Do you flash lights at other drivers to warn them of speed vans?

Noveight

Yep, I’ll always flash for vans or checkpoints.

Keep truckin’ on.

dexter_morgan

Noveight wrote: »

Yep, I’ll always flash for vans or checkpoints.

Keep truckin’ on.

Why do you warn drivers of Garda checkpoints?

Noveight

dexter_morgan wrote: »

Why do you warn drivers of Garda checkpoints?

Same reason as I’d flash for a speed van, keep them dodging and ducking for another while anyways.

dexter_morgan

Noveight wrote: »

Same reason as I’d flash for a speed van, keep them dodging and ducking for another while anyways.

So you don't mind if you may have protected some drunk drivers or car thieves?

alan partridge aha

dexter_morgan wrote: »

Noveight wrote: »

Same reason as I’d flash for a speed van, keep them dodging and ducking for another while anyways.

So you don't mind if you may have protected some drunk drivers or car thieves?

There must be a lot of thieves and drink drivers in your area. Far more likely car might be out of tax, or a dodgy tyre or a drop of green diesel.

Noveight

dexter_morgan wrote: »

So you don't mind if you may have protected some drunk drivers or car thieves?

I’m confident that 9/10 folks I’d warn of a checkpoint aren’t flaming, and that none are car thieves so yep, I’m happy enough.

Doctors room ghost

wexie wrote: »

I don't get this whole 'revenue generating' trap nonsense. They are very clearly marked vans, parked out in the open, that you can usually spot well outside the distance they are effective in. So to me that means if you haven't spotted it in time to slow down enough not to get caught by it then you are either not paying enough attention to the road ahead or going far to fast.

In either case you deserve a little reminder that there are speed limits, not speed suggestions.

I grew up where these things were (and are pretty) normal, those are actual traps.




If you can't spot a big white van sitting by the side of the road well.....that's just too bad.

What happens if that wheelie bin trap takes off across the road with a big gust and causes a big smash.whos paying to fix things and god forbid if it was the cause of someone getting killed swerving around it and hit a wall.

dexter_morgan

Noveight wrote: »

I’m confident that 9/10 folks I’d warn of a checkpoint aren’t flaming, and that none are car thieves so yep, I’m happy enough.

There is no law against being gay

dexter_morgan

alan partridge aha wrote: »

There must be a lot of thieves and drink drivers in your area. Far more likely car might be out of tax, or a dodgy tyre or a drop of green diesel.

I would have no pity for someone caught driving with dodgy tyres. I rather if they were off the road than kill or injure someone

pgj2015

alan partridge aha wrote: »

There must be a lot of thieves and drink drivers in your area. Far more likely car might be out of tax, or a dodgy tyre or a drop of green diesel.

ah ya sure what harm could a dodgy tyre cause?

alan partridge aha

pgj2015 wrote: »

alan partridge aha wrote: »

There must be a lot of thieves and drink drivers in your area. Far more likely car might be out of tax, or a dodgy tyre or a drop of green diesel.

ah ya sure what harm could a dodgy tyre cause?

We are not talking bald here or wire sticking out of it, perhaps just below the allowed limit. They're trying to scrimp up enough money to get them changed but there is so many other bills to pay. Cut people a bit of slack most of them are decent.

mikeecho

I'll flash for a Gosafe van, but not for a checkpoint, Garda speed van , or garda with s laser gun.

The garda will give u more leeway than gosafe.

Discretion, and all that...

Snickers Man

harr wrote: »

I used to do it for check points ...have stopped now since the regular check point near me stoped a very drunk driver, a driver who had no tax or insurance for nearly 3 years

Sounds like it wouldn't have mattered if you'd flashed him anyway; he'd have been too pissed to notice.

yrreg0850

mikeecho wrote: »

I'll flash for a Gosafe van, but not for a checkpoint, Garda speed van , or garda with s laser gun.

The garda will give u more leeway than gosafe.

