Flashing lights to warn others about the police

on the highway when being passed by semis, I still flash my headlights twice to let the driver know it's safe to pull back into the righthand lane. I do not flash my headlights otherwise as our '11 Edge has HIDs and high lights simply change the focus point and is far too bright on 2 lane roads. Exception - unless it's to warn of deer on the road, and we have lots of deer in Southwest Winnipeg.

A lot of younger drivers have no clue what flashing lights mean. I can see the puzzled look in their faces when we cross.

you can always tell officer; i wanted my wiper blades to turn on and i used the wrong side (new car.. ) probably get away with the excuse.. or that i seen a deer back on highway (so warning ppl to be cautious)

Thanks!

I drive one of those big trucks, and I appreciate it when someone turns their headlights on and off to let me know I can move back into the right lane.

UNLESS! If I look into my passenger side mirror, and they HIT THE BRIGHTS AT THE SAME TIME! It's irritating, and for about a quarter of a mile, my truck is being piloted by a blind man!

Here in Canada, all new cars have DRLs and (usually) headlights are always on (80% power). The '11 Edge uses the front amber signal lights as DRLs which is a good compromise. Turning the headlights on and off in our car (with HIDs) is not fast and actually the lights go very bright and then dim slightly (temperature, start up voltage?) when they turn on. All that to say that I try to judge accordingly.

We often drive at night and deer are a real problem even in the city. We hit one with our previous car so we both said, next car will have HIDs to give us a better chance.

I disabled the DRL's on my car so the alternator is working all the time and now I can flash them to warn of cops ahead, which I do when it's feasible. I try to warn working guys like truck drivers, not kids driving stupid in Hondas and such.

I'll flash my headlights for truckers to let them know it's safe to move over. I saw them do it many years ago when one trucker was passing another trucker. The "passed" truck would flash to let the passer know he was far enough ahead to move back into the slow lane.

As for notifying others of police, I would assume you mean if one saw a cop on the side of the road with a radar gun or something, he could notify others in the opposite direction there was a cop ahead. I haven't seen any cops along side of the road trying to catch speeders in a long time.

I believe you are correct. I know some cops I could ask for sure, but I'm almost certain that in Ohio, which is where I am originally from, you don't want to get caught flashing your lights to warn of an officer running radar/laser. I believe it is interfering with police business or some such thing. Not sure if you'd be ticketed, but I'm willing to bet you'll get pulled over and warned.

I now live in Tennessee, and I've never seen so many cops in all my life! LOL We have 3 cities with 2 miles of each other, the county, and the State Troopers. They don't seem to stay in their jurisdictions here like they did in Ohio. Also, they drive around in cars that look just like one you or I would drive, with lights concealed within the vehicle. I don't think I'd want to try my luck with "Hillbilly Justice!"

How does one know what random flashing of lights means ? Some drivers seem to flash lights at you when you are waiting for them to pass you so you can turn left.

Instead of stopping and flashing lights at you, everyone would get where they want to go a lot fast if they just keep driving as normal. Instead I have to wait for them to 1) stop, 2) flash lights 3) continue stopping. They have the right of way so if I start to turn left and the oncoming car hits me, it is my fault. No thanks, I'll continue to wait, flashing or no flashing.

By analyzing your current situation and using common sense.

For example, if you are just pulling out of a well-lit mall parking lot at night and someone flashes you, it probably means that you forgot to turn on your headlights.

If you are in a rural area in the mountains, it may very well mean that the person has seen wildlife on the side of the road and are trying to warn you.

If you are waiting to make a left turn on green on a two lane road (no arrow) and there is a lot of traffic behind the other person, they are letting you know that they are yielding to you so that you will not have to wait a very long time to make the turn.

I was quite fortunate one winter when someone flashed their lights at me a few years ago. As soon as they flashed, I slowed down as quick as I could without locking the brakes which was quite difficult as the road was covered with a nice sheet of ice. Discovered around the next turn were a few cars spun out on the ice and blocking the road. Had they not warned me I more than likely would have crashed trying to avoid the cars all over the road that I couldn't see from where they flashed.

I never saw this in Ohio, but here in Tennessee the police will sit on the side of the road with their overheads on as if they have someone pulled over. It's a trick. They don't have anyone pulled over. They are running radar/laser, and hoping you fall for the idea that they are busy ticketing another driver.

