School Zone Flashers

Grimm said :

I travel through 3 school zones every day going both to and from work, but amazingly am yet to see a single speed camera in the school zones. Find a piece of divided, 2 lane either way road with an 80 or over speed limit, and that’s where the speed camera will be. When that changes, I may buy into these things being for anything but revenue raising.

I like to think of Speed Cameras as taxing the stupid as there is no other explanation for it. The only way to be caught by these things is to be not paying attention to the road ahead while speeding thus;

Speeding + Inattentiveness = Stupid

I always flash people when there is a speed camera and/or a cop doing radar speed checking..

I respect everyones right to drive as fast as they want without being pulled over by a party pooper.. My cars speedo says it can do 260km/h, im sceptical, therefore i have a right to ensure i got what i paid for.

I wont pull over if directed until i have reached my objective.

Solidarity said :

You sound like a really fun person.

Really fun people have more going on in their lives than to be posting on TheRiotAct…

JC said :

Be careful who you flashed. A few weeks ago in poor visibility (heavy rain at 4:40pm) I flashed this dick head who overtook, then cut me off on Commonwealth Ave heading down onto the London CCT offramp. Turns out the Silver Aurion I flashed was an unmarked police car, who then pulled me over.

I didn’t cop a fine but did cop a warning about how stupid and dangerous it is to flash and why I was so agro. At the end of the lecture I pointed out I wasn’t actually agro, I just couldn’t believe someone was stupid enough to drive in heavy rain at dusk without their lights on and overtake not leaving me a safe braking distance. His answer to the lights was they were on auto and if they weren’t on then it wasn’t dark enough to warrant their use. He didn’t answer why he didn’t leave me a safe distance though.

And yep I tell the truth this did come from a copper. So watch out for Silver Aurions if you are going to flash.

I love your comment! Shows the attitude and double standards that exists within the local Police and AFP. The fact that he used ‘auto-headlights’ as his excuse is absolute crap. I haven’t found a car that has auto lights that don’t come on in heavy rain, or at that time of day. The onus is also on him, as I believe somewhere in the ARR it states something about having your lights on (or being visible) in hazardous conditions (not 100% sure though). But you know if you had reminded him of such a fact he would come down on you as hard as he could.

The same goes for speeding – all too often I’ve followed Police vehicles casually sitting about 10-15km/h over the limit for no reason. But again, if you were to sit along side them, or pass them they’d book you for speeding.

It’s absolute rubbish with the enforcement of rules around here. There always seems to be two or three different standards that change to suit those enforcing them.

JC said :

Mothy said :

Saw an amazing number of numpties in the Gungahlin region getting about today with no headlights despite pea-soup fog at that time of morning this morning.

Were you:

1. In Gungahlin
2. Driving without headlights

If so, guilty.

Speed cameras I won’t flash for. Lights yes.

Be careful who you flashed. A few weeks ago in poor visibility (heavy rain at 4:40pm) I flashed this dick head who overtook, then cut me off on Commonwealth Ave heading down onto the London CCT offramp. Turns out the Silver Aurion I flashed was an unmarked police car, who then pulled me over.

I didn’t cop a fine but did cop a warning about how stupid and dangerous it is to flash and why I was so agro. At the end of the lecture I pointed out I wasn’t actually agro, I just couldn’t believe someone was stupid enough to drive in heavy rain at dusk without their lights on and overtake not leaving me a safe braking distance. His answer to the lights was they were on auto and if they weren’t on then it wasn’t dark enough to warrant their use. He didn’t answer why he didn’t leave me a safe distance though.

And yep I tell the truth this did come from a copper. So watch out for Silver Aurions if you are going to flash.

the cop in the Aurion sounds like a tosser.

my lights have an auto mode as well, and there are occasions where they don’t come on in low visibility, but I still turn them on given that I drive a silver car and want to be seen.

in relation to flashing lights being dangerous, what a load of toss. it can be used as a form of polite communication – like I did last weekend on the Hume Highway near Goulburn when I flashed a truck to move in front of me in the right lane so it could pass a slower car in the right lane.

You can always subvert the flashers by flashing when there’s no radar trap yourself.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Anyone who warns others who are speeding that there is a camera or police ahead is a POS

You should have a cop.

LSWCHP said :

Barcham said :

watto23 said :

Look it would be great to catch those people but what if headlight flashing slowed them down and they thus narrowly avoided hitting someone? That would be a positive. Even the most competent and best drivers do occasionally have a bad day, or get a headache/illness etc. that could cause them to suffer a lapse in concentration.

This.

The supposed goal of police, speed vans, and the road rules themselves is to increase safety. If flashing your lights makes someone slow down before seeing a van does, then that is a good thing.

Less people get hurt, more people drive safely. Safety is the goal and safety is what we get.

