Flashing lights for speed traps

Seen this over on the dailyfail

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2157763/Drivers-fined-flashing-headlights-warn-oncoming-cars-police-speed-trap.html

I always flash the lights for speed traps

Any body ever hear of anyone being stopped for it here?

Colonel Sanders

Guilty as charged here too.

I remember someone telling me it was illegal in Australia, not sure about here

Nuno

I haven't heard of anyone being stopped recently, but back in the late 90's, a lad in work was stopped near the N3 after flashing his lights to warn oncoming traffic of the speed trap. He was summonsed to court and had to pay a £90 fine.

kirving

If I walk up to a shoplifter and tell them that they better put the item back because a Gard is around the corner, I have stopped them from stealing today. Same concept. Could I be arrested for that?

Dr Turk Turkelton

Kevin Irving wrote: »

If I walk up to a shoplifter and tell them that they better put the item back because a Gard is around the corner, I have stopped them from stealing today. Same concept. Could I be arrested for that?

Exactly sure you are only reminding people not to break the law.
Also you could be flashing because you "mistakingly" thought it was someone you recognized!

excaliburhc

do it myself but seems it is becoming more and more the exception then the norm.

we are as a culture becoming very me myself and i.(in my opinion)

what i dont get is why the cops would clamp down on someone flashing if they are only there for safety concerns and not to raise money ?

surely it is the same end - person slows down and from then on (if a parked cop car or van) potentially will always slow down at that area ?

Mycroft H

Will flash for obstructions. Speed vans are your own lookout.

ShadowHearth

I always flash, and so far I get flashed too.

There is a difference, where the speed traps and hair dryer users are sitting on straight patches of road/ or overtaking lanes, where there wasnt a single accident in decades, but an easy spot to catch a poor fella who is doing few kms/h over, and a dangerous back/country roads, wheres speeding is an issue.

Funny enough I haven't flashed even once on those dangerous roads, and that's not because I don't want warning about speed trap, I wonder why then?

djimi

Ive heard stories of people being pulled for flashing to warn cars of cameras alright. How true those stories are is anyones guess!

Where To

I never flash, and I don't appreciate being flashed either. If I get caught speeding I've nobody to blame but myself. If you get caught speeding I have no sympathy for you.

ThisRegard

There was a couple of cases of people being brought to court for doing this within the last couple of years, happened on the N11 from what I remember.

bazz26

I don't see what the problem is if it's supposed to be for safety in the first place

Pataman

Kevin Irving wrote: »

If I walk up to a shoplifter and tell them that they better put the item back because a Gard is around the corner, I have stopped them from stealing today. Same concept. Could I be arrested for that?

I dont think your analagy is correct. Its more like the shoplifter stealing from 9 shops in a row and you telling them not to steal from the 10th as there is a guard outside.
Have you prevented a crime? Yes
Have you stopped a shoplifter from ever stealing again? No

Yes you can be arrested for flashing at other drivers.

-Corkie-

I flashed a unmarked Garda car lately as there was a Go safe van ahead.. He flashed me back and saluted...:D

Zubeneschamali

Pataman wrote: »

Its more like the shoplifter stealing from 9 shops in a row and you telling them not to steal from the 10th as there is a guard outside.
Have you prevented a crime? Yes

Do you know that the shoplifter has stolen other stuff? No, you don't. You see an illegal act, you try to stop it, you get a summons. WTF?

brian_t

excaliburhc wrote: »

surely it is the same end - person slows down and from then on (if a parked cop car or van) potentially will always slow down at that area ?

I think that you are much more likely to slow down if you expect to get points and a fine for speeding then if you expect to get warned by oncomming traffic.

There's another thread on this topic here http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055839317

corktina

with a Gardai van, i can see you might be impeding the Law and guilty of an offense, with a GoSafe van, you arent and can flash all you like surely

(I flash for both and for Traffic Corps cars parked looking for innocent speeders (ie ME) when they should be manning roadblocks looking for drivers with no insurance and NCT and worse)

AugustusMinimus

Some court in the US found that it would be against the constitutional right ot free speech to make flashing illegal.

