Do you ever flash your head.....

brian ireland

Do you ever flash your head.....lights when you pass a speed check or speed van on your right to alert oncoming drivers.
I as driving home tonight and there was a speed van at the back of swords. The cars and truck approaching me flashed like ****. I thought my lights where not working. Turns out it was a speed trap ahead. I hear you can be done for obstructing the work of the guards but seriously WTF!!!

Are you a flasher?????:D

superblu

Always do it as I really appreciate it when other people flash me. Don't really see how the guards could prove anything.

meoklmrk91

I also do it, it's the decent thing to do really especially with GATSO vans, there has never been serious accidents where there park up locally, they are nearly always on straights either inside or outside a town, money grabbing bastards.

El Guapo!

Do it all the time. No harm in giving other motorists a friendly heads up.
It's a different story if I see some arsehole flying around the bend at ridiculous speeds. Ill glady let him get the fine.

Gee_G

Always! I appreciate being flashed even though I'm never going majorly over the limit but I'd be raging if I was like 5kmh over!

J_E

meoklmrk91 wrote: »

money grabbing bastards.

If people followed speed limits they wouldn't have the money to grab. They're hardly just there to make a bit of extra cash.

PizzamanIRL

I only flash people after I pass the speed van if someone flashed me before I got to the speed van.

If you get caught flashing you can just say something stupid like it was a mistake or you were flashing to say hello to someone you knew. They can't prove anything.

KwackerJack

Sorry guard wash meant to wash my window and flashed the lights by mistake!!

zenno

Yeah, I was outside a crazy pub in Belfast one night and two women sat down at the table and one of them said.. let's see it, so I was so drunk I lobbed it out and I swear she put her hand to her face and almost fainted right there in front of me. After that I wobbled up the road with it still in my hand and fell into barbed wire and into a deep ditch which i hadn't the energy to get out of and was rescued the next morning by a walker. Ahh the memories.

phasers

usually when someone flashes me I go 'what the fcuk is this prick flashing me for?' and spend ages worrying that something's wrong with my car. I think I missed the memo about this

galwayrush

Yes, because making people slow down by warning them is more likely to prevent an accident than letting them speed by. Hidden cameras/ gardai do not slow drivers down, however they are rather good as a source of revenue , a sort of stealth tax..

swoofer

its illegal see here

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

humbert

There's little need around Dundalk. When you see people crawling along at 40Km/h on an 80Km/h road you know there's a speed check nearby. You also know that most of the local drivers don't have a fucking clue.

meoklmrk91

Cydoniac wrote: »

If people followed speed limits they wouldn't have the money to grab. They're hardly just there to make a bit of extra cash.

Then why are they parked in places where no serious accidents have happened in my lifetime? There are plenty of other places locally where they could save lives as they are known for serious accidents, but no, they park in the 60km straights just outside towns to catch people going marginally over the the limit where there are hardly ever in minor crashes.

brian ireland

GBCULLEN wrote: »

its illegal see here

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

Thats UK, we don't mind that stuff here

rusty_racer94

I do flash but mostly because there is sheep on the road or rarely, these GATSO vans. Both are animals anyway.

johndaman66

Cydoniac wrote: »

If people followed speed limits they wouldn't have the money to grab. They're hardly just there to make a bit of extra cash.

Ah come on, if your a driver I doubt you never broke a speed limit...

TopBombing

humbert wrote: »

There's little need around Dundalk. When you see people crawling along at 40Km/h on an 80Km/h road you know there's a speed check nearby. You also know that most of the local drivers don't have a fucking clue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocCQc6NFfhU

Pottler

GBCULLEN wrote: »

its illegal see here

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

oh dear. I will never do it again, honest. I think the phrase "speed-trap" says it all. That slip road from swords heading to the M1 to the airport is a great example - wide open, no houses, no pedestrians, and it's 60kph. Where do the cops set up? There. Why? Because approaching it is 80kph, leaving it is 80kph, but that 200m is 60kph, that's why. Money making machine. Safety me hole.

quickbeam

Yes, always, because I appreciate when it's done for me.

Pottler

quickbeam wrote: »

Yes, always, because I appreciate when it's done for me.

So you flash them a quick beam?

El Guapo!

Pottler wrote: »

So you flash them a quick beam?

I was just about to post that!
Ye bastard!

galwayrush

If safety is paramount, then a successful speed detection van / garda will never collect a fine. A visible presence will slow drivers down
, make drivers more cautious. A warning flash will have the same effect.

jenniferalan

Yes I always flash drivers, it's a money racket. The gatso vans are always places very strategically to catch u out and always seem to be on very straight roads where no accidents have been in the past.