Also, in some areas of Ohio, there are local ordinances that require the police to have their running lights and/or headlights on when they are sitting in one place running radar/laser. Again, in Tennessee, the rules seem to be different everywhere I've been so far. They WILL sit in the dark. You don't see them until it's too late. There hasn't been even ONE time that I've driver 2 miles or so and not seen at least 2 marked cars, and I wonder how many unmarked cops I haven't seen. Their approach seems to work. In most areas, my Garmin 255W has the speed limit on the map, and I stay within 5 MPH of the limit at all times.

In my younger days, I always had a radar detector. Ironically enough, I always had points on my license for getting caught speeding. However, without a radar detector, even if I AM driving over the limit, I have yet to be pulled over for speeding. Go figure eh? LOL

I love flashing bright at different situations mentioned in this thread. I saves time in problematic intersections, warns about road hazard ahead, could be a way of telling something (like you are blinding me or you forgot to turn the lights on at night) and so on...

no matter if it's considered illegal when warning about a cop's speed trap, flashing is good ... granted that the other side knows and understands how to interpret it.

also to be honest I haven't seen a manned speed trap in NJ for a few good years, nowadays they can measure speed of cars while driving around and pull you over when needed.
also there is so many red light cameras and automated speed traps here and there then I think cops have better things to do that waiting for speeders to pass.

The last time I saw a cop car parked in middle (green strip) of divided highway it was in South or North Carolina I believe. around here it's a really rare sight nowadays.

I usually drive 10-20% above speed limits, but I am no more young, so doing this smart (no tailgating, always checking mirrors, slowing down if I see a potential problem ahead and such). haven't been pulled over for speeding in 5 years.

Perhaps not as often, but then, there seems to be less speed traps.

I was flashed by a police car to let me know that there was other trouble going my way, which I thought was cool.

hehe, you see they use it

I actually have been flashed by a cop once too. that was when I was driving as usual on some state route and forgot the speed limit changed to city 25mph zone (I was doing good 50mph because I thought it was still the 40mph zone). the cop car from opposite direction flashed his brights at me from distance and stopped, I bet he was measuring my speed, but I understood what he meant, slowed down to 25-30mph and each of us went their ways
I am sure he was ready to pull me over for a solid ticket (and a court visit probably for being over 25mph past the limit), but he gave me a chance, I took it.

You must have Horse Shoes up you know what. I have never heard of a cop being that friendly.

A friend was flashed by a cop, she forgot to turn her lights on. Flashing can be useful in numerous situations. I had a guy in Wyoming flash me, and stuck his hand out the window to get me to stop. Wanted to warn me about the herd of buffalo blocking the road ahead.

This is an interesting twist to this topic. The Florida Highway Patrol was told to stop issuing tickets to motorists who flash their lights to warn others after a motorist sued them.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/civil/article1190703.ece

yeah hehe, he must have been having a good day or something
I have actually received only 1 speeding ticket (along with going to a municipal court) which I earned in my own hometown LOL!

this is actually a funny story. I have been working on my car repairing some acceleration bog down issues and random misfire problems. when I finished it it was dark already, but I wanted to take it for a test.
So I figured, it's almost midnight, so I will try accelerating to like 50mph on the empty main road (25mph zone) and slow down to test it, besides I needed to go to 24hr store for smokes... the moment I accelerated to 50mph I had a cop on my tail with all the lights on :facepalm:

to make it even more dramatic, I haven't pulled over and continued driving to that 24hr store, it was close like 200-300ft away, I figured I will stop there so I can get my smokes sooner LOL! bad idea.

the moment I pulled to store's parking lot, the cop cut me off and jumped out of his cruiser with a gun in his hand! jesus, nobody has ever pointed a gun at me before!

he thought I robbed someone or such, he actually though I was trying to get away (I was driving very slowly when getting to that store) ... asked me questions like "are you intoxicated? have you done anything illegal? why haven't you pulled over at first?" that part was actually funny to me.

he holstered his weapon after I told him I was not feeling safe to stop near the railroad tracks (that's where he wanted to pull me over), then didn't want to stop at intersection so I came here and besides wanted to get the damn smokes LOL!

EDIT:
don't worry I'm not crazy or a speeder (used to be many years ago, nothing to be proud of after all these years) no matter how it looks like.

