Flash your Head Lights

[Guest Zombie-Hunter]

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Edited September 30, 2011 by Zombie-Hunter

[DaveTN]

Are you saying that out of 100 traffic stops 99 are caught criminals?

Or are you saying the end justifies the means?

Neither.

I’m saying that drunk or reckless drivers will kill you and your family just as dead as an armed robber or a home invader, and the chances of you being killed by a bad driver are much higher. I put a drunk driver in the same “Criminal†class as an armed robber. Both are deadly and both knowingly made a choice to put the lives of those around them in danger. When working traffic and setting my radar at 20 over, rarely did I make it through the night without arresting a drunk or someone on a warrant.

When I finally had the seniority to get out of traffic and have my own district; it was a lot tougher to get felony arrests.

[DRM]

Neither.

I’m saying that drunk or reckless drivers will kill you and your family just as dead as an armed robber or a home invader, and the chances of you being killed by a bad driver are much higher.

Actually, it does seems that you are saying that he end justifies the means.

And your own example of some officers setting their radar at 12 over, and you setting yours at 20 over further supports that the entire system is arbitrary in nature, doesn't it? Arbitrary speeds that have no current relationship to modern vehicles or road design, coupled with arbitrary enforcement.

I'm not saying to abolish speed enforcement... but back to the thread topic - the concept of making illegal to tell other people to "slow down" so an officer can tell them to slow down (and generate some state revenue too) is... well... patently absurd - wouldn't you agree?

[Guest Zombie-Hunter]

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Edited September 6, 2011 by Zombie-Hunter

[DaveTN]

Actually, it does seems that you are saying that he end justifies the means.

I have said that’s not what I’m saying. If that is what you want to believe… so be it.

And your own example of some officers setting their radar at 12 over, and you setting yours at 20 over further supports that the entire system is arbitrary in nature, doesn't it? Arbitrary speeds that have no current relationship to modern vehicles or road design, coupled with arbitrary enforcement.

Absolutely it’s arbitrary. It’s based on the personal whim of the Officer setting the speed; he also has discretion once he stops you on whether to ticket you or give you a warning. Our department “unwritten policy†was 12 over when running radar; but we had Officers that set theirs at 10 and I have even taken out cars at 10 if they were weaving and I didn’t think it was safe to follow them any farther.

Would you like to see discretion taken away? I saw it taken away on family fights and DUI. We went from letting the Officers make the decision on a family fight to a mandatory arrest if someone claimed another family member threatened them or committed a battery on them. DUI’s went from giving the Officer the discretion of determining if you were intoxicated and deciding whether to let you or someone with you drive away to requiring anyone that showed any indication of drinking to submit to a breath test or go to jail for DUI. That’s what happens when discretion is taken away.

I'm not saying to abolish speed enforcement... but back to the thread topic - the concept of making illegal to tell other people to "slow down" so an officer can tell them to slow down (and generate some state revenue too) is... well... patently absurd - wouldn't you agree?

It’s already been settled in Tennessee. But you need to do whatever you are ready to take responsibility for.

[DaveTN]

None the less criminals should be caught honestly, not by harassing the public in hopes finding the one bad guy.

I don’t know of anyone saying that. Grabing the bad guys is just a perk of traffic enfocement.

Flashing lights as a warning isn’t a real crime, trickery and road blocks on the other hand could be questionable in a court of the constitution using common sense.

Flashing your lights isn’t a crime (in this state), being stupid in front of a cop is. I can assure you common sense is not applied in court; the law is. And the law is just that, the law; do not confuse it with justice. The question of roadblocks has been answered many times by many courts.

I do feel sorry for the younger people getting tagged as a second class citizen though felony status because they may have been acting childish to authority or was tempted with a set trap

I feel sorry for the younger people that don't know the DUI laws or how they can impact their future. I take every opportunity to keep them informed, even though some don’t think it’s fair.

I don’t understand what you mean by “second class citizen through felony status”. Explain please.

the gun owners who have even one beer in a restaurant while the weapon is in the car do not think for a second that a policeman isn’t going to raise questions about you just by you giving the honest answer of “Yes, I had 1 beer” They have heard this 1000x by that many drunks.

I’d settle that real quick if he had a gun. I’d ask him to blow. If he refused I’d take him on DUI and weapons charges.

Think I'll shut up now.

You can’t.

[RobertNashville]

The majority of "traffic laws"; especially "speed limits" have NOTHING to do with safety and everything to do with revenue streams.

If law enforcement/public officials were actually concerned about safety; half the people who have a drivers license today wouldn't have one because they don't have a clue about how to actually drive and control a vehicle (especially in an emergency situation) - if they had to pass a test that actually tested their abilities they would fail miserably.

[RobertNashville]

...there is a reason speed limits are set where they are...

Yes there is; it's called revenue!

[DRM]

It’s already been settled in Tennessee. But you need to do whatever you are ready to take responsibility for.

I'm pretty sure I was asking your opinion, not what the law states.

[robin48]

I only flash in Millington because well Millington sucks.

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk

[Guest clownsdd]

I don't flash and don't speed. I think it's wonderful that leo's stop people that are doing wrong according to the law and have no problem with the revenue it generates. Don't break the law, how hard is that?

[Guest WyattEarp]

don't see why flashing your lights to warn someone is a big deal. I don't think it's any different than if you're in a store and your buddy is about to steal something, and you warn him not to otherwise he might get caught and end up in jail. or if you're at a bar and he's about to get in a fight and you calm him down and keep him from getting in the fight by telling him he could get arrested.

flashing your lights is basically warning people to obey the law so they don't get in trouble.

