Do you flash your light to warn drivers

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Failure to Dim, NH RSA 264:114

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/xxi/265/265-114.htm

It's up to interpretation, but flashing counts, although the intent is for people (mostly drunks) who forget to shut off their high beams going by you.

Lastly, that is just NH, I'm sure everywhere has something similar though.

Not disagreeing but I think it's funny that tmreyes made a thread about it hahaha and nice truck dude!

 

I have heard it is illegal though I do it sometimes. One time I was on the interstate and a cop was sitting in the median looking for speeders coming the other direction. I flashed my lights at the others and then realized there was a state trooper in front of me in an unmarked car. I guess he didn't notice or didn't care.

I also try to do it if there is an accident or hazard ahead especially in the mountains or on a curvy road where a hazard can come up really quick.

 

I flash mine sometimes randomly to make people think there is a speedtrap ahead just to make them slow down...................or to act like I knew them.


How can cops reasonably give you ticket for flashing your brights at them when they have theirs on and you don't know it's a cop until you pass them? Makes no sense at all. Better be against the law to flash anybody with brights on and even that makes no sense at all. You get a ticket for flashing someone who is driving with theirs on but the person driving with them on doesn't? Crazy concept. If brights are deemed to be against the law then vehicles in those states shouldn't even come with brights. I can see a lot of wasted court time and wasted taxpayer money tied up in litigating that whak shit.

 

I was leaving for basic training the next morning, so my dad had to go to court for me. Luckily he was a prior sheriff and knew the judge. Only had to pay the court fees for me.

 

This, drive the speed limit, get no tickets. I don't feel bad for people who get caught speeding, they are hazards on the road.

 

It's unheard of to get a ticket for that. At least where I am. It's a good reason for a stop though because statistically every other car driving with its brights on is cocked, it's a good indicator. Stopping someone for flashing an incoming cruiser to let them know about another cruiser ahead is probably more of an embarrassment factor, but is a reason for a stop (though I've heard of it happening ONCE)

So before you get your panties all tied up and throw the "I pay your salary with taxes" bull shit, understand the reason for the law. Ultimately, YOU choose the people who make these laws, cops do not make them, so don't get pissy with us.

 

Yea the cops here have roadblocks like so often you'd think this was Nazi Germany and the Gestapo. I flash my lights to warn people if I can.

 

You should know that the rules dont apply to them, only to you.

 

Around here that is a common cause for accidents. I'm not bad mouthing you but in general people really shouldn't try to be traffic cops, just pay attention to your own driving and be safe. The worst accident I was ever in was because somebody decided to "be nice" and flashed their lights at a car that was waiting to turn left. The problem was it was a 4 lane road, the NICE GUY was in the left lane and stopped, I was in the right (going the speed limit) and never slowed down and the woman coming the opposite direction gunned it and rammed me right in the drivers side door. I was ok and so was she, but the whole thing could have been avoided if Nice Guy had just paid attention to his own safety and driving.

 

That's hogwash - simply not true. For example, I followed this cop, with two cars between us, for over ten miles (from the last traffic light in the previous town - we were all four stopped there). Just as we entered "his" town, he pulled over and then behind me. It was the middle of the afternoon. He first claimed I was drunk, swerving, and speeding (none true). Okay, might have been swerving since that's a vague term (any movement could be considered swerving). Told him I was not drinking (in fact, don't drink) and not speeding. Also told him if I had truly been speeding, I would have had to either pass him and the two other cars, or run over all three of them. The alcohol test was negative, but he wrote the speeding ticket anyway.

Also once got a ticket for passing a slowpoke doing between 35-45 mph on the freeway. Even though I never exceeded 55mph (10mph under limit - followed the slowpoke for some distance and turning off in less than a mile), a cop going the other way saw me passing at that very moment and judged I was speeding based solely on how quickly I was passing that car. The ticket said I was traveling at 75mph, that again based on the false notion the car I was passing was going the speed limit.

I fought both of these tickets, but couldn't prove I wasn't speeding (guilty, based on the officer's word alone, until proven innocent). I could get into a couple of other tickets, but these two are enough to prove the point.

 

not for cops i don’t! #1 it’s illegal in most states as far as i know.


now i do flash for wrecks or broke down cars/trucks. also may flash for a cow in the road. lol.

 

Back in 1996 I was working as a Property Manager in Alexandria, Virginia.

I happened to pulling out of one of the buildings I was managing and immediately saw a cop doing radar. Went down the road, flashed a couple of cars coming my way and wouldn't you know it, one of them was an undercover cop.

The officer made a quick u-turn, turned on his lights and pulled me over. He came up to my car rather upset, demanded my license and registration. Started walking to the back of my car and told me to turn on my left signal then my right signal and then step on my brakes. Came around the front of the car then told me to do the same thing, turn on my left signal and my right signal. I then yelled out the window there was no need to check my headlights because he obviously saw that they worked a few moments earlier.

The officer came to my window and told me to never flash my lights again and then he threw my license and registration into the car.....

 

What a dick

 

yep i flash when i can to warn other people.

 

Heck, I've flashed my lights at so many cops (friends, associates, neighbors, etc), I find it extremely hard to believe it would be considered a violation. None have ever complained or objected. In fact, the flash function on the headlight switch is there specifically to get the attention of other drivers for whatever reason (warn of hazards, etc). A cop seeking to write a ticket certainly fits the description of a hazard - "a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune."

Anyway, the comment you replied to talked about being blinded by approaching headlights. Was he supposed to just drive into the ditch, potentially dying in a crash, instead of flashing his headlights? That doesn't even make sense. Thus, your response doesn't make sense.

Well, around here (a midsized southern town), traffic congestion is generally light to moderate (darn light compared to many larger cities) and it's just a considerate thing to do when possible.

If this case, there was only the lane directly in front of me open for this car to pull into. The other lanes had stopped vehicles (an accident at the next intersection), plus there was a divider in the middle of the highway preventing a turn in any other direction anyway. He was also coming out of an enclosed residential neighborhood (only road in or out), so was likely familiar with this intersection (knew about the divider, etc).

In other words, I'm not stupid (causing a situation which might lead to an accident), but I do try to be polite when the opportunity presents itself.

 

I flash people to warn them. To me, cops and drivers play a game of cat and mouse, and getting a flash from someone is part of the game.

When I flash someone, I also turn on my turn signal and change lanes (if possible) so if I get pulled over I can tell the cop I accidently flashed the brights when turning on my turn signal.

I actually had a copy with brights on come at me on a long stretch of road at night, and I flashed him 6-7 times. He didn't pull me over, but you have to believe if he did give me a ticket, I wouldn't be paying a penny.

 

All of which is ancedotal and only includes your side of the story. I've got tons of times that I've driven by the police at or below the speed limit that I didn't get pulled over. Probably more times than you have been pulled over when you weren't speeding.

You can't argue the logic that, for the most part, driving the speed limit and following the rules of the road will keep you out of the eye of police - and that the converse (driving like a raging idiot) will get your more attention than the average bear.

 

Yes, I flash for numerous reasons.

 

I don't flash to warn drivers of police. Don't speed is my motto.

I also don't use my brights to warn people (of animals on road, accidents, etc) I find that to be hazardous and annoying.

If I warn people I do so by turning my lights on and off rapidly once or twice.

 

You are still talking about headlights...YES?