That above story is very old, I paid my price for that. My state uses points that insurance companies like to use in order to raise the premiums A LOT for next 3 years. other option is to make a deal with prosecutor in court (that's less pricey, but there is a limit of 2 such deals in 5 years).

usually I AM the one driving AT speed limits in residential areas and being flashed from behind for that, because some folks think I am dumb and going super slow in their opinion (I block them with satisfaction hehe).

I agree. I've heard of sometime going nearly 200mph right in front of their house!

Was that a misprint?

I will usually flash my lights to oncoming traffic if I am on a freeway somewhere and see a cop sitting in a speed trap. I figure it's all part of the game -- they try to catch us and we try to not get caught.

I personally think highway speeds in this country are too low. Then again, they probably have to be since they apparently give drivers licenses to anyone with a pulse.

that I agree with. highway speed limits here are low, in NJ the max I see is 65 ... and yet the whole traffic flows at 75-80mph in left lane LOL, nobody cares

I was actually surprised a week ago when I took a road trip from New Jersey to South Carolina and noticed that interstate speed limit on I-95 in Virginia (a cop state, speed limits enforced by an aircraft and electronic devices - you can read that on road signs over there) and North Carolina has been raised to 70mph!

that's nice, gives an effective traffic speed of around 80-85mph on the left lane, not bad. if someone doesn't like it they stick to the truckers lane and everybody is happy.

roads are not bad mostly, they could accommodate a little higher limits easily, but probably as you said, certain drivers wouldn't like it and then there is a question of technical condition of some cars utilizing them ... again, IMHO that's what the right lane is for, I think. Let the people drive faster in left lane - it's called a "passing lane" in European countries, you don't block it trying to drive AT speed limits in left lane, that's not the best idea.

Aren't all states cop states? I've never noticed aircraft doing speed patrol in Virginia though, they would have to issue a lot of tickets to justify that expense. They could do the same without leaving the ground.

Virginia's one curiosity is its omnipresent ban on radar detectors, the only state in the nation to still do so. (DC does too IIRC). It seems kind of silly, since FCC regulates spectrum, how can a state prohibit reception of radio signals? Or light for that matter, their ban also includes laser detectors. It's all a moot issue anyway, today's radar / laser systems don't need to transmit any warning if you aren't lucky to detect back scatter against an earlier vehicle. By the time you detect them they have you.

I've heard that too!

Where I live the cops ticket people for that, although I still do it on occasion

Yeah I have always wondered what happended to this practice.

I've always wanted to know what had happened to that

well, you are probably right, cops in all states will try enforcing whatever rules they can. still somehow, only in Virginia most car drivers get a little freaked out by the road signs and actually slow down closer to speed limits

in NJ you can actually see the drivers press the gas pedal deeper more often hehe ... no fear that some "aircraft" will shoot a pic and cause lots of grief later on (if that ever happens in VA).

btw, I have never used a radar detector, it's just silly, I've never felt a need to use it either.
I always go by common sense and a hunch, never failed me ... unless I did a stupid thing on purpose and then suffered the consequences

I have never done it myself. I would think the driver in front of me would like assume that I am trying to signal him.

I'm not for flashing, the young ladies get upset when I flash, but if they were the ones flashing, that would be a different story.

just keeping the windmill alive.

I used to do it all the time. But now as I am older and more furgal, I just cant see risking the getting a ticket. I mean whats the point of going to all the trouble of beating Spedd cMaeras, Red Light Cameras if your just going to get a ticket for flashing your headlights, something that is very easily a prevented violation? What a quandry ? LOL

I found this little bit of info in WikiPedia regarding MAryland:

In Maryland, police officers ticket drivers for flashing car headlights under a law which prohibits driving in a vehicle with flashing lights and laws prohibiting "obstructing a police investigation".[12] The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland challenges the current interpretation of the law, contending the law refers to an adjective and not a verb; automatic flashing lights on non-emergency vehicles are illegal, but the act by a driver of flashing a vehicle's headlamps is not.[12] Though ticketing was common in the 1990s, Maryland and Washington, D.C. police say that flashing one's headlights was not against the law in either place. END

I am not willing to take the chance and then have some hot head officer decide to just use it for a reason to pull me over and continue with an agressive safety check or other fun "program". My time and nerves are just to valuable.

