Flashing you lights

[KansDem]

Florida is facing a class-action lawsuit from drivers who have been ticketed for attempting to warn other motorists of hidden speed traps. According to WTSP 10 News, Eric Campbell was recently cited for just that, despite the fact that there is no law against using one's headlights to communicate with other drivers. The officer who ticketed Campbell used Florida State Statute 316.2397, even though the courts ruled that the police were wrongfully applying the law to crack down on vehicle-to-vehicle communication in 2005. Now Campbell wants his $100 ticket refunded and $15,000 in damages.

Since 2005, over 10,429 drivers have been cited for flashing their high beams, and if Campbell wins his case, Florida could be facing over $1 million in ticket refunds. But that's nothing compared to the $156.4 million the state could have to pay out if each driver is awarded $15,000 each. Hit the jump to take a look at news report on the lawsuit

WTSP via Autoblog

Whether or not you agree with warning oncoming drivers of speed traps, citing those who do when the law says otherwise is not in the public interest.

[fasttense]

1. My son got such a ticket and he took it to court and won.

He merely quoted the law that does NOT prohibit such actions. The judge told him he should be a lawyer.

[trumad]

2. Well you'd agree if you lived in Nazi Germany.

[Broderick]

3. Officers are still arresting people video taping them

And that has been washed up and down the court system. Not in direct relation to your op, but in the same vein.

[Ferret Annica]

4. It is unconstitutional to deny free speech in this way

They never went after people using their citizen's band radios to warn of a 'Hemorrhoid with a Polaroid' in the 1070s, which shows how fascist people doing enforcement like this have become.

[wuushew]

5. I don't see the point in warning people

Not everyone who is speeding is some working stiff who is late to work. Some really are jerks, Republicans or excessively rich/oblivious people.

That speeding ticket doesn't just vanish, the money presumably is used to prevent even more draconian budget cuts.

Also by encouraging speeding one only increases the personal danger to themeselves and car insurance rates that one must endure. I am not sure that these negatives outweigh the "joy" of making cops sad.

[Tesha]

8. This would be true in the general case, but many speed traps are just "traps".

You know: the posted speed limit drops 15 MPH for no good
reason othe than that there's a convenient spot there for
the patrol car to hide?

Tesha

[wuushew]

10. I have considered that as well

However if you know that a cop is in a given speed trap then logically he or she cannot be somewhere else. If your goal is also to speed somewhere, having that cop tied up writting a speeding ticket decreases your chance of meeting them somewhere father down the road.

If cooperative warning is just a means to an end, then being selfish has greater efficacy then forming a united front against law enforcement.

[Iggo]

14. Except flashing lights doesn't encourage speeding.

In fact, it encourages people to slow down so they don't get a ticket.

Prevention is a good thing.

[wuushew]

15. If they are forced to slow down then they were already going to fast

The memory of the flashing red and blue lights will last longer during a daily commute then a brief warning by a non-descript vehicle.

Preventing the success of the trap also reduces the visabilty and sense of vulnerabilty that every driver who passes that stretch of road takes with them.

I am not entirely disagreeing with your suppostion, but multiple interpretations are possible regarding driving behavior.

[Obamanaut]

6. More responses at this earlier thread ->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=1859629

[brewens]

7. Had a guy save my ass doing that recently. I was just about

to put the hammer down and pass a slow driver on a state highway. I would definitely have been speeding. I always try and do that driving my truck.

I never signal driving my blood center bus. The state cops are my buddies in that situation and will not mess with me. I blew a tire once and had two of them there in minutes. One asking if I was hauling blood that needed transport and another making sure I had help on the way.

I'd hate to piss them off by getting caught ratting them out. You never know if one of them or another cop might be driving their personal vehicle and see me.

[tridim]

9. It's not illegal to flash your headlights, case closed.

Fucking Florida.

[Fumesucker]

12. Tell it to the nice officer while he's writing you a ticket..

With some small degree of luck you won't get your car tossed for drugs.

[brer cat]

11. Could also be a look-out for a wanted person

I flash for obstacles, wrecks, etc, but not for cops lurking.

[Fumesucker]

13. You know what they can tell about you from the side of the road?

Your skin color..

If a cop is looking for a wanted person they're going to be stopping cars, if they're looking for a specific car they don't have to be on the side of the road for that, it's more effective for them to be cruising around in traffic in that case.