Free speech wouldn't be a bad insert in our own.

Matt Simis

corktina wrote: »

(I flash for both and for Traffic Corps cars parked looking for innocent speeders (ie ME) when they should be manning roadblocks looking for drivers with no insurance and NCT and worse)

No NCT is hazard that should be stamped out with Roadblocks...? :pac:
My last NCT failed as I didnt have a switch on my automatic DRLs.. oh the humanity!

monkeypants

corktina wrote: »

with a Gardai van, i can see you might be impeding the Law and guilty of an offense, with a GoSafe van, you arent and can flash all you like surely

That's what I thought, perhaps impeding a Garda in the performance of their duties, but surely that could be open to interpretation in itself. If their objective is to slow people down, then you're helping. If their objective is to catch people and fine them, then yes, you have obstructed that.

A 'GoSafe' van is private and I'm fairly certain that you can do whatever you like, including standing down the road with a sign that says "Speed Camera ahead".

wonski

Many drivers gave me a quick flash to warn. Can't see a problem, i see it as a courtesy. Never heard of anyone being done for this. Wouldn't give a flash to Mondeo tough.

wonski

-Corkie- wrote: »

I flashed a unmarked Garda car lately as there was a Go safe van ahead.. He flashed me back and saluted...:D

Maybe he thought you were undercover, too?

Padkir

monkeypants wrote: »

That's what I thought, perhaps impeding a Garda in the performance of their duties, but surely that could be open to interpretation in itself. If their objective is to slow people down, then you're helping. If their objective is to catch people and fine them, then yes, you have obstructed that.

A 'GoSafe' van is private and I'm fairly certain that you can do whatever you like, including standing down the road with a sign that says "Speed Camera ahead".

You're right, it couldn't possibly be illegal to flash someone for a GoSafe Van, they already have signs up themselves saying they're coming up.

Think it's probably illegal to flash if there's a squad car or traffic corps there, but it's still not going to stop me doing it!

Brother did it before to an unmarked car, they turned around and pulled him in, he said there was a cow on the road up ahead and he was trying to warn people to slow down because it could have caused an accident, managed to get away with it!

hondasam

I always warn other drivers force of habit at this stage.
Gardai do not like it because they might be trying to catch someone and if other drivers warn them they will turn away from the checkpoint.
You can be done for it but it's rare a guard would bother I'd say.

Padkir

hondasam wrote: »

I always warn other drivers force of habit at this stage.
Gardai do not like it because they might be trying to catch someone and if other drivers warn them they will turn away from the checkpoint.
You can be done for it but it's rare a guard would bother I'd say.

I wouldn't do it for a checkpoint, only a speed trap.

There could be any number of reasons for a checkpoint, you wouldn't know who or what they're looking for, so it's just speed trap flashing for me!

Max Power1

I always flash for speed traps.

They are only a revenue earning excercise, so I dont see why not. Its nice that this seems to be one of the few areas that our culture hasnt yet made the shift to the "me me me" attitude of 21st century Ireland/world

brian_t

Max Power1 wrote: »

Its nice that this seems to be one of the few areas that our culture hasnt yet made the shift to the "me me me" attitude of 21st century Ireland/world

There are lots of victims of speeding drivers that wouldn't share your view.

Max Power1

brian_t wrote: »

There are lots of victims of speeding drivers that wouldn't share your view.

So speed kills yes, gay? Is that you?

Is going 70kph on a 50kph dual carraigeway (which could easily take a 100kmh limit) wrong? IMO no, and I will warn oncoming drivers every time.

If I saw a go safe van (cash generators that they are) on fire, I wouldnt give my pi$$ to put out the fire or save the scumbag that was driving it.

Mycroft H

Max Power1 wrote: »

If I saw a go safe van (cash generators that they are) on fire, I wouldnt give my pi$$ to put out the fire or save the scumbag that was driving it.

That's a bit extreme, no?

hondasam

Max Power1 wrote: »

If I saw a go safe van (cash generators that they are) on fire, I wouldnt give my pi$$ to put out the fire or save the scumbag that was driving it.

He is just an ordinary person doing his job. How is he a scumbag?

