See 3 Headlight Flashes in Missouri? Slow Down Immediately

There are rules of the road and there are also some unspoken understandings of things you do to help other drivers you encounter on a Missouri roadway. One controversial means of communicating is by use of headlights and there are good reasons why you want to slow down immediately when someone flashes their lights at you 3 times.

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When I first started driving (my kids call it the Stone Age when everyone looked like Fred Flintstone), I learned quick that someone quickly flashing headlights meant a speed trap was just ahead. Traffic Tickets.com mentioned that issue became a court case in Missouri back in November of 2012 when a man was arrested in St. Louis County for flashing his lights to alert drivers to a speed trap. The police contested that he was interfering with a police investigation, but the Missouri Supreme Court ruled they were violating his free speech by punishing him for flashing his lights.

Flashing headlights 3 times in Missouri means something totally different.

Headlight Restore says for someone to flash headlights 3 times means danger is ahead such as an accident or something that will need to be immediately avoided. They say that can include "animals crossing the road, accidents, road blocks, work crew, and road hazards".

But wait, there's still more...

There's a trend on Instagram where people claim many are flashing their lights 3 times for a different reason.

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They claim it's a way to say "I love you". I hate to be a party pooper, but please just no. You could be unintentionally putting another driver in danger who believes you're communicating something else. No offense intended, but I don't drive for sentimental messages being shared by headlights. Only flash me if there's something vital that I (and other drivers) need to know.

One other concern is unintentionally blinding someone for a split session if I'm flashing lights and inadvertently come upon another vehicle that's closer than I think.

Headlight use is a serious business and should always be looked upon as a vital part of keeping everyone safe on the road and not playing around.