If a van is on LHS can it read cars speeding on other side of road?

Pottler

jenniferalan wrote: »

Yes I always flash drivers, it's a money racket. The gatso vans are always places very strategically to catch u out and always seem to be on very straight roads where no accidents have been in the past.

If a van is on LHS can it read cars speeding on other side of road?

The Blacktrench road(some will know it) is 60kph, for miles. The boreens off it are 80kph. Where's the Gatso? On the Blacktrench Road. Why? Because it is dead straight, wide open, for miles and it is 60kph, which, if you are sentinent, is almost impossible unless you drive a Yaris and are 70. Which kills the "safety camera" idea stone dead, for me.

fasttalkerchat

Anyone who doesn't flash their lights deserves to get done.

fryup

jenniferalan wrote: »

Yes I always flash drivers, it's a money racket. The gatso vans are always places very strategically to catch u out and always seem to be on very straight roads where no accidents

its not a money making racket:rolleyes:

its a safety precaution to stop people from speeding..do you realise the amount of people killed each through speeding/bad driving

is this "flashing ahead" to do with the irish deep entrenched disrespect for rules & regulations??? (stick it to the man)............ does it happen in other countries??

bbam

fryup wrote: »

its not a money making racket:rolleyes:

its a safety precaution to stop people from speeding..do you realise the amount of people killed each through speeding/bad driving

is this "flashing ahead" to do with the irish deep entrenched disrespect for rules & regulations??? (stick it to the man)............ does it happen in other countries??

Yes I've seen it in France too.
I doubt it's illegal either. Yes ive heard of Guards stopping people warning of actual checkpoints, cautioning them for obstructing justice. But a gatso isn't a guard or a checkpoint, so your not obstructing a guard from his duties.
I would always warn other drivers and it's saved me a good few times.

Kidchameleon

How many of you that flash have lost someone you love in a road accident? Not many I would imagine.

Fr_Dougal

Kidchameleon wrote: »

How many of you that flash have lost someone you love in a road accident? Not many I would imagine.

Anytime someone flashes me, I slow down. Anytime I flash someone, they slow down.

Flashing someone reduces their speed. That's the whole point of these high visibility speed vans too.

bbam

Kidchameleon wrote: »

How many of you that flash have lost someone you love in a road accident? Not many I would imagine.

While I appreciate your point I still don't think that hidden unmarked gatso vans where I'll planned restricted speed zones have been created are genuinely tere for anything other than revenue.
In fact, families of those lost on the road should be furious at their lost loved ones deaths being used to defend this poorly implemented scheme. From what I've seen about 50% of these vans are placed in areas where they are a honey trap rather than a deterrence.

MagicSean

bbam wrote: »

Yes I've seen it in France too.
I doubt it's illegal either. Yes ive heard of Guards stopping people warning of actual checkpoints, cautioning them for obstructing justice. But a gatso isn't a guard or a checkpoint, so your not obstructing a guard from his duties.
I would always warn other drivers and it's saved me a good few times.

Warning someone about a checkpoint is very different. You know a speed van is there to detect speeders. You have no idea why the checkpoint is there or what the person you have warned has done.

donalg1

Never do it, too afraid a guard would see me and I'd get done for it. Plus if some clown wants to speed well then let em get caught for it

Micky Dolenz

I get paid by the RSA to go around the place flashing my lights. Proven to be the most effective way to slow others down. The brake lights in my rear view mirror is reward enough, well that and the money.

gemma188

If I meet someone driving extremely fast on the road always flash them and signal to slow down (giving the impression there is a speed camera ahead). Hopefully it keeps them and other motorists a little safer for a few miles at least as they slow down expecting a speed camera.

sydthebeat

PizzamanIRL wrote: »

I only flash people after I pass the speed van if someone flashed me before I got to the speed van.

If you get caught flashing you can just say something stupid like it was a mistake or you were flashing to say hello to someone you knew. They can't prove anything.

I thought those speed vans only read speeds from the rear of the van....

If so one of the flashes in this post is pointless.

juan.kerr

Never, let them be caught if they are breaking some law and putting others lives at risk (including my own).

It disappoints me that some people are so eager to get one over on the Gardai trying to do their job and make the roads safer for us all.

When will we grow up and lose that mentality?

bbam

juan.kerr wrote: »

Never, let them be caught if they are breaking some law and putting others lives at risk (including my own).

It disappoints me that some people are so eager to get one over on the Gardai trying to do their job and make the roads safer for us all.