Discretion, and all that...

Totally agree.


A garda might use his discretion if you were only a km or two over.
These vans are sometimes not even properly calibrated. (Prime Time 2017)
and, are just there to gather revenue.

Seeing how some of them are parked they are sometimes more of a hazard to traffic than speed.

I did see one of them parked on what was actually private property, traffic passing was in a tailback travelling at about 5Km /hr.
The van was trying to ger out into the traffic stream but, in the 15mins I observed , nobody would let him out fair play to them.

Snickers Man

Here's the question: do you want people to speed down generally or do you just want them to be caught?

If the former, then you have a duty to flash oncoming traffic. Think about it: on a main A road (outside of a built up area) without going into a forensic examination of relative velocities, it's safe to assume that people flashing oncoming traffic either side of a checkpoint/speed van/Garda with radar gun will slow down traffic within a few miles' radius. Therefore the effective reach of the solitary van/checkpoint etc is greatly extended.

Many years ago, watching a program about CB radios in America (Google it if you're too young to know what CB means) a cop was asked about the practice of drivers on motorways warning people through radio about the presence of a patrol car. "That's great," he said "It extends the reach of every patrol car on the road by several miles."

In my time in the UK, British police adopted a similar approach: A high-profile vehicle, like a Police Range Rover would get into the middle lane of a motorway and cruise along at about 68MPH. In that way, it's high visibility would cause all traffic in the area to slow down, while still allowing those in a hurry to pass via the outside lane without breaking the speed limit...or at least not too badly.

Of course if the whole purpose is just to catch a few people and then exult in the fact that "it's some other poor bastard, not me" then by all means adopt the anally retentive attitude shown by those who get all righteously indignant about letting "scumbags" get away with driving a few miles over the limit.

I know one shouldn't make "ad hominem" attacks on individual posters so I won't, but all those decrying the habit of flashing oncoming traffic to warn about speed checks remind me of nothing more than the current American Tight Arses who parrot the line "But they're breaking the law, man!" about asylum seekers and refugees having their families broken up while trying to cross the American border.

Be proud of yourselves, Pharisees. Jesus thought a lot of your kind too! :rolleyes:

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Twat-Badger wrote: »

Yes I do.

I also pull over into the hard shoulder if there's cars behind me to let them pass. I let other cars out of side turns, zip merge, give cyclists as much room as I can and make sure to thank other motorists who extend similar courtesies to me.

It's called courteous driving. Try it some time.

Yes I agree all of the things you've outlined are courteous.

But warning drivers of speed vans is actually illegal and you can be fined for it. It's not discourteous to not flash someone whose speeding when you know there's a speed van ahead.

whisky_galore

Snickers Man wrote: »

Here's the question: do you want people to speed down generally or do you just want them to be caught?

If the former, then you have a duty to flash oncoming traffic. Think

A duty?

If you flash an oncoming unmarked Garda car, do you think they'll appreciate the gesture? Or turn on the blue traffic lights and come after you?

Answers on a postcard...

yrreg0850

whisky_galore wrote: »

A duty?

If you flash an oncoming unmarked Garda car, do you think they'll appreciate the gesture? Or turn on the blue traffic lights and come after you?

Answers on a postcard...

There is nothing illegal with flashing a headlight .
You could be advising of a danger ahead .

alan partridge aha

whisky_galore wrote: »

Snickers Man wrote: »

Here's the question: do you want people to speed down generally or do you just want them to be caught?

If the former, then you have a duty to flash oncoming traffic. Think

A duty?

If you flash an oncoming unmarked Garda car, do you think they'll appreciate the gesture? Or turn on the blue traffic lights and come after you?

Answers on a postcard...

Thought it was a friend of mine, didn't know his number plate. Next.

FunLover18

Snickers Man wrote: »

Here's the question: do you want people to speed down generally or do you just want them to be caught?