[RobertNashville]

I don't flash and don't speed. I think it's wonderful that leo's stop people that are doing wrong according to the law and have no problem with the revenue it generates. Don't break the law, how hard is that?

Yeah...and red light cameras are all about stopping people from running red lights too! ROTLMAO

Speed limits on city streets and in densely populated areas are generally appropriate...on open highway, however, speed limits are often arbitrary and generally set either to match the skills of the drivers with the worst skills or to raise revenue or both. As I hinted at earlier, if "safety" was the real concern of most speeding laws then the requirements for getting a license to drive would be a lot more difficult and require proof of actual driver skills.

Yes, government entities need "revenue" but revenue from speed limits (and especially speed traps) are just another form of taxation with the public having little or no representation in the setting of the tax rate...something this country is supposed to be NOT about.

Edited September 6, 2011 by RobertNashville

[hardknox00001]

Think of all the revenue they could get if they enforced the "Slower traffic keep right" sign.

[RobertNashville]

Think of all the revenue they could get if they enforced the "Slower traffic keep right" sign.

Oh but it's so much more fun for LEO to chase down those nasty speeders than to pull over someone going 50MPH in a passing lane on I-40 in a 70 zone (such crimes usually perpetrated by 80 year old's coming from or heading to Florida and/or those LEO want-a-be who think it's their personal responsibility to enforce the speed limits by blocking faster traffic).

Of course, the bigger problem to freely moving traffic these days are tractor/trailers passing each other; one trying to maintain speed at 62.3 MPH being passed by another trying to maintain 62.5 MPH (because those respective speeds have been determined to be "best" for them to enhance their fuel economy).

http://www.slowertraffickeepright.com/

Edited September 6, 2011 by RobertNashville

[hornett22]

I for one appreciate when someone flashes me. I try to stay at the speed limit, but there are times that I drift off the mark, especially if the road seems like the limit should be higher. I'm sure I've avoided a ticket or two thanks to another driver.

I agree. Some roads have so low a speed limit it's blatantly obvious it's a revenue collection device.

[DaveTN]

Oh but it's so much more fun for LEO to chase down those nasty speeders than to pull over someone going 50MPH in a passing lane on I-40 in a 70 zone (such crimes usually perpetrated by 80 year old's coming from or heading to Florida and/or those LEO want-a-be who think it's their personal responsibility to enforce the speed limits by blocking faster traffic).

No, I can personally guarantee you its more fun to pull them over and ticket them for impeding traffic and listen to their speech about how they have the right to drive in any lane they like, while I was writing the ticket.

I would take a slower mover in the left lane over a speeder any day.

And If I had ever seen one of those rolling road blocks the semi’s pull; I would have loaded both drivers down with so many tickets they wouldn’t have been able to drive.

[RobertNashville]

No, I can personally guarantee you its more fun to pull them over and ticket them for impeding traffic and listen to their speech about how they have the right to drive in any lane they like, while I was writing the ticket.

I would take a slower mover in the left lane over a speeder any day.

And If I had ever seen one of those rolling road blocks the semi’s pull; I would have loaded both drivers down with so many tickets they wouldn’t have been able to drive.

So where were you a couple of weeks ago when I was heading over to Knoxville on I-40???? :)

[Guest HankRearden]

TCA 55-9-406 is the statute that covers headlight operation. It covers headlight use in inclement weather and times headlights must be turned on (30 minutes after sunset to thirty minutes before sunrise) There are also sections about dazzling lights etc.

I have seen this TCA used succesfully in court several times to get convictions on people who were flashing their headlights to warn drivers of LE ahead.

[hardknox00001]

No, I can personally guarantee you its more fun to pull them over and ticket them for impeding traffic and listen to their speech about how they have the right to drive in any lane they like, while I was writing the ticket.

I would take a slower mover in the left lane over a speeder any day.

And If I had ever seen one of those rolling road blocks the semi’s pull; I would have loaded both drivers down with so many tickets they wouldn’t have been able to drive.

So where were you a couple of weeks ago when I was heading over to Knoxville on I-40???? :)

Yeah, or where were you when I went to Atlanta and back over this past weekend......

I swear I was turning into Dave Redmon before it was all over with.

[E4 No More]

Flash your Head Lights in Fl. to warn other drivers of Speed traps and get a ticket.

If it not against the law and you will get a ticket. Take it to court and the judge will toss it under freedom of speech. However they will keep writing the tickets

There is a class action lawsuit to try and stop it.

Class-action suit filed against cops

Headlight flash cop warning: Is flashing your headlights illegal or a free speech issue? - Orlando Sentinel

As co worker and I talked about it and my co worker put it this way. He said the point of a speed trap should be to get traffic to slow down and not to fund the budget. So if other cars warn other drivers about a speed trap and they slow down the primary mission is still down. If Law enforcement is upset that they are not able to fund their budget by writing speeding ticket and are now writing these non moving violations in place of the speeding tickets seems they are less concerned with safety and more concerned with the budget anyways which proves the the whole point that they are not out to begin with trying to get people to slow down for safety but only to raise money.

Per wiki,

I always considered it might be against the law so I won't speak about myself

however I just looked at wiki

there is a break down by state. Wiki thinks FL it is against the law.

Also, I would not bet the farm on wiki as a legal source.

Gee, when I was a police officer the fines went into the city's general budget; not to "fund their budgets" as you put it.