BeerSteakBirds

bluewolf wrote: »

I don't see what the problem is if it's supposed to be for safety in the first place

Unfortunately it seems to be more about raising money than safety.
If I took my camera around Dublin I could take many pictures of where a no right turn sign or a speeding sign is obstructed by trees and is almost impossible to see. For someone using some roads who don't use that road every day it could cause an accident trying to play this game of wheres wally to see what they are supposed to do next. How about hefty fines for local authorities who do not make signs clearly visible ? Motorists pay enough cash up front to deserve at least properly maintained roads which make sense to drive on. The problem in Ireland is nobody responsible for the system itself is often held to account.
Can anyone show the legislation whereby flashing to warn of something ahead is illegal ? Even professional beggars on the street were allowed aggressively beg for years on the grounds of free speech. A flash could be interpreted as meaning anything. What if your hand slips while driving and you ''accidentally'' hit the stalk ?

naughtysmurf

Years ago a mate of mine was up in court on a speeding charge with a load of others, everyone was pleading guilty and getting a IR£50 fine from the judge, one guy was up for flashing oncoming cars and the judge went nuts and gave him IR£100 fine, all happened on the old Limerick / Ennis road at Dromolond

charlemont

I'm a firm believer in flashing, I'm sure I have probably flashed some of ye here on the M8 too, I always flash for a good few KM's particularly at bikers and truckers.

BeerSteakBirds

naughtysmurf wrote: »

one guy was up for flashing oncoming cars and the judge went nuts and gave him IR£100 fine, all happened on the old Limerick / Ennis road at Dromolond

What if you are flashing someone to tell them to speed down because the speed limit sign is covered by tree branches ? Surely that is actually helping them consider if their speed is wrong for the road ?
I have been on very dark unfamiliar roads where it felt safer to turn my lights up for a few seconds (with no oncoming drivers to be blinded) to see if there were any hazards of animals crossing or sharp bends etc much further ahead. could I get pulled in for doing that ?

Ded_Zebra

IMO there is a time and a place for flashing to warn people of speed traps.

I think that it's acceptable to warn people on days when the road is not busy and driving conditions are good as it is possible that someone is doing a safe speed that is over the limit and I don't think they should be punished for this.

However, when the road is busy and most people are traveling at or under the limit there is no need to flash and warn them as this leads to the stupid and unaware drivers slowing down to as low as 50% of the limit.
This behavior is common on the stretch of the N11 at the Tap (think this pub has a new name but can't remember it now) where the traffic is moving at about 70kph and then slows down to about 40 or 50 (the limit is 80) because every second or third car is flashing :rolleyes:

pred racer

Always flash!

But people have definately been done for this, in the mid 90's there was a big operation in kilcock(remember when the motorway used to stop there) created quite a local storm(iirc obstruction of justice was the charge and hefty donations to the poor box were required) That was the same time customs used to set up roadblocks outside Intel which strangely enough coincided with our shift change to catch the brit regged cars!

Dirkster

Where To wrote: »

I never flash, and I don't appreciate being flashed either. If I get caught speeding I've nobody to blame but myself. If you get caught speeding I have no sympathy for you.

Who invited Jesus the martyr along....

I'd always flash money making speed check points but never genuinely needed one's or drink driving checkpoints.

There's also nothing worse than flashing someone and then they flash you back instead of waving to say thanks!

brian_t

Max Power1 wrote: »

So speed kills yes, gay? Is that you?

No

Max Power1 wrote: »

I will warn oncoming drivers every time.

Thanks. I won't be warning you though.

Mc Love

Was driving to Cork on Sunday and outside Charleville there was a van and sure enough two or three cars flashed to let me and other drivers know that there was a van. Lo and behold the two cars in front slow down to a crawl... :rolleyes:

staengus

On a similar note there was a kind stranger on a bike on the Ennis Rd Limerick waving at drivers to slow down on the way into the city due to there being a garda with a speed gun hidden under the trees.

Nobody was really speeding (50km zone), but nice to see anyway.

Nissan doctor

I won't flash for Garda speed/ANPR checks or checkpoints etc, but will always flash for go safe vans.