Also of note that the ‘warning flash’ is possibly the only example of human kindness I see on the road, where it usually seems that people are insane selfish beasts looking to devour each other, so I’m all for that too.

I see the OPs point, but I’m with Barcham on this. A flash of the lights may cause someone to slow down that one time it’s needed, preventing death or injury and that’s what it’s all about.

A friend of mine saw one of his friends hit by a car outside a school when he was young. He said his young mate was smashed to the ground, his head burst open and his brain rolled out across the street. That’s the reality of what happens when high speed metal hits young bodies.

Let’s all take it easy near schools. Or anywhere, really.

Spot on

Aeek said :

South Aus. is 25 km/h school hours or when children present. Maybe they don’t let their children run around all hours.

Same speed in roadworks too, and well enforced too judging by the numbers that do slow.

Mothy said :

Saw an amazing number of numpties in the Gungahlin region getting about today with no headlights despite pea-soup fog at that time of morning this morning.

Were you:

1. In Gungahlin
2. Driving without headlights

If so, guilty.

Speed cameras I won’t flash for. Lights yes.

Be careful who you flashed. A few weeks ago in poor visibility (heavy rain at 4:40pm) I flashed this dick head who overtook, then cut me off on Commonwealth Ave heading down onto the London CCT offramp. Turns out the Silver Aurion I flashed was an unmarked police car, who then pulled me over.

I didn’t cop a fine but did cop a warning about how stupid and dangerous it is to flash and why I was so agro. At the end of the lecture I pointed out I wasn’t actually agro, I just couldn’t believe someone was stupid enough to drive in heavy rain at dusk without their lights on and overtake not leaving me a safe braking distance. His answer to the lights was they were on auto and if they weren’t on then it wasn’t dark enough to warrant their use. He didn’t answer why he didn’t leave me a safe distance though.

And yep I tell the truth this did come from a copper. So watch out for Silver Aurions if you are going to flash.

I had a completely different picture in my head when I read this story title…..

Barcham said :

watto23 said :

Look it would be great to catch those people but what if headlight flashing slowed them down and they thus narrowly avoided hitting someone? That would be a positive. Even the most competent and best drivers do occasionally have a bad day, or get a headache/illness etc. that could cause them to suffer a lapse in concentration.

This.

The supposed goal of police, speed vans, and the road rules themselves is to increase safety. If flashing your lights makes someone slow down before seeing a van does, then that is a good thing.

Less people get hurt, more people drive safely. Safety is the goal and safety is what we get.

Also of note that the ‘warning flash’ is possibly the only example of human kindness I see on the road, where it usually seems that people are insane selfish beasts looking to devour each other, so I’m all for that too.

I see the OPs point, but I’m with Barcham on this. A flash of the lights may cause someone to slow down that one time it’s needed, preventing death or injury and that’s what it’s all about.

A friend of mine saw one of his friends hit by a car outside a school when he was young. He said his young mate was smashed to the ground, his head burst open and his brain rolled out across the street. That’s the reality of what happens when high speed metal hits young bodies.

Let’s all take it easy near schools. Or anywhere, really.

What if you don’t see the flashers because you are concentrating on driving in the right hand lane?

Anyone who warns others who are speeding that there is a camera or police ahead is a POS

Would anybody tell me if it is unlawful to perform a “warning flash?”
Once warned a police car of a camera van but nothing resulted except the police car continuing on its merry way

Grimm said :

puggle said :

A helpful driver flashed their lights at me yesterday… she was multitasking while driving and talking on the phone.

Yeah, last time I saw somebody doing that, it annoyed me so much that I wound down my window and threw my beer at her.

I hope it was Tooheys New – people like that don’t deserve any better.

Flashing is a bad idea. Why give speeders a crutch to allow them to speed more? I’d rather people I have to share the road with travel slower. It’s better for every one when they crash into you at a slower speed.

watto23 said :

Look it would be great to catch those people but what if headlight flashing slowed them down and they thus narrowly avoided hitting someone? That would be a positive. Even the most competent and best drivers do occasionally have a bad day, or get a headache/illness etc. that could cause them to suffer a lapse in concentration.

Quite right. So you appear to be suggesting that we should flash drivers who appear to be speeding even if (especially if?) there is no speed camera ahead.

i thought this would be a story about men with lollies…

i agree with erg0, though – let the consequences of their innattention [a fine from plod] stand as a lesson to their future driving habits.

I’m all for selective flashing providing the flasher is easy on the eye 🙂

watto23 said :

Look it would be great to catch those people but what if headlight flashing slowed them down and they thus narrowly avoided hitting someone? That would be a positive.

Yes, but then, shouldn’t we all go around flashing all day – not just when there is a radar dude?? Maybe i’ll start doing that!

watto23 said :

Even the most competent and best drivers do occasionally have a bad day, or get a headache/illness etc. that could cause them to suffer a lapse in concentration.

