lokokkee

It is a common local practice to flash headlights to warn oncoming traffic of police speed trap that one has passed on the opposite lane of motorways. I did that just as a patrol cop on a bike came into view. He turned and looked at me, as if mentally noting down my registration. Is this illegal under similar British traffic laws? I could have been just flashing the car in front of me to indicate my overtaking.
Cheers.

chrisp

Very difficult to prove in court why you flashed your lights and I wouldnt think they would bother. The use of headlights is to indicate that you are there and you were obviously . Now if you flashed your fogs then they could do you.

Tiggs

"as if mentally noting down my registration"

lol- what sort of look is that then?

Robertio

iTrader: (1)

AFAIK it is still illegal to warn other motorists of a speed trap.

meebs

Coming down a crest on a busy weekend I was flashed by oncoming traffic. Was doing 70 in a 60 zone, promptly slowed down to 60 when flashed... then around the corner there he was, but still was pulled over! Even though I was in the middle of a pack, he went after my car, go figure. Said I was doing 64, let me off with a warning.

I doubt they could prove why you were flashing, you could say your hand slipped off the wheel.

lokokkee

"as if mentally noting down my registration"
lol- what sort of look is that then?
A look long enough to read my plate, rather than just a quick back glance.

"AFAIK it is still illegal to warn other motorists of a speed trap."
Where is it written in the statues that flashing headlights per se constitutes a "warning" of a speed trap? As I said, I could be overtaking. It is rather inconsistent that UK allows radar detectors and prohibit speed trap warnings to other motorists. It is illegal to use detectors here, and the cops even claim to have "radar detector" detector when my mate was caught with one.

P.J

I was caught flashing a motorist as he approached one of the many unmarked vans in Wales with the camera pointing through a the tiny window out the back door. The copper flagged me down at the top of the road and proceeded to lecture me on how I was perverting the course of justice by flashing someone who was in the process of commiting a crime yada yada yada.
I took his lecture then politely informed him that as he had no proof that the vehicle in question was in fact speeding and he could not prove that that was the reason I was flashing the car he was wasting valuable oxygen (this was put very politely of course).
I know only of one person who has been successfully done for warning others and that was an old workmate who when caught in a speed trap on his bike turned back, parked 1/4 mile up the road and warned all the following bikes as they approached him devoiding the boys in blue their fun. He was caught by an unmarked approaching police bike. No ban but a £150 fine.

Robertio

iTrader: (1)

As long as you have another reeason for flashing your lights, ie trying to turn on the washers, or as you say to warn them you are about to overtake you are OK.

The reason a detector is legal is because it is not warning you of a sped trap, but simply receivng a signal, is you consider the signal to be a warning of a speed trap and slow down accordingly then you are breaking the law.

wacky.banana

Technically it is illegal to warn other motorists of police activity as it could be seen as perverting the course of justice. However there are so many legitimate reasons why you could have used your lights that I can't see any copper worth his salt doing you unless you were very overt about it.

If you read the highway code it does say somewhere that you can flash your headlamps to warn other road users of your presence. Isn't that what you were doing when the police bike went past you then, young man?!

WB

lokokkee

Robertio, your reason that it is legal to use a radar detector, but illegal to slow down when beeped implies that one can be done for twice, once for speeding and another one for slowing down. You only slow down if you are over the limit in the first place and that's the sole purpose of having a detector. I used to have a detector (illegal if caught), but stopped using one when the cops upgraded to laser, which gives little or no prior warning and came to rely on other motorists flashing warnings instead.
WB, the copper was travelling on the opposite side of a divided motorway, and he was not in a Scoob, so no reason to flash him, lol.

[Edited by lokokkee - 6/16/2002 6:38:21 PM]

Katana

Tell your friend of the Lima puluh ringgit technique.

IanA

Seems a bit cynical of the plod to preach that 'they're concerned with reducing speed, not prosecutions or revenue' and then prosecute someone for doing their job for them!!

lokokkee

Katana, it was "lima ratus ringgit" for possession of the detector on top of the "lima puluh" one for speeding. However, my friend managed to bargain for the return of his detector. For those not from the region, the former is a 500 big ones on the spot "fine" while the latter is a $50(local currency) voluntary contribution to the "police retirement fund"

Robertio

iTrader: (1)

That is indeed correct, ultimately if I were ever to speed I would prefer to take my chances and slow down, you never know I might get away with both crimes, which IMHO is worth the risk. I have had this conversation with a former police force employee that I know.

As I've told him; there are 2 reasons I have the dector in the car:

1. I like the beeping sound.

2. Speed traps are only located in accident black spots, so despite the fact it may look to be safe to maintain the legal limit that I am travelling at, I use the knowlesge that I am approaching a dangerous area and slow down accordingly.

DJFish

And that's exactly the reason you should flash people, the coppers have set up a safety camera to prevent accidents, therefore surely you'd just be helping them, not perverting the course of justice.

I think I'd be willing to argue the toss if stopped.

Here's a question though, if you saw a car pressing on towards a camera you'd flash your lights to let them know you're there (in accordance with the highway code) right?
But would you warn everyone? are there certain drivers that you wouldn't bother to flash??
Discuss.

Scooby Dooby Blue

I'd never, under any circumstance, warn an apparant member of the "Nova Brigade"

Huxley

My thoughts are if you get stoped for flashing someone to say there is a speed trap i would say to the boys in blue "Prove Beyond resonable doubt that i flashed a car to say there was a speed trap ahead" No i was just flashing to let the car in front know i was there or the car coming the other way that was just about to over take as i was.



Huxley

Katana

Sigh.... Its all in the delivery. You've got to charm your way into making the police not to give you a fine. The 50 is used merely as a thank you gesture.

lokokkee

Katana, you must be a SYT to be able to charm the copper into letting u go with just a warning. Nowadays, this won't work as they don't stop you any more, just send u a summons by registered post.

jjones

thanks to the chap in the old escort who flashed me on sunday morning to warn me of a trap around the corner.

i wasn't speeding but appreciated the thought.

oh the local coppers put nice temporary signs out (like the police slow) saying Police and a little camera piccie i have seen this twice in recent weeks (and both times flashed by oncoming motorists)

i will definately flash people to warn them of traps.

Pete Croney

If I were stopped for doing this, I would say that I was alerting approaching motorists that they were approaching a known accident black spot and they should pay close attention to their speed... as speed kills

Lets see them nick you for that