast because they are just not visible until you are right upon them. At night tail lights show better but in day they do not.
     
    #22 Philthunder, Dec 19, 2016
    RCO likes this.
  3. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2010
    2,404
    2,773
    47
    Location:
    South Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    If you're coming up on cars very fast, then you're driving too fast for the conditions. Slow down to a speed to where the distance you can see ahead matches your braking distance.
     
    #23 kithmo, Dec 19, 2016
    RCO likes this.
  4. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,801
    11,363
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    XLE
    In this country, we usually drive forward.
    Do you guys usually drive in reverse on the wrong side of the street from the passenger seat?? :eek:
     
    #24 Prodigyplace, Dec 19, 2016
    Last edited: Dec 19, 2016
    RCO and kithmo like this.
  5. kithmo

    kithmo Couch Potato

    Joined:
    Apr 25, 2010
    2,404
    2,773
    47
    Location:
    South Yorkshire, UK
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    That's why we have to have the reversing beeper reduced to one beep :D
     
    #25 kithmo, Dec 19, 2016
    RCO, alanclarkeau and Prodigyplace like this.
  6. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 26, 2009
    17,557
    10,324
    90
    Location:
    Western Washington
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    But ... but ... but ... this just isn't the American Way!

    Who cares about safety? Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead! How else can we produce those spectacular 50-car pileups?
     
    #26 fuzzy1, Dec 19, 2016
    RCO likes this.
  7. Sooner Al

    Sooner Al Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2016
    385
    340
    0
    Location:
    Oklahoma, USA
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    67 car pileup and three folks lost their lives the other day in Baltimore...Yikes...
     
    #27 Sooner Al, Dec 19, 2016
  8. first_superior_prius

    first_superior_prius Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2016
    76
    115
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    If all of these are happening when you are driving in the fast lanes, and then the cars are changing lanes to pass you, I would wager that you are driving too slow for the fast lanes

    Have you gotten flashed while driving in the right lane?
     
    #28 first_superior_prius, Dec 19, 2016
  9. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,801
    11,363
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    XLE
    Read Post 1 in this thread for your answer.
    Yes, they were flashed in the right lane.
     
    #29 Prodigyplace, Dec 19, 2016
    RCO likes this.
  10. Chippingawayatlife

    Chippingawayatlife Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2016
    159
    116
    0
    Location:
    San jose
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    So I had my brother check for me last night for a few blocks last night and he said there was no flickering and the lights were fine.

    It made me think though that the night I was flashed with a car closely in front of me, could it be that my headlights are aimed to high? I've never adjusted it since it was new two months ago. I did notice that I could see so much better than my old 98 Camry though. This can probably be attributed to halogens vs projector LEDs. And the lights do seem a bit high and over the front car mirrors when on anything but perfectly flat roads. I've never been flashed from the front yet though.
     
    #30 Chippingawayatlife, Dec 19, 2016
    RCO likes this.
  11. Prodigyplace

    Prodigyplace 2025 Camry XLE FWD

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2016
    11,801
    11,363
    0
    Location:
    Central Virginia
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    XLE
    I have seen other reports of 2016 Prius aimed high. My 2017 seems fine, though.
    It might be worth checking. Please keep us updated.
     
    #31 Prodigyplace, Dec 19, 2016
  12. first_superior_prius

    first_superior_prius Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2016
    76
    115
    0
    Location:
    Michigan
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    It is not explicitly clear from his word choice if he was ever driving in the far right lane and still flashed. He only mentioned that a car "changed lanes" after flashing him. In fact, the word "right" never appears in his post, hence why I asked for clarification
     
    #32 first_superior_prius, Dec 19, 2016
  13. Chippingawayatlife

    Chippingawayatlife Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2016
    159
    116
    0
    Location:
    San jose
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    You're correct. I was never flashed in the right lane. The first situation, I was in the fast lane. The second was in the second to slowest lane, lane 3 of 4. The car changed from the slow lane, lane 4 to lane 3 and flashed me. Then flashed one more and changed to lane 2 and sped ahead slowly afterwards. It could very well be that the person behind wants to pass me, but this situation didn't make sense to me.
     
    #33 Chippingawayatlife, Dec 19, 2016
  14. Sam Spade

    Sam Spade Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 3, 2016
    2,036
    1,023
    0
    Location:
    USA
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    I'm not sure that a few blocks is enough.

