Flashing on comming traffic

motorman

Just a thought,
I was driving home from Carlow today and coming into a sleepy village an oncoming car flashed me and sure enough behind the next bend the Guards were hiding behind a bush with the speed gun out the window. I wasn’t speeding at the time so flash or no flash I was going be just fine.
What are your opinions on flashing oncoming traffic to alert them of the Guards presence???

Mc Love

I would do it. But a cousin of mine flashed his lights to warn oncoming traffic and the driver pulled in and told the gardai, they went after him pulled him over and fined him

alias no.9

I'd never do it but I would flash to indicate there was a hazard ahead, loose animals, dangerous parking, crash, or whatever. If the oncoming driver mistakenly thinks I'm warning them about Gardai and slows down and is more alert to the hazard on that basis, then the road is safer and the fact that a small minority flash to indicate the presence of Gardai has probably helped contribute to that.

_Kaiser_

Mc Love wrote: »

I would do it. But a cousin of mine flashed his lights to warn oncoming traffic and the driver pulled in and told the gardai, they went after him pulled him over and fined him

Surely they'd need some sort of proof rather than hearsay from a do-gooder?

Genuine question btw.. or is it the usual story that no actual evidence is needed?

Absurdum

If it gets someone to slow down then surely it is achieving what the Gardai have set out to do, right?

byhookorbycrook

Impossible to prove someone was flashing to warn of a speed trap. Can't be proven that you mistook the other driver for a friend etc.

nogoodnamesleft

Mc Love wrote: »

I would do it. But a cousin of mine flashed his lights to warn oncoming traffic and the driver pulled in and told the gardai, they went after him pulled him over and fined him

What offence was he charged with?

Would be highly unlikely that he would be charged with it. How is the garda to know he could meerly be flashing some1 he knows in oncomming traffic for example. The evidence is one member of publics word against the others wouldnt hold up...

dudara

This used to be a really common practice about 10-20 years ago. It's really died out though, for some reason.

Stark

They did make it illegal alright. As far as I know, at some speed traps, they have an unmarked Garda car patrolling up and down to look out for people warning oncoming traffic of the speed trap.

Berty

The original reason behind the AA was to stand on the roads and warn AA members(big badge on grille) if there were Police around the bend.

The people flashing are doing it with good intentions. I personally don't do it anymore unless I think the Gardai are taking the p*ss like shooting fish in barrell. I certainly do not flash for checkpoints.

daveharnett

motorman wrote: »

Just a thought,
I was driving home from Carlow today and coming into a sleepy village an oncoming car flashed me and sure enough behind the next bend the Guards were hiding behind a bush with the speed gun out the window. I wasn’t speeding at the time so flash or no flash I was going be just fine.
What are your opinions on flashing oncoming traffic to alert them of the Guards presence???

Fachtna Murphy wrote: »

On the publication of Speed enforcement zones..."Gardaí are now informing people as to where the speed checks will be so that they will voluntarily slow down."

Can't fault somebody for trying to help out, eh?

If the posted speed limit was a silly one, I would be tempted to warn others. If not, I wouldn't.

Cookie_Monster

a lot of people were doing it on the road to Roundwood the other day, after a while I stopped noticing. Then half way up the hill car could no longer go forwards cos of the snow and ice.

Fair enough if people did it when reasonably close to the checkpoint / hazard but when you're 3-4k down the road its a bit pointless.

Midnight_EG

Driving in a car with a mate before, well, he was driving, but somebody flashed us before we came to a bend, I copped onto it and told him to slow down, guards right around the corner

I think it's a nice thing to do to just let people know, but only if it's a 'shooting fish in a barrel' type of trap.

rebel.ranter

My aunt got done for this years ago. She flashed her lights at an unmarked Garda car to warn about a speed trap, even when the unmarked car pulled her over she told the Garda that she was flashing warn about speed trap! Doh!
(aunt by marriage)

argosy2006

Absurdum wrote: »

If it gets someone to slow down then surely it is achieving what the Gardai have set out to do, right?

yes every body go around flashing lights all the time, will solve the speeding problem:D

corktina

rebel.ranter wrote: »

My aunt got done for this years ago. She flashed her lights at an unmarked Garda car to warn about a speed trap, even when the unmarked car pulled her over she told the Garda that she was flashing warn about speed trap! Doh!
(aunt by marriage)

aunt by marriage (and not from Cork.of course...)

