Speed Van car flashers

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Evander73

Registered User
Messages
27
Ok, so no one particularly likes them, some think they are only there to generate revenue or increase detection rates by 'shooting fish in a barrel', & some of these arguments 'can' be valid. However, from personal experience, on a daily basis, I see a significant number of motorists flashing their head lights to warn on coming speeding traffic of a speed van ahead. The route I usual take is a primary road, but contains a number of stretches where there have been serious collisions, yet the warning flashing continues.

Recently two cars racing each other passed me at a frightening speed, but then got caught in traffic, luckily for them on coming traffic flashed the row of traffic and all slowed down while passing the speed van. Too many deaths and life altering injuries are caused by serial speedsters - I think it's time to have another think - to flash or not to flash - who are we really helping, or more importantly, what could we possibly help to avoid, by not flashing?
 
Flash to warn someone to slow down if you want, but don't flash to warn someone of a speed detector van, let them be caught and modify their dangerous driving.
 
I know someone who was stopped and charged with obstructing a Garda in the course of his duties for flashing oncoming traffic to warm them about a speed trap. Good enough for them.
 
Purple said:
I know someone who was stopped and charged with obstructing a Garda in the course of his duties for flashing oncoming traffic to warm them about a speed trap. Good enough for them.
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Was it a privateer van? Were they convicted? It's a legal stretch to say they were obstructing a Garda (although they make it up as they go along in the district court).
 
michaelm said:
Was it a privateer van? Were they convicted? It's a legal stretch to say they were obstructing a Garda (although they make it up as they go along in the district court).
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I've no idea how it ended up. He was complaining about being stopped for doing it, just outside Naas.
It was a Garda with a speed gun thingy.
 
michaelm said:
It's a legal stretch to say they were obstructing a Garda (although they make it up as they go along in the district court).
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+1 Whilst I don't flash other drivers and would be happy to see those driving at dangerous speeds being caught, I do find this argument a bit strange, and legally tenuous to put it mildly, given that the Gardai support the idea of warning signs on our roads for where the private vans may be present. Either they are in favour of warning drivers of speed checks or they are not, they can't have it both ways!
 
When the Gardai/Government start using speed guns in housing estates I might then believe that they are interested in road safety rather than revenue raising.
 
The_Banker said:
When the Gardai/Government start using speed guns in housing estates I might then believe that they are interested in road safety rather than revenue raising.
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There doesn't appear to be a lot of fatalities on roads in housing estates, judging from the almost daily RTA bulletins. Motorists should obey the speed limits regardless of where the roads are. It is parents' responsibility to keep their children from playing on roads in housing estates.
 
I find it repugnant that people flash their headlights to warn of speed traps of any sort. Speed is the biggest killer on our roads. Add in the stupidity of many Irish drivers who don't care a whit for any other road users with a plethora of bad driving habits like speeding through red lights, taking up yellow boxes, failing to use indicators when turning etc etc. If somebody is caught flashing lights warning other speed merchants, I have no problem with them being jailed and fed on stale bread and cloudy water and kept in a damp draughty cell forever.
 
If the motivation is to get drivers to slow down.....and flashing other drivers causes them to slow down...job done, no?
Maybe that's what the Gardai themselves should do...drive around in unmarked cars, flashing other drivers at random!!
 
Booter said:
If the motivation is to get drivers to slow down.....and flashing other drivers causes them to slow down...job done, no?
Maybe that's what the Gardai themselves should do...drive around in unmarked cars, flashing other drivers at random!!
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but the motivation is to collect revenue.....plain and simple
 
blueband said:
but the motivation is to collect revenue.....plain and simple
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Leper,

You are a wee bit harsh {stale bread and cloudy water for ever} .
And I thought flashing was people just being friendly!

On the positive side , even being flashed must temper peoples driving.
 
Ceist Beag said:
+1 Whilst I don't flash other drivers and would be happy to see those driving at dangerous speeds being caught, I do find this argument a bit strange, and legally tenuous to put it mildly, given that the Gardai support the idea of warning signs on our roads for where the private vans may be present. Either they are in favour of warning drivers of speed checks or they are not, they can't have it both ways!
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Personally, I would favour a covert speed detection system, which should make us all keep within the speed limits at all times, & not just when we happen to see a warning sign. So, drive within the speed limits and you've no problem, regardless of where a speed van is - what's wrong with that?

The 'both ways' argument is well made, but I suppose the difference between flashing lights, and warning signs, may be the overall behaviour of certain motorists - serial speedster may be less likely to see or obey a sign, whereas flashing lights from multiple cars is literally a more in your face warning. So if there happens to be a speed van in a high risk accident area they get flashed and slow down, but if not, they speed on and thereby increase the potential for causing a serious collision into the future, by not being caught & penalised.

Serial speedster need to be put off the road. It should be socially unacceptable, as it is one of the main causes of collisions, which are ruing peoples lives through death and injury. The 'us versus them' attitude should be binned in favour of a collective 'lets save lives by doing the right thing' approach - a visit to a local graveyard or injury rehab hospital may concentrate some doubting minds. RIP.
 
I don,t think its the fatal accident that costs us ,( the State) , a lot.
It is the cost of those who live with serious injuries that cost us.

Speeding kills , so am for anything that slows us, but then I have a niggle when I see traffic police cars shooting fish in a barrel at end of wide straight stretches.
 
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