If the former, then you have a duty to flash oncoming traffic. Think about it: on a main A road (outside of a built up area) without going into a forensic examination of relative velocities, it's safe to assume that people flashing oncoming traffic either side of a checkpoint/speed van/Garda with radar gun will slow down traffic within a few miles' radius. Therefore the effective reach of the solitary van/checkpoint etc is greatly extended.

Many years ago, watching a program about CB radios in America (Google it if you're too young to know what CB means) a cop was asked about the practice of drivers on motorways warning people through radio about the presence of a patrol car. "That's great," he said "It extends the reach of every patrol car on the road by several miles."

In my time in the UK, British police adopted a similar approach: A high-profile vehicle, like a Police Range Rover would get into the middle lane of a motorway and cruise along at about 68MPH. In that way, it's high visibility would cause all traffic in the area to slow down, while still allowing those in a hurry to pass via the outside lane without breaking the speed limit...or at least not too badly.

Of course if the whole purpose is just to catch a few people and then exult in the fact that "it's some other poor bastard, not me" then by all means adopt the anally retentive attitude shown by those who get all righteously indignant about letting "scumbags" get away with driving a few miles over the limit.

I know one shouldn't make "ad hominem" attacks on individual posters so I won't, but all those decrying the habit of flashing oncoming traffic to warn about speed checks remind me of nothing more than the current American Tight Arses who parrot the line "But they're breaking the law, man!" about asylum seekers and refugees having their families broken up while trying to cross the American border.

Be proud of yourselves, Pharisees. Jesus thought a lot of your kind too! :rolleyes:

You've got some nerve comparing speeders to asylum seekers don't you. Would you really equate a fine with having your family torn apart? Go on, tell me more about the plight of the impatient prick.

Snickers Man

whisky_galore wrote: »

A duty?

If you flash an oncoming unmarked Garda car, do you think they'll appreciate the gesture? Or turn on the blue traffic lights and come after you?

Answers on a postcard...

And do what?

Seriously? What possible offence could they charge you with that they would have an earthly chance of gaining a conviction?

Don't bother with the postcard; just tell us.

[EDIT: Never mind. The above posters have made it perfectly clear for you ]

Snickers Man

FunLover18 wrote: »

You've got some nerve comparing speeders to asylum seekers don't you.

I didn't.

Wake up, and don't be so Woke.

alan partridge aha

Friend of mine was in town one day in the car and mouthed some expletive at an unmarked car against their driving. Lights went on and they asked him what was his problem. Nothing said he I was mouthing at the bs on the radio. Bye guard.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

BronsonTB

Twat-Badger wrote: »

Yes I do.

I also pull over into the hard shoulder if there's cars behind me to let them pass. I let other cars out of side turns, zip merge, give cyclists as much room as I can and make sure to thank other motorists who extend similar courtesies to me.

It's called courteous driving. Try it some time.

Very well said but from the responses here I can see why most have such poor manners on Irish roads.

Snickers Man

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

You really think that three penalty points is going to dissuade someone from ever speeding ever again?

Doesn't work that way.

Keep flashing guys and girls. Five good reasons:

1) You're slowing down more cars than a single cop with a gun could ever hope to do.

2) you're making the road safer for quite a stretch

3) You're pissing off the self righteous prigs who just LOVE seeing people get caught for doing not very much.

4...5 You can make up your own last two reasons.

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

Under His Eye

Well said. Proper order.

Joshua J

Aye drive all over as part of the job and would always flash. And if someone cruises up behind me I'll pull into the hard shoulder and leave them on.

Jamsiek

Alma Important Twinkle wrote: »

Speed limits are silly made up numbers (and made up decades ago when cars were nothing like they are today) that lots of people appear to think are one of the laws of physics and bow down to them like a king.

Not necessarily true, roads have design speeds based on their geometry.
Examples such as curves, super-elevation, surface, lane widths, etc, are based on these speeds.

Ask any road designer and they will tell you they are not just "made up numbers".