Alerting your fellow motorists to speed traps.

[TheFeniX]

Ok, I don't know about other states, but in Texas: that is illegal.

In fact, flashing your lights (turning them off and on rapidly) is ilegal in any context.

My buddy got busted for it. "Obstructing Police Justice" and it was like $150 fine.

EDIT: You could always ask a cop next time you see one that doesn't look too busy. I will flash people a warning depending on what mood I'm in.

[Xenophobe3691]

It's also illegal in Florida, my friend also got busted for it. And right outside of school, too

[RedImperator]

I'm going down a hill in a 30mph zone during the day. I pass by a well hidden police motorcyclist speed trap. As I'm coming up, I flash my headlights twice to alert opposing traffic of the speed trap. Am I breaking the law? Am I morally justified in doing this?

Breaking the law: several years ago, I heard about a woman who passed a speed trap and flashed her lights--at the unmarked police car coming to relieve the one in the trap. She recieved a ticket for it. The judge threw the case out, saying that flashing your headlights isn't illegal and it's not obstruction of justice because the stated purpose of speed traps is to enforce the speed limit. If somebody slows down because they were warned about the speed trap, then the trap has done its job even if the municipality doesn't get to collect the ticket money (the real reason most of these speed traps exist).

This isn't legal advice, by the way, and it's purely anecdotal. I have no idea what the actual law is.

Morally: It's perfectly moral. Speed traps are about money, not safety. A lot of small towns factor ticket revenue into their budgets. If by flashing my lights John Q. Bumpkin's property taxes go up, that's just too bad.

EDIT: And speed traps are mostly only effective against outsiders, anyway. Townies know where they are and slow down for them. If I give directions to an out of towner and say, "Watch your speed on this road, there's a speed trap", is that immoral?

[Darth Servo]

I have a few friends in Virginia who claim speed trap warnings are pretty much expected. They're viewed as part of common courtesy there.

[Andrew J.]

Youc could just go below the speed limit and say, "Fuck all those law-breaking idiots," you know.

[Gil Hamilton]

Youc could just go below the speed limit and say, "Fuck all those law-breaking idiots," you know.

And piss off everyone on the road, because no one goes the speed limit on most roads unless they are in the middle of a town. Sometimes it's more dangerous to road safety and convencience for doing 55 when everyone else is doing 70.

On topic, I think it's perfectly fine to warn people behind you that you've spot a speed trap. It's not like the cops are ticketing you for your safety; they are fundraising.

[Joe]

If the speed limit in the area is 25, yes, you are morally justified in doing it.

[jegs2]

I'm going down a hill in a 30mph zone during the day. I pass by a well hidden police motorcyclist speed trap. As I'm coming up, I flash my headlights twice to alert opposing traffic of the speed trap. Am I breaking the law? Am I morally justified in doing this?

It may be illegal in some places, but I'll generally alert others, especially if it is one of those "wide-spot-in-the-road" speed traps designed to separate "joe" from his money when he's just trying to get from Point A to Point B. I've never been nailed for alerting others, and I think it would be difficult for a cop to prove you were signalling others anyway...

[Xenophobe3691]

Youc could just go below the speed limit and say, "Fuck all those law-breaking idiots," you know.

I can say that I tried that today on Alligator Alley. People'll still speed right up to your ass expecting you to speed up. I was also literally two inches from being rear-ended by this Boca Bitch who expected me to hit 60 on a 45 mile per hour road, and my dad yelled at ME for letting the lady get so close to my tail.

[jegs2]

I can say that I tried that today on Alligator Alley. People'll still speed right up to your ass expecting you to speed up. I was also literally two inches from being rear-ended by this Boca Bitch who expected me to hit 60 on a 45 mile per hour road, and my dad yelled at ME for letting the lady get so close to my tail.

That's just South Florida in general. I've noticed what I like to call an "Asshole Zone" extending from West Palm Beach to the south. The level of idiocy, road-rage, brainlessness, and assholiness is extremely high down there...