Raiser

Absurdum wrote: »

If it gets someone to slow down then surely it is achieving what the Gardai have set out to do, right?

That's an interesting point considering the fact that the Gardaí do claim that they set these up as a deterrent to speeders, flashing has the same net effect, they must be delighted when they don't witness any speeding......

- I can never understand why they are only ever on immaculate stretches of Dual Carriageways loitering under Flyovers chatting with their Mates and drinking cups of tea while harrassing the very Taxpayer who pays their wages while conveniently missing out on witnessing the Scumbags from our massive and spiralling Crime statistics???

Go out on the lethal B Roads and sort out the actual problem you crime-avoiding Hypocrites.

Mc Love

The best thing for slowing down motorists is someone with a high vis jacket on. Always slow down if i see one off in the distance, and cars in front of me, you can always see them braking

Stark

Hi-viz scarecrows then?

cable842

I dont think its right that they should be able to fine them for warning someone. I dont think that is fair.

Mc Love wrote: »

I would do it. But a cousin of mine flashed his lights to warn oncoming traffic and the driver pulled in and told the gardai, they went after him pulled him over and fined him

Mc Love

Stark wrote: »

Hi-viz scarecrows then?

It would work but then the people that use the route regularly enought would know exactly what it is and wouldnt slow down.

Maybe if they used a tactic to moving it somewhere new every week

Berty

In the North and other Countries the motorway construction crews use a robot type thing dressed up in builders garb and its arm has a red flag which moves up and down.

However a good idea this may sound somebody would steal it.

BronsonTB

Stark wrote: »

They did make it illegal alright. As far as I know, at some speed traps, they have an unmarked Garda car patrolling up and down to look out for people warning oncoming traffic of the speed trap.

Correct!

I'd flash a modded or sports car usually.....And you may not be going particularly fast but only takes a little to be done.....easily happen and there are sneeky gaurds just out to do people with no interest in slowing people down. So I would flash.....

Oh and if it's some speeding ejit flying into the trap then I wouldn't....it's those ones f**king it up for the rest of us....

---

www.celicaireland.com

joolsveer

Is there any legal reason for flashing? Is it a hazard warning?

BronsonTB

joolsveer wrote: »

Is there any legal reason for flashing? Is it a hazard warning?

Is it long since passing the test??

No legal reason for flashing....I use it to warn motorists of dangerous ahead...accident etc...and to BLIND the careless drivers that don't dip...and 99% it works accept for merc drivers......

---

www.celicaireland.com

seamus

joolsveer wrote: »

Is there any legal reason for flashing? Is it a hazard warning?

Flashing your lights only has one use in law - to alert other drivers to your presence.

This is why, if you're waiting to pull out and someone flashes you, ensure that they have stopped or are stopping before you start moving. One day you will meet the person who is using it correctly and flashing you to tell you *not* to pull out.

BronsonTB

seamus wrote: »

Flashing your lights only has one use in law - to alert other drivers to your presence. using it correctly and flashing you to tell you *not* to pull out.

Would have been interesting to do a poll on this......Bet the majority would have got it wrong....

Stark

It's certainly the norm on the continent that flashing means *not* to pull out.

Tipp Man

How on earth can somebody be fined for flashing lights when it wasn't even the Gardai that saw it??

How petty of someone to even tell the Gardai about it, that really is patethic

Also if pulled for flashing can you not just say you hit the lights instead of the windscreen cleaner?? I often do this as my car and my dads car are opposite, and my dads car and his jeep are also opposite despite being the same manufacturer. How can they prove you were flashing to warn of a speed trap?

Zubeneschamali

cable842 wrote: »

I dont think its right that they should be able to fine them for warning someone.

