What not to do when you see someone driving at night with their lights off.

It would be helpful it you told us what state you live in. Also, did your policemen tell you the significance of honking the horn? What does it mean? I am curious. It is such a natural thing to want to help someone remember to turn on their lights.

I thought that was considered an urban legend.

Good tip, never heard of that. I always flash my lights. However with all the newer cars, the headlights go on automatic, don't they? Thanks for the great post again.

I too have heard of this happening. I believe that this is used in part with a gang initiation. It's a shame that when you try to be nice, and let someone knoe that they do not have their headlights on, that you may put yourself in danger.

This sounds too much like an urban myth. In any case, there are no such gangs here, so you can safely warn others that their lights are off by flashing your headlights. Many people forget to turn the lights on beause they leave from underground parking spaces and other places that are well lit, so they just forget to turn them on when they're outside and in similarly well lit places. It's very common and not gang-related at all :p

I've heard that before, but I never really thought it made sense. I still flash my lights at people and it usually works just fine.

Thank you thats very interesting, I wouldn't the gang coming after me, gees I don't know what I would do.

I had never heard this. I will remember this the next time. We don't have a big problem with gangs, but I don't want to take a chance either.

I have heard that also. But my husband always does it. We are from a small rural area and I don't think that we have any gang members around hear.

That's good information and I will pass it on to my family and friends. I have also heard that sometimes undercover police and investigators will drive without their lights on at night to keep from being spotted while they are working. I guess we never know, and now knowing what you have told us, it's a very good idea not to flash our lights at a car without their lights on at night knowing that the occupants could be gang members. That's scary! Good tip and thank you.

Thank you for posting this really valuable, potentially life-saving information.I'm really glad to know this. There are no gangs in my small town, however I frequently travel in towns that likely do have gangs. I will now know what not to do as well as what to do should I see someone driving without their lights on.

I live in a pretty rural area so maybe thins are different out there in the real world. There have been a few times when I went out at night that I simply forgot to turn my lights on and thank God someone always flashes me to let me know. It wouldn't dawn on me to check my lights if someone just honked at me.

Yea this is an Urban Myth disproven many times over. Usually when things sound realy strange they usually are. Snopes.com is a great source for this kind of stuff and the TV show Mythbusters...

Yeah...I remember hearing about this about fifteen years ago when I was living in Arizona...At that time, a lot of the L.A. gangbangers were migrating east from L.A. to the Phoenix area. The first I'd ever heard of it was when our school bus driver's CB broadcast a message warning bus drivers not to flash their lights because there had already been a couple shootings that day by gang members who were driving with their lights off...The drivers wh flashed their lights at them were quickly shot and killed...Not good. I'd never heard the horn-honking though; most cops I know just tell people to ignore the drivers with their lights off and mind their own business...Best way to stay in one piece.

Other than twice, there have been no documented cases of this happening. This is an urban legend. I find it sad that even police have now bought in to this myth. If you want the whole story you can read about it here: http://www.snopes.com/horrors/madmen/lightsout.asp

I first heard about this 15 years ago....Then a couple of years ago, I read that it was only a myth (not true). Maybe it happened once or twice, but I don't think it is a common practice. Think about it...don't you think it would be all over the NEWS if that was really going on? One last thing....when I first heard about it 15 years ago, I was told that gang members used this as a way of "initiating" new members. They would purposly drive with their head lights off and wait for someone to flash their headlights at them. That is how they chose their victim for the proposed member. Anyway, I guess it doesn't matter, since it's all a fictional story.

Oh my gosh what has the world come too. Here someone would be courteous enough to flash their lights at you for your safety and some nut would try to kill you. Boy the shaitan is busy.

Yikes! Well, I live in Florida so most of the people around here who are driving with no lights are older people who just forgot to turn them on. lol

This is an urban legend...besides if it were that serious, I think they would still come after you if you honk.

As far as I've ever read or seen, this is an urban legend: http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blbyol16.htm