It's got much worse down there, since I moved away in '88, or maybe I'm just desensitized now...

[Robert Treder]

If you flashed your lights at me, I certainly wouldn't slow down. Until reading this thread, I had no idea whatsoever that flashing your lights meant a speedtrap was coming up.
Now maybe I'll slow down if I ever see someone flash their lights at me (though I don't recall ever seeing anyone flash their lights at anyone).

As for morality, it most certainly isn't immoral to help someone avoid a ticket when, as the judge in Red's story said, the way you avoid the ticket is by obeying the law.
It would be obstruction of justice to tell a guy the cops were looking for him and have him slip out the back entrance, but to simply convince someone to obey the law is just doing what the speedtrap is attempting to do, but without a stupid ticket.

[Sea Skimmer]

Breaking the law: several years ago, I heard about a woman who passed a speed trap and flashed her lights--at the unmarked police car coming to relieve the one in the trap. She recieved a ticket for it. The judge threw the case out, saying that flashing your headlights isn't illegal and it's not obstruction of justice because the stated purpose of speed traps is to enforce the speed limit. If somebody slows down because they were warned about the speed trap, then the trap has done its job even if the municipality doesn't get to collect the ticket money (the real reason most of these speed traps exist).

I remember that case.

In most areas going below the speed limit makes you a hazard to other drivers, when we get better speed limits I'll give a damn about people flashing there lights to hamper government money making.

[Faram]

Depends on the situation.

Outside kindergartens, schools, hospitals and stuff like that the speed limit here is 30km/h.

I would most definitely NOT alert someone of a speed trap close to those.

On the other hand at a 110km/h highway I usually do something like 130-150km/h and have saved my driver’s license a couple of times thou getting advance warning. There I also give speed trap warning.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

I'm going down a hill in a 30mph zone during the day. I pass by a well hidden police motorcyclist speed trap. As I'm coming up, I flash my headlights twice to alert opposing traffic of the speed trap. Am I breaking the law? Am I morally justified in doing this?

It's likely illegal, and no, you're not morally justified in doing it. Speed limits are established for a reason. And if someone gets nailed breaking it it's really their own damned fault.

[Gil Hamilton]

I remember that case.

In most areas going below the speed limit makes you a hazard to other drivers, when we get better speed limits I'll give a damn about people flashing there lights to hamper government money making.

Yeah... on the interstate system, we sort of joke the the speed limit is the minimum recommended speed you are supposed to go.

[RedImperator]

I'm going down a hill in a 30mph zone during the day. I pass by a well hidden police motorcyclist speed trap. As I'm coming up, I flash my headlights twice to alert opposing traffic of the speed trap. Am I breaking the law? Am I morally justified in doing this?

It's likely illegal, and no, you're not morally justified in doing it. Speed limits are established for a reason. And if someone gets nailed breaking it it's really their own damned fault.

The thing is, when the limits are realistic and set for safety, about 80% of drivers follow them. And wouldn't you know it, the speed traps aren't there. But when piddledick villages like Woodbury Heights, New Jersey set the speed limit on a road with houses on both sides at 35mph and the speed limit on a back road with nothing but weeds on either side at 25, that's a horseshit limit deliberately designed so drivers will speed, and I goddamn well do have the moral right to warn other drivers if I see a cop sitting there. The law is deliberately set so people will break it so the town can make money on speeding tickets, mostly off out-of-towners who don't know cops sit on that road. Not only am I right for warning drivers, they're wrong for setting the limit that low. It encourages people to disregard all speed limits, even ones that have solid engineering reasons behind them, it makes otherwise law-abiding people into lawbreakers, and it makes people who'd otherwise have no reason resent cops. Not to mention it's a chickenshit way for the town to raise revenue from people who don't have any say in how the town is run.

