FLASHING ONE'S HEADLIGHTS

[Dsf]

In Dept. 17 the French seem to have the habit of flashing their headlights to warn other drivers of the fact that the Gendarmes are operating close-by with speed checks, document checks etc.

This can't be legal? But if illegal under what law?

I've not been caught out, but my wife has been in a debate in the local café.

David. 

[Clair]

It's not illegal during the day: appel de phares, but can lead to a fine if done at night.

However, it has been known for fines to be issued during the day under various spurious reasons.

Here are some discussions about the subject (with references to actual cases)

http://www.auto-evasion.com/forums/viewtopic_9778.html

http://www.auto-evasion.com/forums/viewtopic_12336.html

[PaulT]

Happens in 65 as well.

Last week driving along and a few people flashed me. I said to the OH 'must be a speed check ahead'. Drove a little further and she said 'even more people have flashed you, there must be something wrong with the car pull over'. I duly did as I was told, she got out, inspected the car, could find nothing wrong, so we pulled out and there were the two 'boys in blue' with their speed camera. So a 'told you so' from me.

Paul

[londoneye]

Yes, they are very good about it here in 87 (even when we had UK plates on, thereby proving the French don't discriminate!).    I think its like a little game to them.   However when we changed to French plates, our car suddenly began to look like a lot of other Peugeots with 87 plates, and we found we were being flashed almost constantly.    We flashed a thank you back and slowed down looking for the men in blue.   Took us quite a while to realise that now we were being flashed because they thought they knew us; although strangely they didn't seem to wonder why their friend (whoever it was) had started driving on the wrong side of the car !!

Thus now much more confusing, are they flashing because they know us (or think they do !) or because police are around....

I flash other drivers myself for same reason, much more than I used to England.    Very naughty of me !

[Patf]

Also sometimes used to warn of hazard on the road ahead eg animals, tree fallen, accident etc ie the same warning of "take care and slow down".

[AnOther]

I can't quote the case but I believe flashing to warn of speed traps was found to be not illegal in UK.

The rational being that if flashing caused motorists to slow down to the speed limit the interests of safety were better served than by catching a speeding driver.

Sounds like a rather outdated view for these days though where money gathering takes precedence over all other factors [;-)]

[Sunday Driver]

On the other hand, one could take the view that giving speeders a 'warning' flash does not contribute to road safety because it merely helps them avoid the oncoming speed trap and does nothing to prevent them speeding up again afterwards.

Arguably, the interests of safety might be best served by staying 'unlit' so that they do get caught and fined - possibly a more effective way of getting them to slow down.

 

[Tourangelle]

Somebody flashed me the other day and there was a dog wandering about in the middle of the road...  In general, it really annoys me actually, because I don't speed and I'd rather others got caught, serve them right plus if I don't see the reason for the flashing I get worried about the car!

[Onion van man]

It would be hard for them to prove the reason you flashed your lights was to warn of a police trap etc. But, I'm sure they could fabricate some other reason to fine and or give you points if they wanted to.

Personally, I stick as close to the speed limit as I can most of the time. Everybody speeds at some point on nearly every journey they do, Makes me laugh the ones they say they don't ever speed and they don't class 35 in a 30 as speeding!

It frightens me that most people I have spoken to here in the UK think that it was ok for a copper with a 'dodgy tash' to do in excess of 150mph to 'try his car out' but, they think Nigel Mansell (world class racing driver) deserved to be banned for doing 100mph on the motorway. 

There is far more dangerous things done at 20mph in cars on UK roads, Like changing lanes without looking.

[AnOther]

[quote user="Tourangelle"]In general, it really annoys me actually, because I don't speed [/quote]Very brave words.