Hmmm.. not sure this would work as a defense: “I’m sorry your honor, I didn’t mean to run that kid down, I just had a bad day and/or headache and/or illness! And NO ONE flashed me to warm me to drive better!” Aren’t you supposed to be competent to drive, or stay off the road??

Anyway, my new Xmas-tree-light flashing style will now warn anyone in range to drive more awesomely! Hazard lights on at all times, people! Hahaha! 🙂

puggle said :

A helpful driver flashed their lights at me yesterday… she was multitasking while driving and talking on the phone.

I wonder if it was the talented young lass I saw on the Monaro Hwy today. She could brush her hair and use the phone at the same time. Must be one of those new fangled self steering cars.

MERC600 said :

What gets me is that we have 40 all day till 4, while our 8 million ( or whatever ) cousins in NSW find it safe enough to only have 40 for a while in the morning and then again in the arvo.

South Aus. is 25 km/h school hours or when children present. Maybe they don’t let their children run around all hours.

I’d advocate random flashing to get people to slow down regardless.

It’s all in the name of safety after all.

Grimm said :

School zones are the only place I won’t flash to warn of the speed van.
Anywhere else, I’m quite happy to do my bit to stop revenue raising while pretending it’s about safety.

I travel through 3 school zones every day going both to and from work, but amazingly am yet to see a single speed camera in the school zones. Find a piece of divided, 2 lane either way road with an 80 or over speed limit, and that’s where the speed camera will be. When that changes, I may buy into these things being for anything but revenue raising.

It is actually legislated that they cannot set up in a variable speed zone (or it used to be anyway).

puggle said :

A helpful driver flashed their lights at me yesterday… she was multitasking while driving and talking on the phone.

Yeah, last time I saw somebody doing that, it annoyed me so much that I wound down my window and threw my beer at her.

Barcham said :

The supposed goal of police, speed vans, and the road rules themselves is to increase safety. If flashing your lights makes someone slow down before seeing a van does, then that is a good thing.

Less people get hurt, more people drive safely. Safety is the goal and safety is what we get.

I’m thinking that a fine would have a greater long term impact on the speeder’s behaviour than a warning from a “kindly” motorist. Flashing your lights just trains morons to rely on others to pay attention on their behalf.

Mothy said :

Saw an amazing number of numpties in the Gungahlin region getting about today with no headlights despite pea-soup fog at that time of morning this morning.

Were you:

1. In Gungahlin
2. Driving without headlights

If so, guilty.

Speed cameras I won’t flash for. Lights yes.

OMG this. It’s sooo foggy where I live (Crace) and the number of tradies I see (or almost don’t see) every morning without lights on is ridiculous. Such a safety hazard, and not that hard to fix!

watto23 said :

Look it would be great to catch those people but what if headlight flashing slowed them down and they thus narrowly avoided hitting someone? That would be a positive. Even the most competent and best drivers do occasionally have a bad day, or get a headache/illness etc. that could cause them to suffer a lapse in concentration.

This.

The supposed goal of police, speed vans, and the road rules themselves is to increase safety. If flashing your lights makes someone slow down before seeing a van does, then that is a good thing.

Less people get hurt, more people drive safely. Safety is the goal and safety is what we get.

Also of note that the ‘warning flash’ is possibly the only example of human kindness I see on the road, where it usually seems that people are insane selfish beasts looking to devour each other, so I’m all for that too.

or you know they could just be nice people who like to warn you that you are about to hit a speed trap, or your lights where off when they should be on…..

A helpful driver flashed their lights at me yesterday… she was multitasking while driving and talking on the phone.

What gets me is that we have 40 all day till 4, while our 8 million ( or whatever ) cousins in NSW find it safe enough to only have 40 for a while in the morning and then again in the arvo. I guess it don’t realy worry me untill I go along that stretch in Namatjira drive, which seems to go forever.

Saw an amazing number of numpties in the Gungahlin region getting about today with no headlights despite pea-soup fog at that time of morning this morning. Were you:

1. In Gungahlin
2. Driving without headlights

If so, guilty.

Speed cameras I won’t flash for. Lights yes.

Look it would be great to catch those people but what if headlight flashing slowed them down and they thus narrowly avoided hitting someone? That would be a positive. Even the most competent and best drivers do occasionally have a bad day, or get a headache/illness etc. that could cause them to suffer a lapse in concentration.

School zones are the only place I won’t flash to warn of the speed van.
Anywhere else, I’m quite happy to do my bit to stop revenue raising while pretending it’s about safety.

I travel through 3 school zones every day going both to and from work, but amazingly am yet to see a single speed camera in the school zones. Find a piece of divided, 2 lane either way road with an 80 or over speed limit, and that’s where the speed camera will be. When that changes, I may buy into these things being for anything but revenue raising.

You sound like a really fun person.