    So.....let's start over. Can you describe the exact conditions under which this happens ? And does there seem to be any common factor ?
    The rear lights haven't been "blacked out" have they ?? Any other changes to the lights ?

    It is beginning to look like the problem might be in the drivers seat......for one reason or another.
    If people often flash and then pass, you probably are going too slow for conditions.

    Have you looked UNDER the car to see if anything is dragging......that might be making sparks at night ??

    I think the only way this could be a headlight aiming problem is if the cars who flash you from behind USED TO BE in front of you.........and they slowed down on purpose to send you a message.
     
    #34 Sam Spade, Dec 19, 2016
  15. Chippingawayatlife

    Chippingawayatlife Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2016
    159
    116
    0
    Location:
    San jose
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I've checked the car speed against the Waze app last night and the car showed 75mph where the car showed 74mph
     
    #35 Chippingawayatlife, Dec 19, 2016
  16. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2016
    3,709
    5,184
    0
    Location:
    Cornwall
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    On mine they're on the left hand stalk, just in from the light selectors switch. A rotatable switch ring; Off, Front Fog, Front and Rear Fog. Only symbols, not words. Might be worth a quick look next time you start up. ;)
     
    #36 RCO, Dec 19, 2016
  17. Chippingawayatlife

    Chippingawayatlife Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2016
    159
    116
    0
    Location:
    San jose
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Sure. I don't have blackout lights. Fully stock everything. I haven't checked for sparks. I'll see if I can get my brother to check longer on the highway.

    I think I've only been flashed on the highway, not city.

    1st situation I've posted: I was on there far lane in stop and go traffic. It backs up because people get off the ramp near there. Then traffic speeds up pretty quick after. The car behind me was hugging close to me. A few car lengths? The car ahead starts speeding up and the gap from my car to the car ahead increases as I slowly accelerate up the hill. About maybe 5 seconds later the gap increased to maybe 5 car lengths. The car behind flashes once so I speed up. Within a few seconds, a gap was created behind me as well, then he flashed me again. Maybe another 10 seconds later, I'm fully caught up to the car in front going 60mph with the flow of traffic. At this point he flashed again. I'm maybe 2-3 seconds behind the car in front and the car behind is about 1 second behind me. Lane two is full of cars going 10mph slower. After a few more flashes, I change right. A few more seconds, he passes slowly, since there was a car in front anyway. I don't think he flashed the guy in front.

    Situation 2 in my post:
    I was in lane 3 of 4. I'm going faster than the car ahead of me, closing the gap from 4 seconds to 2 seconds at about 55mph from memory. 65 is speed limit. The car ahead started showing down because of slight traffic. I was already slowing down since I was closing the gap. A car on the right lane that I passed, lane 4 changes to my lane behind me and flashed once. A few seconds later, he flashed once again, then signals and changed to lane 2. He speeds up slowly pass me.

    The flashing happens on lane 1 or 2 with that one exception. In traffic or fast. Usual the car is closer to me than i am to the car ahead. Thinking about it, twice, I was playing around with the car screen info on the steering wheel, leading a larger gap than i would have otherwise. Maybe swaying side to side too. The more I write, the more I'm thinking I'm a worse driver than i think I am.
     
    #37 Chippingawayatlife, Dec 19, 2016
  18. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

    Joined:
    Feb 24, 2016
    7,044
    7,587
    0
    Location:
    near Brisbane, Australia
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    The Manual is CRAZY - it indicates you have a choice to either:
    1) Turn the FRONT AND REAR FOGS OFF; or
    2) TURN THE FRONT FOGS ON.

    But it doesn't give an option to turn the REAR FOGS ON. Which probably means there aren't any - I'll check next time I'm out in it.
    20161220_091608-1.jpg
     
    #38 alanclarkeau, Dec 19, 2016
    RCO likes this.
  19. Chippingawayatlife

    Chippingawayatlife Active Member

    Joined:
    Nov 3, 2016
    159
    116
    0
    Location:
    San jose
    Vehicle:
    2016 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Mine is US. No rear fog lights here. I didn't even get front fog lights on mine
     
    #39 Chippingawayatlife, Dec 19, 2016
    RCO, Prodigyplace and alanclarkeau like this.
  20. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 31, 2016
    3,709
    5,184
    0
    Location:
    Cornwall
    Vehicle:
    Other Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    That's the thing with the Two. There are feature missing, including fogs. Still it ain't so bad, you do get better mpg allegedly.
     
    #40 RCO, Dec 20, 2016
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 2 of 4