Flashing Headlights to warn of Radar Trap in PA

[Maestro]

Doing some research I ran across this court case

http://www.courts.state.pa.us/oppost...j-255-98mo.pdf

Talks about how the police ticketed a person for flashing their high beams during the day. They were obviously warning on coming drives of a speed trap. The ticket got thrown out after taking it to the State Supreme Court. They said the law was missapplied.

But there was a desenting opinion, here it is and one of the Judges was not there so this case could have gone the other way.

http://www.courts.state.pa.us/oppost...j-255-98do.pdf

This is interesting, the judge felt the person should have been cited for obstructing governmental operations.

[proudNMAmember]

Flashing your headlights to warn of an upcoming beartrap is a great thing.

[dj_taranu]

It`s always done all over Europe, the flashing of headlights towards oncoming traffic, to alert them of a radar trap...

[jwardell]

This is why you should flash your regular lights on and off instead. Nothing illegal with that.

[Maestro]

This is why you should flash your regular lights on and off instead. Nothing illegal with that.

Actaully, it could be illegal I found an Ohio case where a was actually charged with obstruction and they won on a techincality, but they said that waring others of a police using radar could be obstructing people operations.

The reason the state lose in that case was they could not prove they person was actually warning others.

[MEM-TEK]

*****

[Stealthcb]

I turn my foglights on and off to warn people. Let's see the cop tell me THAT is unsafe.

[McArcane]

me too. i got pulled in ohio for flashing the brights, but the leo was nice enough to let me go (it was night and he was coming the other way so i actually had flashed him) Ive never had a problem flashing the fogs but then again i dont think they are as good of a warning for other drivers and are most likely overlooked as a warning.

[HwyBear]

I would hope that the one's flashing their lights do not do so when police have traps set up in school zones, playground or residential areas......these are target areas where speed should not be tolerated and these driver's need to be hammered, and not just warned to slow down on this particular day when radar is around.

EG(your wife and child are walking in your area, slow area, a car zooming into the area gets "flashed" slows down, goes by the radar........next day your family is again walking, same car comes through, not being flashed, doesn't slow down, and blows a tire, loses control and takes your family out?....driver might have thought about the ticket they had the day B4 in that area and be driving slower)

Highway different story!

[McArcane]

very true, i agree..