Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I am curious to know the law about flashing bright lights to notify a car going in the opposite direction that a Police car is waiting for them. The reason I am asking is because my boss was cited for doing this and he said that he was actually flashing his brights to say hello to a friend.

Searching is fun!

http://forums.realpolice.net/showthread.php?t=25281&highlight=flashing+headlights

http://forums.realpolice.net/showthread.php?t=22437&highlight=flashing+headlights

Thanks.

Sure , his friends are all of the traffic coming in the opposite direction and he was waving " hi, there is a cop waiting for you".

ive never even heard of people doing that! they deserve to get pulled over

Yep.. They get tagged. They can get hit under the statues relating to using high beams when they are too close to another vehicle.

The rationale doesn't matter. Flashing your brights in oncoming traffic is illegal period.

The rationale doesn't matter. Flashing your brights in oncoming traffic is illegal period.


Bingo...

It doesn't matter WHY he was flashing his lights, it is illegal to do so towards oncoming traffic. ;)

It may be illegal, but I will continue to do so when people either:
-Fail to dim their lights
-Have a light (er, or both) out.

I guess if I get pulled over for either of those in this lifetime, it will be worth the ticket.

hahahaha! When I saw the thread header I thought it read "Flashing Rights". Whoops, I got all excited for nothing.

It may be illegal, but I will continue to do so when people either:
-Fail to dim their lights
-Have a light (er, or both) out.

I guess if I get pulled over for either of those in this lifetime, it will be worth the ticket.

Why would you flash your lights at someone that has a headlight out?

This is not a common custom in your neck of the woods? You are an LEO, so you clearly are more in tune with simple things like having lights that work than most people, but I bet if you went and unplugged one of your lights you'd find people flashing you almost immediately.

Prolly half the drivers around here will do that....idea obviously being that if you drive down the road with your low beams on and every other car flashes you, you may get inquisitive and check your vehicle out.

Flashing lights at people may not be THE safest thing to do, but I'm unaware of a more effective way of letting another driver know something is wrong. Flashing the hazards is probably a better idea, but no one does that.

Also, around here, people quite routinely flash to warn oncoming traffic of a LEO hanging out down the road. The result is that people slow down and pay attention, which I'm not quite sure is a bad thing.

It wouldnt be a bad thing unless someone was doing it to warn speeders who were going by the front of YOUR house.

Well, I don't personally agree with it, and I don't personally use the lights for that tactic. I can definitely see why it could be a bad thing in that case. I'm still pretty sure flashing lights at people is one of the best options to alert them of a light out/etc. Unless someone is really thick, they will get curious when two or three people do so.

I've seen people flash there high beams to warn on coming traffic of accident that they would be coming upon.

I see why someone would do it but flashing your lights is illegal no matter what so dont do it.....god people are dumb

Unfortuntely for us, PA caselaw has decided that flashing headlights during the DAY is not a violation of our aptly named " Multiple Beam and Roadlighting Equipment charge.

I see why someone would do it but flashing your lights is illegal no matter what so dont do it.....god people are dumb


I don't think it is a matter of being dumb,

If it slows people down on the roadway, who cares, I would rather see someone flash headlights, then see someone take out a civilian or police officer at a accident scene.

I don't think it is a matter of being dumb,

If it slows people down on the roadway, who cares, I would rather see someone flash headlights, then see someone take out a civilian or police officer at a accident scene.
There are several reasons why it is not a good idea to warn oncoming motorists of an LEO monitoring traffic not the least of which is the glare can be dangerous. You don't know who you are warning, it could be a criminal or a drunk driver. It could be a terrorist for all you know, driving without a license. I know it sounds crazy but many petty violators and dangerous felons have been caught on routine traffic stops.

I see why someone would do it but flashing your lights is illegal no matter what so dont do it.....god people are dumb

Pot....kettle....

I only flash my brights if someone is coming at me with their brights on. That is the ONLY reason why I do it. However I do not like one thing I did have happen to me. I was on an Expressway out in the middle of BFE. I had my high beams on because it was dark, and no street lights on the expressway. No other cars in my two lanes. There was a good 50ft median between us and the other traffic. A car came around the curve in the other direction and he hit me with his Spotlight. THAT was bright. Almost blinded me as well. Kept on seeing spots and it took a couple of seconds to get my complete vision back.

Is it somehow legal to even have a spotlight down there? I'm pretty sure thats a big no-no here.

Is it somehow legal to even have a spotlight down there? I'm pretty sure thats a big no-no here.


I'm not sure. I do know that when Police Cruisers are re-sold to the public at auctions and what not, they are left on. I've seen quite a few retired cruisers running around with the spotlight still on.

It wouldnt be a bad thing unless someone was doing it to warn speeders who were going by the front of YOUR house.

:D so true

I'm not sure. I do know that when Police Cruisers are re-sold to the public at auctions and what not, they are left on. I've seen quite a few retired cruisers running around with the spotlight still on.

I just saw this sort of thing today. it was an auctioned '96 or so CV from the local PD. Still B&W, gold reflective stripe, no POLICE on it. BUT they put a cb antenna on the roof (looked like an add-on)where the lightbar was before, still had the spotlight on the A pillar, and they had blue lensed driving lights on the front bumper. Ohio doesn't have many cop cars with tags on them, and the ones on this one were regular passenger car plates; logic suggests it was an auctioned car. In your opinion, would this be grounds for a ticket (blue lights,etc. I know not many people that buy old cop cars/ambulances (yecchh) bother to paint the doors to match the rest of the car.) or anything?

I just saw this sort of thing today. it was an auctioned '96 or so CV from the local PD. Still B&W, gold reflective stripe, no POLICE on it. BUT they put a cb antenna on the roof (looked like an add-on)where the lightbar was before, still had the spotlight on the A pillar, and they had blue lensed driving lights on the front bumper. Ohio doesn't have many cop cars with tags on them, and the ones on this one were regular passenger car plates; logic suggests it was an auctioned car. In your opinion, would this be grounds for a ticket (blue lights,etc. I know not many people that buy old cop cars/ambulances (yecchh) bother to paint the doors to match the rest of the car.) or anything?


Beats me man. Im not a cop. :D

I'd ask this in Ask a Cop section though. ;)

In FL you CANNOT have your car painted in the Black/Tan theme of the FHP cars

Any blue lenses/lights are illegal in TN unless you are law enforcement. ;)

Saw the same car again last night way home from work. This time the lights were normal white driving lights. I work thirds on weekends starting next week, so I'l have to see if comes in for fuel.