warning people of checkpoints???!

newballsplease · 09-09-2008 06:31PM #1

just wondering how many of ye warn oncoming vehicles that there is a checkpoint ahead, by flashing lights.

dont really know if i agree to it or not. I was driving home the other day and i might have been doing a bit over the limit, somecar comeing towards me flashes. i slow down, then up the road i see unmarked car with speed gun.

lucky

what are yer views?
if this has been done already then sorry......................

marco murphy · 09-09-2008 06:32PM

You're evil. I'm reporting you

Mossy Monk · 09-09-2008 06:34PM

Personally I hate it and will do that for no one if I see a check point. If there was a crash or something blocking part the road ahead I would flash then.

chillywilly · 09-09-2008 06:36PM

what i find more strange are the signs on the side of the road like "speed cameras ahead" ......why tell people? All they will do is slow down for a small distance then speed up again.

mozil · 09-09-2008 06:37PM

I have flashed :P and like to see other people flashing

even though I dont speed myself.

MJOR · 09-09-2008 06:39PM

i'm a flasher

pablomakaveli · 09-09-2008 06:42PM

i think the gards can pull you over if they see ya doing it.

and anyway if it was some boy racer tearing down the road in his "pimped out" gimpmobile id want him to get caught.

Pj! · 09-09-2008 06:43PM

Everyone should flash. End of.

Kiera · 09-09-2008 06:45PM

Yeah i flash. I also pretend there's a checkpoint sometimes if a car is going too fast.

Alanstrainor · 09-09-2008 06:45PM

chillywilly wrote: »

what i find more strange are the signs on the side of the road like "speed cameras ahead" ......why tell people? All they will do is slow down for a small distance then speed up again.

I believe it's a legal issue, they must be sign posted, and have those markings on the road. At least that's what i understood it to be.

Schism · 09-09-2008 06:48PM

I'd flash anyway.

I was going around a turn into a small village once and I see this lad flapping his arms on the path so I slowed down just in case. There was a squad car sitting with a the speed gun just around the corner.

I wasn't going overly fast but I would have been over the limit by about 10mph so he saved me some points. It's a random act of kindness.

ShooterSF · 09-09-2008 07:07PM

I always flash. Feel it's karma you know maybe someday I get the favour returned.

Anyone ever get that email bout the kid who held a sign up up the road from a checkpoint saying checkpoint ahead. Cops couldnt figure out why they werent catching people. Eventually caught the kid and a mate of his up the road on the other side with a bucket full of money and another hand made sign saying "Tips"

Dont know if its true or not... but was pretty funny.

09-09-2008 07:22PM

Alanstrainor wrote: »

I believe it's a legal issue, they must be sign posted, and have those markings on the road. At least that's what i understood it to be.

That is in the UK, fixed cameras MUST be signposted and hi-vis (still one Police force in North Wales hides them behind bridges etc), unsure about here.

Mobile cameras in the UK are often hi-vis, but some forces (North Wales again) hide them in horse boxes.

As it is I always warn drivers of "hazzards" ahead, a hazard is defined as something that causes the driver to change speed or direction of may impede progress.

zig · 09-09-2008 07:28PM

whatever about flashing for speed cameras, no one should ever flash for checkpoints, maybe the gards are looking for a particular person, well done flashers youve just given the scumbag with 2 guns in the boot a good warning to turn around!!

arybvtcw0eolkf · 09-09-2008 07:31PM

I find speeding a very stressful way to drive so I rarely if ever break speed limits.

That said, I don't flash to warn other motorists of a guards ahead.

newballsplease · 09-09-2008 07:36PM

Mairt wrote: »

I find speeding a very stressful way to drive so I rarely if ever break speed limits.

That said, I don't flash to warn other motorists of a guards ahead.

some of the speed limts are a joke tho, if i was to stick to some speed limits in certain areas(i mean tractor slow), it would cause more accicdents because more people would be attempting dangerous overtaking manovers.

im not saying i speed now. just occasionaly i might find myself slightly over the speed limit.
maybe a few speed tickets might get the message across to some people, therefore maybe its not right to flash people. its hard to call!

09-09-2008 07:37PM

zig wrote: »

whatever about flashing for speed cameras, no one should ever flash for checkpoints, maybe the gards are looking for a particular person, well done flashers youve just given the scumbag with 2 guns in the boot a good warning to turn around!!

If they are after scumbags, they are not going to advertise their presence. :rolleyes:

zig · 09-09-2008 07:39PM

well you know what i mean, a certain car reg plate or something!