[Hamel]

I'm a recent victim of a speed traps

I don't know if it's illegal in Ohio to flash your lights to alert other drivers of a copper

[Slartibartfast]

If you flashed your lights at me, I certainly wouldn't slow down. Until reading this thread, I had no idea whatsoever that flashing your lights meant a speedtrap was coming up.
Now maybe I'll slow down if I ever see someone flash their lights at me (though I don't recall ever seeing anyone flash their lights at anyone).

Same here. If I flash my lights, it's to mean "get out of the fucking way you damn snail!". The klaxon is pretty much the same, depends on how I want to annoy the other driver.

[Phil Skayhan]

In New Jersey, there is no specific law that prohibits use of headlamps to warn of a speed trap That I could find. About as close as it comes is this:

...There shall be a lowermost distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed and of sufficient intensity to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 100 feet ahead; and on a straight level road under any condition of loading none of the high-intensity portion of the beam shall be directed to strike the eyes of an approaching driver.

So, if it's daytime, you can turn your low-beam lights on and off to warn a driver of an up coming speed trap. At night, unless your able to flash your foglamps, flashing high-beams would be a violation.

The whole "obstruction" argument doesn't seem like it would wash unless the officer could prove that a crime/violation had already occured. And I've never heard of anyone pulled over for flashing their lights in this manner.

[Zoink]

In my part of Canada, radar detectors are illegal, so I'd *suspect* that flashing is also. I don't do it myself, and I rarely see it happen.

The only trick I have is to be alert of the traffic way ahead (look for breaklights), and to be carefull near crests and overpasses... but that's pretty standard.

[weemadando]

Flashing your lights is illegal.

I also think its stupid, if you're speeding (and thus breaking the law) you're fair game. Whether or not its a cop with a radar gun, a police patrol car or a speed camera is irrelevant. You broke the law, you were busted. Its your own damn fault.

[Xenophobe3691]

Flashing your lights is illegal.

I also think its stupid, if you're speeding (and thus breaking the law) you're fair game. Whether or not its a cop with a radar gun, a police patrol car or a speed camera is irrelevant. You broke the law, you were busted. Its your own damn fault.

But what, like is said above, if the law is only there to bring money into the town in an inappropriate manner?

[weemadando]

Flashing your lights is illegal.

I also think its stupid, if you're speeding (and thus breaking the law) you're fair game. Whether or not its a cop with a radar gun, a police patrol car or a speed camera is irrelevant. You broke the law, you were busted. Its your own damn fault.

But what, like is said above, if the law is only there to bring money into the town in an inappropriate manner?

You. Are. Breaking. The. Law.

Just because you get a fine for it doesn't make it wrong - Jesus Christ fellating Moses while riding a goat-pulled mardi gras float! If you are busted for a robbery because you were seen on the security cameras - thats a fair cop, is it not? Yet, if you get busted for speeding by a speed camera its merely revenue raising - fucking hell, just accept the fact that it serves a dual purpose and move on.

[RedImperator]

You. Are. Breaking. The. Law.

Just because you get a fine for it doesn't make it wrong - Jesus Christ fellating Moses while riding a goat-pulled mardi gras float! If you are busted for a robbery because you were seen on the security cameras - thats a fair cop, is it not? Yet, if you get busted for speeding by a speed camera its merely revenue raising - fucking hell, just accept the fact that it serves a dual purpose and move on.

The LAW ITSELF is at fault. Why should I accept a law that fleeces motorists and makes the roads more dangerous by conditioning drivers to believe speed limits are set arbitrarily? It's Goddamn dangerous to use speed limits to raise municipal revenues, and I'm in no way morally obligated to cooperate in raising money for hick towns in that manner.

[Howedar]

If you flashed your lights at me, I certainly wouldn't slow down. Until reading this thread, I had no idea whatsoever that flashing your lights meant a speedtrap was coming up.
Now maybe I'll slow down if I ever see someone flash their lights at me (though I don't recall ever seeing anyone flash their lights at anyone).

Likewise.