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…their lights at another road user to warn of a speed trap ahead
Not what you were expecting was it , and I bet it gave ADMIN momentary palpitations when they saw the subject title — incidentally if anyone thought this was their opportunity to confess to something very similar then sadly this isn’t the forum to post it on, sorry peeps.
I ask this as was travelling back from delivering in Northampton on the A45 towards the A14, came off the dual carriageway were it goes to single lane and as I came round the corner a bit before the roundabout a truck flashed his lights and have the thumbs down as he passed , message received and understood I thought .
Quick glance at me Speedo and was doing………wait for it………….41mph according to my cruise control. So knocked off cruise and made sure I was doing 38 mph and continued with my journey, went over the roundabout and still hadn’t seen any cops hiding in bushes with their speed gun. But I knew they were not far away as every TRUCK/VAN/CAR I passed, must have been a line of 8 of them all flashing their lights as i passed .
Got round the corner and sure enough there he was sitting in the lay by, an ANPR van , not sure if they do speed as well do they but everyone must of assumed it was a speed camera van and that they should warn all the law abiding drivers coming the other way .
So as the title suggests has anyone on here or know of anyone that has actually been prosecuted or cautioned for being caught flashing their lights to warn of a speed trap ahead I know it says something in the Highway Code about it……
But if you do get caught doing it remember this, credit goes to the trucknet member who mentioned this initially on a different subject matter but I forget who.
After you have been caught and told your going to court, assuming it was a truck you flashed log onto TNUK and post a topic saying you thought you had spotted one of the members on here on that road at that particular time. That way your covered.
ROG:
YES - under the law ‘perverting the course of justice’ - a very serious charge
I am sure I put a link on this site some time ago to such a case.
Just tell the copper you’re a very cheery chap who likes to flash and wave at every man and his dog
On a funny note. One time when driving the artic on country roads I seen a tipper coming towards me in the distance and it was clear by the way the vehicle was moving that he was well ■■■■■■■ it. Flash Flash - Thumb down… that slowed him down for a bit
i’m sure i read recently they police tried to prosecute somebody for flashing but failed because they couldn’t prove behond blah blah blah the reason he’d obstructed the police.
besides since cameras are only located a accident blackspots you’re only warning on coming drivers that there is an accident blackspot ahead not a scamera.
Steve-o:
On a funny note. One time when driving the artic on country roads I seen a tipper coming towards me in the distance and it was clear by the way the vehicle was moving that he was well ■■■■■■■ it. Flash Flash - Thumb down… that slowed him down for a bit
You wanna borrow the TNUK post-posting tin hat it comes with a voucher for a guaranteed seat in the TNUK fallout shelter
i seem to vaguely recall a news story on this very subject some years ago. the police tried to do a driver for obstruction but the court sided with the driver as the offence could not be proven. its nice to see some sense coming from the courts but it might take a clever lawyer to get you off if the police wanted to pursue it.
i see what i believe to be someone about to break into a shop - i go up to them and tell them not to break into the shop and so they then decide not to break the law.
would you get prosecuted for this, for stopping crime
merc0447:
i see what i believe to be someone about to break into a shop - i go up to them and tell them not to break into the shop and so they then decide not to break the law.
would you get prosecuted for this, for stopping crime
i think this the reason they can’t successfully prosecute, if you knew the motorists you flashed waere speeding then that would be obstruction.
Just to add my 10p worth…I thought it was not an offence to warn other road users UNLESS, as a direct result of your warning the said “other road” user, they then take/make an action that results in them avoiding being caught!!
The police would then claim that YOUR actions (headlight flashing) directly resulted in someone else evading / avoiding getting caught. you would then have committed an offence!!..allegedly!!
This could leave you open to all sorts of charges…obstructing the police,perverting the course of justice, “attempting” to pervert the course of justice, and I’m sure plod or the CPS could find a few more if they wanted to!!
The hardest thing though is to prove (beyond reasonable doubt) that it was as a direct result of YOUR HEADLIGHT FLASHING that the other party evaded being caught…easier said than done i would imagine!!
I’m no barrack room lawyer, that’s just my take on things, shoot me if I’m wrong though!!
Ages ago round here (or mabye Ballymoney area) a farmer was getting annoyed at the police setting up the speed ■■■■■■■■ the bit of waste ground at a gate into his field… so he painted “Caution speed camera” on an old trailer and parked it in the field, was threatened with ‘perverting the course of justice.’
I know a trucker in Poland, who was accused of that. He told the court “I haven’t seen any speed trap, I just seen this crazy man drivins so fast, so a flashed on him and waved to him, as I wanted to tell him 'you are driving too fast, mate, it’s dangerous”.
Denis F:
"Sorry Occifer, I thought I saw my mate dave so I flashed my lights - then i realised it wasn’t him ! "
or
"Sorry Occifer, I thought I saw someone who posts on TruckNet ,and wanted them to post my name in the “Who’s seen who” thread "
… and unless the officer saw something else, such as a thumbs down, then the only thing they could do, if they wanted to, is to fine you for not using the headlights as per the highway code - no points though.
The other interesting one is the flashing followed by the ‘slow down’ with the hand as you could say that this was to warn the other vehicle(s) that others were ‘slamming on’ to avoid the, as yet, out of sight speed trap
I am assuming this is mainly a truck to truck flashing on roads where say. a national limit applies, but trucks are doing over 40
I certainly would not be doing any sort of warning for one breaching a ‘red ringed’ limit but would for a truck doing a SAFE 50 on a SC in a NSL - I think you get my drift…
Denis F:
"Sorry Occifer, I thought I saw my mate dave so I flashed my lights - then i realised it wasn’t him ! "
or
"Sorry Occifer, I thought I saw someone who posts on TruckNet ,and wanted them to post my name in the “Who’s seen who” thread "
… and unless the officer saw something else, such as a thumbs down, then the only thing they could do, if they wanted to, is to fine you for not using the headlights as per the highway code - no points though.
'Sorry, Officer, I saw that lorry, I thought that it may be Denis F and I showed him my thumbs down to let him know that I think his new lorry ■■■■■"
, and I bet it gave ADMIN momentary palpitations when they saw the subject title 
— incidentally if anyone thought this was their opportunity to confess to something very similar then sadly this isn’t the forum to post it on, sorry peeps.
, message received and understood I thought 
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