09-09-2008 08:00PM

zig wrote: »

well you know what i mean, a certain car reg plate or something!

Undercover boys would use ANPR systems to identify these vehicles, then lay in wait hidden

javaboy · 09-09-2008 08:06PM

Deleted User wrote: »

If they are after scumbags, they are not going to advertise their presence. :rolleyes:

Deleted User wrote: »

Undercover boys would use ANPR systems to identify these vehicles, then lay in wait hidden

I think you know what zig is getting at. Sometimes the checkpoints are set up to look for a certain car model/colour or a driver that matches a description. ANPR will only help if they have the reg which they may not. I've certainly passed through checkpoints where there was no speed camera equipment and no breath testing going on. I can only assume they were looking for something specific.

For those people who flash other drivers, what if the driver you warn is pissed and subsequently goes on to knock down your uncle Ben? Haven't you seen Spider-Man? You'll feel awful then.

Ponster · 09-09-2008 09:11PM

chillywilly wrote: »

what i find more strange are the signs on the side of the road like "speed cameras ahead" ......why tell people? All they will do is slow down for a small distance then speed up again.

In France by law everyone has to be told where the fixed and mobile speed cameras are. Their point isn't to catch people speeding but to prevent people speeding in the first place.

omb0wyn5ehpij9 · 09-09-2008 09:14PM

If it's just the usual tax/licence checkpoint i wouldn't flash. But if it was a speed trap, i flash the odd time if somebody is clearly over the limit

javaboy · 09-09-2008 09:20PM

Bryn wrote: »

If it's just the usual tax/licence checkpoint i wouldn't flash. But if it was a speed trap, i flash the odd time if somebody is clearly over the limit

Em do you mind me asking why you flash to warn speeders but you let those dastardly motor tax dodgers get caught?

omb0wyn5ehpij9 · 09-09-2008 09:21PM

javaboy wrote: »

Em do you mind me asking why you flash to warn speeders but you let those dastardly motor tax dodgers get caught?

It is very easy to stray slightly over the limit, and if the guards are being sneaky about the speed traps, or are on roads where there are no need for them, then i will flash

javaboy · 09-09-2008 09:24PM

Ponster wrote: »

In France by law everyone has to be told where the fixed and mobile speed cameras are. Their point isn't to catch people speeding but to prevent people speeding in the first place.

The problem with advertising every camera is that the cameras are only effective for the singe stretch of road they are on.

If people know when they are not being watched, they can confidently speed all they want.

It's the equivalent of a FSA inspector giving a restaurant advanced warning of every inspection.

javaboy · 09-09-2008 09:27PM

Bryn wrote: »

It is very easy to stray slightly over the limit, and if the guards are being sneaky about the speed traps, or are on roads where there are no need for them, then i will flash

On my car's speedo, I have to travel at about 54km/h to be actually breaking a 50km/h speed limit and 127km/h to break a 120km/h limit. Most cars will have a similar margin of error. Add to that the fact that the guards are rarely out to catch the 1km over the limit types, then it is not very easy to stray above the limit. It's a decision people make.

But again, why don't you warn people of tax/license checkpoints?

Ponster · 09-09-2008 09:29PM

I think though they generally only get put up in areas where excessive speeding has lead to several accidents. Some would say that 120Km/h is fast enough for most people anyhow.

I believe they have a 5km/h leeway on the cameras

piedpiper · 09-09-2008 09:31PM

There was a speed trap down the road from me a few years back. Further down the road was another garda car pulling everyone that was caught flashing. They all got some sort of a fine.

Cheeky garda with feck all else to be at.

Shelflife · 09-09-2008 09:40PM

all well and good until its your child thats knocked down by a speeding car and then all you flashers will be out demanding that the guards do something about it :mad:

09-09-2008 09:56PM

Shelflife wrote: »

all well and good until its your child thats knocked down by a speeding car and then all you flashers will be out demanding that the guards do something about it :mad:

There's a major difference between speeding in a built-up area with pedestrians, children parked cars etc and speeding on an open road.

A bit of common sense behind the wheel goes a long way.

mobby · 09-09-2008 09:56PM

piedpiper wrote: »

There was a speed trap down the road from me a few years back. Further down the road was another garda car pulling everyone that was caught flashing. They all got some sort of a fine.

Cheeky garda with feck all else to be at.

Fair play to them

warning people of checkpoints???!

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