Flashing your lights

I do recall cases several years ago where Gardai successfully prosecuted drivers who were flashing their lights to warn oncoming traffic of a speed trap.

In and of itself I don't see how flashing, hazard lights, or sounding the horn can be illegal; having said that if you do it at certain times and under certain circumstances, you could find yourself on the wrong side of the law.
 
I think the official stance is that you are giving a visual warning of your approach.. as opposed to the audiable warning using the horn.
Nothing illegal in that if you need to warn somebody that you are approaching.
Or maybe if it is really dark :)
 
jdwex said:
Hope not, I've regularly flashed my lights after dusk at cars without their lights on!
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Same here, or the clowns with only side lights or (worse) fog lights on at nighttime.
Fog lights should only be used during fog or falling snow when visibility is below 100 meters. If you use them at other times just get a sticker for your car saying you are a clown so people will know and save your battery.
 
Law is not about opinion and so if it is illegal so flash car lights at certain situations then there must be first written law to express that restriction.
 
The law, in the District Court, is whatever the judge says it is. Unless you can afford to go to the High Court you need to suck up whatever the judge decides. It's not illegal to flash your lights but if, for example, a Garda tells a District Court judge that in doing so someone was interfering with Garda business then it's down to the judge's Lucky 8 Ball, rather than the written law, whether he sides with the Garda or the defendant.
 
I am not in trouble on this issue but this question popped up amoung friends, hense the question. So a district judge can impose a fine or sentence without there being a written law :rolleyes:
 
In a nutshell, yes.

Hence the old adage" There is no such thing as law in a district court".
 
Just to add my tuppence worth to the topic.......
The authorities are constantly telling us that the Garda and/or The Gosafe vans are NOT there to 'catch' us and are not 'revenue generators', indeed their primary and only role is to make the roads safer for us all by slowing down the traffic by making sure the motorist does not exceed the stipulated local speed limit.
This I applaud and fully agree with and to that end I try to assist them with their endeavours by also trying to slow down the traffic by flashing my lights at any speeding oncoming traffic. As any concerned and upright citizen should do, as I feel our boys in blue are stretched to the limit and indeed are constantly asking for help from the public to help reduce unlawful activities.

However, instead of being thanked for my actions, I get reprimanded and may face prosecution?;)
Of course they are not trying to 'catch' you and are definitely not 'revenue generating'. :):)
 
john luc said:
So a district judge can impose a fine or sentence without there being a written law :rolleyes:
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Well I think the suggestion above is that the law may well be ‘you shall not interfere with AGS business’ and by warning people who are speeding about a trap you are doing that. Seems pretty reasonable to me; I wouldn’t expect a law about not murdering people to need to cover all the ways you can commit murder.
 
I don't think it's specifically an offence to flash your headlights, but it is an offence not to keep your headlights on dipped beam when approaching oncoming traffic under the Lighting of Vehicles regulations.
 
It strikes me as a tad strange that people would do the flashing headlights act during the day to make other drivers aware of broken bulbs, etc? Have to really say a big thank you to those people. I do sincerely hope death doesn't visit your front door in the form of a Garda informing you of a loved ones death because of speeding on the road, I really do.
 
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