I doubt there is a driver in the world who has never ever broken one speed limit and I'll guarantee that includes you....maybe you just didn't realise it or didn't get caught....[Www]

[Tourangelle]

On the contrary I'm not brave, I'm a very nervous, very occasional driver (the two kind of go together), or at least I have been since I passed my test, in part due to the fact that living in one of France's largest cities, public transport was great.  Now, for various reasons I have to drive more regularly, so who knows.  But right now, I don't speed, and those who ostensibly do make me more nervous, and I'd be delighted if more of them got caught!

[cooperlola]

Would you have let this guy know the police were around the corner?

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1285441,00.html

[Onion van man]

[quote user="cooperlola"]

Would you have let this guy know the police were around the corner?

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30100-1285441,00.html

[/quote]

It always makes me laugh at the stupid fines they get! should have been at least double!

[mint]

Not only that; sometimes they kill people and still get off lightly!

[londoneye]

Nobody is whiter than white, so lets not pretend we are.   My vices are buying wood on the black (well I assume it was because no invoice was provided) and speeding.   I habitually speed - not in huge excess.   However, if I am in a town, or a village I actually go slower than the speed limit on  occasion, IF I beleive that the speed limit is too high.   For example, if I am going through a residential estate where there may be children, I may well slow down to 30 km.   If I even see a small child at the side of the road I will slow down even more.

However, if I am driving with no-one in sight and no houses etc then I will probably do much more than the speed limit.  

The difference is that I don't need to have speed limits per se, because I have my own sense of responsibility to all those around me.

Sorry, sounds really pathetic, but basically I take responsibility for both myself, but more importantly for others.  Yes, I may get caught and fined, but frankly I will live with that.   

If I see a car doing seriously dangerous speeds in an inappropriate area then no I don't flash them.   If they seem to be going slighly faster than they should (by law), but are basically driving in a safe manner then I do.

Phew - feel better for that.

[loz]

Well Said SUNDAY DRIVER

That guy or woman you are flashing could be a nutter who needs taking off the road, I will not flash (well not me headlights anyway but thats another story)[:)]anymore after seeing nutters driving through our village.

[Pierre ZFP]

Driving to the office this morning on the motorway, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a brand new BMW doing 160K per hour with her face up close to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner!

I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane still working on that makeup! It scared me (and this coming from a bloke....) so much that I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the bacon roll out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten up the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my mobile from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs, causing it to splash and burn BIG JIM AND THE TWINS, causing me to scream, which made me drop the cigarette out of my mouth, ruined my shirt and DISCONNECTED AN IMPORTANT CALL.

 

Bl**dy Women Drivers!!!!!!!

[powerdesal]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]

Driving to the office this morning on the motorway, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a brand new BMW doing 160K per hour with her face up close to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner!

I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane still working on that makeup! It scared me (and this coming from a bloke....) so much that I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the bacon roll out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten up the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my mobile from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs, causing it to splash and burn BIG JIM AND THE TWINS, causing me to scream, which made me drop the cigarette out of my mouth, ruined my shirt and DISCONNECTED AN IMPORTANT CALL.

 

Bl**dy Women Drivers!!!!!!!

[/quote]

At least you didnt crease the news paper.

[Benjamin]

[quote user="Pierre ZFP"]

Driving to the office this morning on the motorway, I looked over to my left and there was a woman in a brand new BMW doing 160K per hour with her face up close to her rear view mirror putting on her eyeliner!

I looked away for a couple of seconds and when I looked back she was halfway over in my lane still working on that makeup! It scared me (and this coming from a bloke....) so much that I dropped my electric shaver, which knocked the bacon roll out of my other hand.

In all the confusion of trying to straighten up the car using my knees against the steering wheel, it knocked my mobile from my ear, which fell into the coffee between my legs, causing it to splash and burn BIG JIM AND THE TWINS, causing me to scream, which made me drop the cigarette out of my mouth, ruined my shirt and DISCONNECTED AN IMPORTANT CALL.

 

Bl**dy Women Drivers!!!!!!!

[/quote]

Bet the ladies never knew how good we boys are at multi tasking.  [6]