Question: New car headlights do not turn off while a car is running, and I am seeing more people flashing their brights rather than turning off and on the lights to get the attention of another driver, usually to a car to move over on the freeway. Is there any time it is legal to flash your brights at another vehicle?

Answer: The short answer is no, it's not legal. RCW 46.37.230 is one of the codes that covers lighting. It makes it illegal to use your high beam lights within 300 feet of the rear of a vehicle and within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle. Generally, the drivers who are flashing their lights are probably exceeding the speed limit and the car they are flashing is just trying to get past the car to its right to move back over.

Q: I was driving eastbound on Lakeway a couple days ago. A woman, with 5 or 6 kids, was crossing northbound at the crosswalk at Orleans (by the 7-Eleven). The pedestrian lights were not flashing. I went back today and used that crosswalk myself. The pedestrian, I found, cannot tell whether the pedestrian warning lights are flashing or not. In my opinion, a couple of additional lights are needed to alert and inform the pedestrians crossing there whether or not the lights are flashing before they step into traffic. What do you think?

A: My thought is I would like to see those indicators for the pedestrians as well. In talking with the traffic engineers, they believe it is better for the pedestrian to make eye contact with the driver to make sure the driver is going to yield (as the law requires) before stepping off the curb. This crosswalk is not at a traffic signal-controlled intersection, so the drivers may be paying less attention. The flashing lights are nice, but not a requirement for the drivers to yield to the pedestrian.

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