Can anyone tell me what they could actually fine you for? I mean, what offence is the flasher (Steady!) suposed to be committing?

Tipp Man

BronsonTB wrote: »

Would have been interesting to do a poll on this......Bet the majority would have got it wrong....

Doesn;t it depend completly on the circumstances, i.e if i'm stopped or nearly stopped and flash then i am clearly letting the other person pull out, if I am approaching at speed and flash it is clearly NOT to pull out??

seamus

Tipp Man wrote: »

Doesn;t it depend completly on the circumstances, i.e if i'm stopped or nearly stopped and flash then i am clearly letting the other person pull out, if I am approaching at speed and flash it is clearly NOT to pull out??

No, there is only one meaning for flashing your lights. If someone is moving slowly down the road, flashes you and you pull out and cause a crash, it's your fault, 100%. You cannot argue that the other person told you to pull out, because the action has no other interpretation than, "I am here, beware".

There is no signal for "please pull out", and I would be wary of trying to give any such signals. If you stop and wave someone to pull out, but fail to spot the motorcyclist overtaking you, then you could be found partially liable for giving a false or misleading signal to the driver pulling out.

So leave the gap and let the other driver decide whether they want to use it.

woody33

I believe in the UK the AA man (on his yellow motor cycle and sidecar) used to salute AA members to let them know there was a speed trap ahead. When this was deemed illegal, they changed to NOT saluting if there was a speed trap. Hard to declare not saluting to be illegal...

daveharnett

cable842 wrote: »

I dont think its right that they should be able to fine them for warning someone. I dont think that is fair.

Could you please explain why being penalized for interfering with the work of the gardai is 'unfair'?

Cicero

There definately was a case in the paper on this (in Ireland) sometime over the last year- person was brought to court and fined for warning an unmarked garda car of a speed trap up ahead...since reading that, I never warn other drivers....

..with such an effort being made to keep down road deaths and much more awareness on the subject of road safety, IMO, warning drivers of checkpoints ahead is definately wrong...especially in terms of drink driving/insurance issues etc...

however....I can't say I'm not grateful to those who still warn drivers when it's ME that is doing a little over the speed limit...I think you'ld have to be a complete road driving SAINT before you can fully condemn other drivers who warn of speed traps...

AugustusMinimus

Mc Love wrote: »

I would do it. But a cousin of mine flashed his lights to warn oncoming traffic and the driver pulled in and told the gardai, they went after him pulled him over and fined him

Utter rubbish. Gardai couldn't prosecute without proof.


Driver saved me on the R639 a few months ago. Gardai shooting fish in a barrel at the top of a climbing lane. The sickening thing is that a few years ago this road had a 100kph speed limit. Now it has only a 80kph limit eventhough it doesn't have near as much traffic on it. Road is easily capable of 100kph.

Mc Love

Well he did get away with it as they couldnt prove it ha ha

joolsveer

Is there anything in legislation which defines when headlights may be flashed?

johnmcdnl

Mc Love wrote: »

I would do it. But a cousin of mine flashed his lights to warn oncoming traffic and the driver pulled in and told the gardai, they went after him pulled him over and fined him

well the **** that pulled over and told the guards deserves to be shot

deman

joolsveer wrote: »

Is there anything in legislation which defines when headlights may be flashed?

Just read the thread!

JCDUB

seamus wrote: »

No, there is only one meaning for flashing your lights. If someone is moving slowly down the road, flashes you and you pull out and cause a crash, it's your fault, 100%.

There is no signal for "please pull out", and I would be wary of trying to give any such signals. If you stop and wave someone to pull out, but fail to spot the motorcyclist overtaking you, then you could be found partially liable for giving a false or misleading signal to the driver pulling out.

Eeemmm, do you see the fundamental mistake in your point?

You just said if somebody flashes you and you pull out and cause an accident it's 100% your fault.

Then you said if you wave somebody else to pull out and they do and hit a motorcycle you could be held partially liable.

Absolute rubbish. If I flash you and you pull out that's your business, nothing to do with me if you hit somebody else.

