Very informative, Bricker-thank you. Is there anything in the law about hitting the hazard lights for a brief period as a warning?
Well, what is recommended if someone forgets to dim their high beams? A short flash, just like the speed trap warning.
Furthermore, many of these speed traps are during daylight hours. You don’t have to flash high beams, just flash your regular headlights.
This news item is from the UK in 2004, but I’m sure will be of interest -
He wasn’t even driving his car at the time.
There was a similar case in the UK about the same time, where a person warning of a speed trap had his conviction dismissed on appeal. Unfortunately, it was not because it’s not an offense, but
Fortunately, since that’s going to be hard for the police to prove, the police may have stopped prosecuting such cases.
Heroin is illegal, too. Can I go make a citizen’s arrest of Rachael Leigh Cook for warning us? (I’ll use my fur-lined handcuffs)
I was going to give an answer but Bricker did it. It looks like the statute in Florida was not properly applied. In other states there are statutes that regulate the use of high beams. I have never heard of anyone being prosecuted for warning others about radar enforcement. I do know of a police officer that was fired for doing it. She had a lot of other problems too.
When the grants come down for the Click it or Ticket program the big stated talk radio channel gives updates as to where there is enforcement. Doesn’t bother me in the slightest.
That is pretty accurate. I tried to explain it here before. I had mentioned that we had to write tickets and we could get in trouble if we didn’t. Which was met with an “AHA! Quotas!” While I have no doubt that there are quotas in some departments, there is none in mine. But I don’t think that it is too hard to understand that since it is a large part of the job (lets say 1/3), coming in with zero at the end of the month would be unacceptable. In my department it only takes about 10 a month to keep the higher-ups off your back. Some individuals place more importance on traffic enforcement and tend to be more aggresive. Some do the minimum needed to get by. Just like in any job really. It has never even been hinted to me to write tickets for the purpose of revenue. However our new traffic light cams are straight up fleecing the public.
Sure go ahead. No one will know what the hell you are doing though.
But the paragraph above that makes it clear that this applies “during the times specified in sec. 10.” Section 10 defines when lights are to be used, which is basically around dark or when visibility is less than 1000 feet. I don’t think anything could prevent a person from flashing their brights during the day, when I suspect most speed traps take place. You could also just flash your dim lights off and on if you’re worried about getting a ticket for brights.
They arrested some clown (literally) in Santa Cruz CA for feeding the meters, but after a uproar of protest, backed down.
There was a case recently in DC where a local chef got fed up with a speed camera and publicized its location. I think he may have even hired a sign-holding guy. The DC police said it still accomplishes the goal of getting people to slow down, so they have no beef with the chef.
A speed trap van was shot at on an Arizona freeway a couple years ago and the cop inside died. IIRC, the defense was along the lines of “I didn’t know a cop was in the van so not really my fault.”
If you follow the link you can see that the DC police publish a list of locations themselves. Its not a secret so it would be hard to complain about when someone else publishes it.
If it’s one where they stop and check everyone, I believe they’re required to publicize it. At least that’s the case with the DUI checkpoints in my state.
In Germany, speed trap warnings are a regular feature in traffic reports on the radio (sometimes even on public stations which are funded by license fees).
I always wondered how this could be legal, but it’s been going on for many years.
The problem with the argument that it makes people slow down is that it makes them slow down temporarily. The idea of a hiddes speedtrap is that you don’t know where they are, so, just to be sure, you’ll have to drive under the speed limit all the time.
On what grounds was this man arrested? There can’t possibly be a law against feeding parking meters (at least if you don’t jam them by inserting too many coins).
Probably because in Germany, as in Sweden, the main reason for having speed traps at all is to slow the traffic down at crucial points.
No they do not stop everyone. Just those not wearing seatbelts.
There was a law, actaully. They cited him for $13, and were going to actually arrest him:
http://www.scruzwiki.org/Mr_Twister_the_Clown
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_15705068
McDonald, who has Asperger syndrome, began performing as a clown when he was 10 years old. He had been at it for 16 years when, in September 1995, a “parking control deputy” saw him putting a quarter into an expired meter in front of the Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co. and issued him a $13 citation. A city ordinance in effect at the time prohibited anyone from feeding an expired parking meter without the owners’ permission.
According to CNN
The law was later repealed after public outcry over the case.
On a related note, in most areas it is illegal to overstay the parking limit even if you continue to pay the meter.