When will we grow up and lose that mentality?

This isn't about getting one over on the guards, I fully respect the guards.
The gatso cams are a third party employed by the state to implement a system that is as much about revenue as public safety, that's just wrong.
We have all seen places where the speed limit doesn't make sence or match the road, yet it's funny that it's just there that the van will be positioned catching drivers just entering the restricted zone. Theyre just honey traps for revenue. I've no respect for this approach.

juan.kerr

bbam wrote: »

This isn't about getting one over on the guards, I fully respect the guards.
The gatso cams are a third party employed by the state to implement a system that is as much about revenue as public safety, that's just wrong.
We have all seen places where the speed limit doesn't make sence or match the road, yet it's funny that it's just there that the van will be positioned catching drivers just entering the restricted zone. Theyre just honey traps for revenue. I've no respect for this approach.

This is the usual excuse trotted out. If you keep within the limits and follow the other rules of the road you have nothing to worry about. It's as simple as that.

Kevwoody

Ok so picture this.
You're driving down the road and you flash someone to slow down, that person, safe in the knowledge that he will always be warned of upcoming speed traps, mows down a pedestrian or looses control at high speed.

Who's being responsible now?

Obviously none of you have lost someone to a careless speeding driver

Fr_Dougal

Kevwoody wrote: »

Ok so picture this.
You're driving down the road and you flash someone to slow down, that person, safe in the knowledge that he will always be warned of upcoming speed traps, mows down a pedestrian or looses control at high speed.

Who's being responsible now?

Obviously none of you have lost someone to a careless speeding driver

Ok so picture this.

You don't flash someone and they crash a car into an oncoming vehicle.

Who's being responsible now?

juan.kerr

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Ok so picture this.

You don't flash someone and they crash a car into an oncoming vehicle.

Who's being responsible now?

The speeding driver, Sherlock.

annascott

I always flash to warn other drivers of a Gatso van and am grateful when someone does it for me.
It is only illegal here to 'flash' someone to warn them of an actual Garda stop checkpoint.

Fr_Dougal

juan.kerr wrote: »

The speeding driver, Sherlock.

So you'd rather not flash someone just to prove a point?! :rolleyes:

juan.kerr

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Ok so picture this.

You don't flash someone and they crash a car into an oncoming vehicle.

Who's being responsible now?

Nomination for most stupid post ever. Sorry Dougal but you lived up to your username with this one.

juan.kerr

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

So you'd rather not flash someone just to prove a point?! :rolleyes:

Prove a point? Read your post again. Ridiculous argument.

bbam

Picture this.
There are two parallel roads entering our town from one side. The "main" road had the 60kph extended an extra 2k from the town and the minor road didn't.
The main road is now a honey trap for non suspecting motorists where locals can enter the town on the parallel minor road at 80kph with no problem.

The gatso van is hidden in a business entry on the main road, just inside the 60kph zone and does a brisk trade indeed. Never ever is it on the minor road which people now use frequently to avoid the van.

I've lived here all my life and there have been no fatal crashes within 5km of the new 60kph zone and that crash we remember was weather related.

So the gatso van catches unsuspecting motorists while encouraging people to use an R rated road with no speed restriction.
This is a revenue exercise.

Fr_Dougal

juan.kerr wrote: »

Nomination for most stupid post ever. Sorry Dougal but you lived up to your username with this one.

Right. I get your username now too.

juan.kerr

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Right. I get your username now too.

Well spotted, Dougal. Did you need Ted's help figuring that out?

Now back to your post. Do you still stand over it?

Kevwoody

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Ok so picture this.

You don't flash someone and they crash a car into an oncoming vehicle.

Who's being responsible now?

What an absolute idiot you are.

shedweller

bbam wrote: »

Picture this.
There are two parallel roads entering our town from one side. The "main" road had the 60kph extended an extra 2k from the town and the minor road didn't.
The main road is now a honey trap for non suspecting motorists where locals can enter the town on the parallel minor road at 80kph with no problem.

The gatso van is hidden in a business entry on the main road, just inside the 60kph zone and does a brisk trade indeed. Never ever is it on the minor road which people now use frequently to avoid the van.

I've lived here all my life and there have been no fatal crashes within 5km of the new 60kph zone and that crash we remember was weather related.

So the gatso van catches unsuspecting motorists while encouraging people to use an R rated road with no speed restriction.
This is a revenue exercise.

This. +100

Weren't we told they wouldn't do this when they were rolling out the gosafe cameras?
Can anything be done to stop this nonsense? Because there are plenty of dangerous roads that do kill and certainly need speed cameras on them.