Also, to say that a flashing of the lights only means one thing in legal terms ("I am here") is absolute tripe. Somebody flashing their lights holds no uniform meaning whatsoever in legal terms. It is just that, somebody flashing their lights.

Personally, I was flashed last night approaching a checkpoint in Santry. I was exceeding the speed limit and I reckon the person coming against me saw this and just flashed to let me know. Well done to him. As it happens the checkpoint was actually on a junction and I was slowing down anyway, so would have had no difficulties.

It was actually a poor spot for a checkpoint and was very badly lit, no blues switched on, marked car well in off the road, and just one garda on my side of the road with a torch and no orange conical light thingy.

Then again maybe that was their intention, it was half one of a Friday night.

TheNog

I have said this time and time again, if you see a Garda or Gardai doing a speed check never ever flash oncoming traffic. When there are two gardai in the car one will be doing the speed check and the other will be looking out for other things of interest to gardai. These include drunk drivers, disqualified drivers, persons known to be involved in drugs, persons known to be involved in thefts and burglaries, missing persons, vehicles that have been reported as acting suspiciously, stolen vehicles etc etc.

People seem to think that because Gardai are doing a speed check, that is all that is being done or when doing a checkpoint that it is only tax and insurance. Not the case at all.

So flash them and they simply turn around and they avoid Gardai

GTE

I'm just a friendly person who likes to say hello to people . . .


If its a road that can take a higher speed but is limited to a lower one, like the road that was 100 and then brought down to 80 for no real reason, then Id like to be warned and I would warn other people. But if its a little road and deserves the 80 speed limit and maybe realistically a lower one and there are people taking the piss I want them to be caught so Id leave it. Same goes for people who are obviously taking the piss on the faster roads, although maybe less noticeable.

It really depends on the road for me. Would the first instance I talk about be the fish in the barrel one thats mentioned?
I havent come across a checkpoint yet though so I dont have enough experience under my belt to have a definite opinion on it.

Agricola

I only flash to let people know about hazards on the road, not for speed traps. If people are driving under the limit, the speed trap wont be a problem. If they're speeding they get afew points on their license. That might lead them to cop on abit.

GTE

Agricola wrote: »

I only flash to let people know about hazards on the road,

Would you not prefer to use your hazard lights?

The only reason I ask is because I was driving along and was flashed 4 times in about 40 from on coming traffic.
At first I thought my lights were annoying people so I lowered them, then I was flashed a third time so I slowed down thinking there was something wrong with the car, then the 4th time I stopped and checked and nothing was up.

Turns out there was a flood around the next corner but if I kept going I may have been in a bad position while i was trying to figure out if something was up with the car or not.

Just a lil thing.

ninty9er

I flash people to make them aware that they don't have their lights on, or have a blown bulb, wouldn't bother with the Gardaí, if someone's speeding and gets caught it's of their own making.

jaffa20

I tend to flash people for doing something wrong. Like when i'm on a roundabout and the other driver clearly sees me but still decides to try and get onto the roundabout when it's clear i have right of way or when somone pulls right out in front of me in the overtaking lane. I have to brake in order to effing avoid them. They never seem to take any notice of my flashing so i'm going to start staring blaring my horn from now on which i hate having to do.

x in the city

gardai parking around bends looking for a quick buck are just n0bs and oncoming traffic deserve all the flashes they get tbh.

MFZ

Stark wrote: »

It's certainly the norm on the continent that flashing means *not* to pull out.

I beg to differ.

joolsveer

deman wrote: »

Just read the thread!

I have read the thread and my question stands. Is there any legislation which governs situations when headlights may legally be flashed.

Maybe my question is not clear but in over thirty years of driving I have never come across appropriate legislation which sets out the situation.

brendansmith

Stark wrote: »

They did make it illegal alright. As far as I know, at some speed traps, they have an unmarked Garda car patrolling up and down to look out for people warning oncoming traffic of the speed trap.

Ah yeah, the can put 2 units to catch speeders and 'flashers' but if you are getting trouble from travellers there is never one available.