Yeah, we heard about this a couple of weeks ago. Many county and local police are also stopping these tickets until the issue is resolved.

I always flash someone that is towing when they pass me to let them know they can get back over. I don't care about flashing someone for a cop, if they want to drive that fast then they deserve the ticket. I will flash some one if they have their highbeams on.

Cops were writing tickets for it (dubious legality) and scared a lot of folks into stopping.

if u do something like this in parts of los angeles, you might get shot

I like the interpretation challenge. adjective vs a verb hehe, a good one

if ACL wins, would the police refund all tickets issued on wrong/illegal interpretation?

I do it if the Cop is sneaky

I usually signal to trucks or someonr towing a trailer that they are clear to switch lanes in front of me. There are a few other situations where I signal that I am acknowledging they want to move in front of me and I agree they should. Stop signs, someone pulling out of a driveway... That sort of thing.

If a semi truck is trying to merge into my lane (esp in a construction zone) I'll flash my lights as soon as (s)he has room to get into the lane. And, if a truck lets me in, I turn on the 4-way flashers for a couple blinks as a 'thank-you'.

And when I see a cop in speed-trap mode, trying to get the low-lying fruit in a non-dangerous, non-congested area, you bet I'll try to assist a fellow motorist from the perils of enhancing government revenue. But if there is a car that is obviously far over the speed limit, I'll leave him to the wolves (or pigs??).

Yea, some cops have written tickets over this. But remember that cops in many places have arrested people for photographing cops, often when the police were doing something illegal. We can just do what the bullies want, or we can stand up for our rights, If you don't stand up for your rights when the government gets out of hand you loose them. Flashing lights is in no way interfering with police business. Its just warning fellow motorists (who, for all you know may be driving under the speed limit) that something is ahead that they should exercise caution about. They don't know what it is, might be wildlife, or an accident, or an officer pulling someone over or a speed trap. But even if there were some way to easily communicate the exact nature of the hazard that you are suggesting caution for, it should be a free speech issue to be able to say to someone else "there is a police officer ahead working". If you can't say that or at least try to express it then the concept of free speech is pointless.

I'm afraid if I flashed my brights in certain parts of Los Angeles, the local inhabitants would mistake it for a "drive-by" and shoot back.....

It seems the art of driving has been lost in todays society. The kids today don't care about anything except their gadgets and getting there. Of course I can't just say it's todays youth that don't know how to drive, because I see it from all ages. I speed a little, but I'm safe. Most of you on here are downloading the safety cameras, if you aren't speeding than what do you need it for. Opened up a long line of defense there... lol...I think there should be more education involved in getting a license, it is a privilege not a right.

And yes I do flash my lights to let people know of cops, and yeild to let a trucker in the lane, get over when people want to merge from an exit or side street, and most importantly, I stay in the right lane except when passing.

Back in the 55mph era, I was driving about 62 mph late at night. An oncoming car blinked his headlights. Then about 2 seconds later he blinked his overheads. I got the point & immediately slowed. We both continued on our way. Whew!

One time I was heading from Vancouver to Seattle on I5, and caught up to this person doing the speed limit in the passing lane. I flashed my high beams on behind him, and instead of moving over he turned on his red and blue lights... Guess that meant he would not move over anytime soon

still goes on the Jerry Springer show. YEA !

LOL! that must have been a real surprise
around here cops NEVER drive at the speed limits, they usually drive with the traffic flow no matter if that means 70 or 80mph in 65 zone, especially in light/moderate traffic conditions. that is nice actually as they are letting people know that they are not here to pull over for some ridiculous 10-20% over the speed limit.

I always flash from behind on slow or too safe drivers blocking the left lane. I have a habit of moving over to the right(er) lane whenever I see a car behind my closing in fast, they don't even have to flash, I just know ... but some people can't understand the idea of a "passing lane" *sigh*
instead they think they serve a good purpose by blocking a dozen cars on interstate right behind them ... and then the madness starts, half of the cars start switching lanes like crazy, some of them end up passing the traffic using middle or right lanes whatever is free. that sucks!

There is a kid down the street who I can hear coming and going in his old Volvo.

I will flash my lights when I believe the speed limit has been purposefully set low to enhance coffers & is not a safety issue.

We have one location near where I live where the police are perennially raising funds. That doesn't mean I'll do it where people are travelling multiple tens of mph above the speed limit.

Fred