It’s a common road courtesy that people often do in order to be a ‘nice’ driver.
But did you know that flashing your lights to warn another driver about a speed trap could be against the rules of the road and land you in trouble with the guards?
Many people understand the meaning of two quick flashes of the headlights by an oncoming driver.
This signal is often used on Irish roads as a friendly warning to fellow drivers to slow down as there is a speed camera or gardai with a speed gun on the road ahead.
However, according to the Road Safety Authority (RSA) this “inappropriate use of lights” of your car “could be considered a prosecutable offence” and any enforcement of this would be a matter for the gardai.
In the UK, the same offence is against the law and drivers who flash their lights to warn other of a speed trap could be landed with a €1180 (£1,000) fine and three penalty points on their licence, according to Wales Online.
In Ireland, there is no clear guidance on what maximum fine could be issued or if it could land you with penalty points on your licence.
A spokesperson for the RSA said: “Any inappropriate use of lights on a vehicle e.g. driving with fog lights on when they are not required or a driver flashing his/her lights for the reasons you have described below (warning another motorist of the presence of a Speed Safety Van) could be considered a prosecutable offence (regardless of whether it is a Garda speed Safety van or a Go Safe van).
“Any offence that might be incurred where a driver is using the lights on their vehicle in an inappropriate way would be a matter of enforcement and therefore is the responsibility of ‘An Garda Síochána’ while any interpretation may be a matter for the courts.”
However, the Department of Transport had a different view on it, with a spokesperson saying that while “this practice is not advised, it is not currently a road traffic offence.”
They said that drivers could be flashing their headlights for other reasons, as another common use is to warn a driver that they have forgotten to turn their lights on.
A Department of Transport spokesperson said: "While some drivers may flash their headlights to warn of upcoming speed cameras, a driver may flash their lights at oncoming traffic for any number of reasons. Although this practice is not advised, it is not currently a road traffic offence.
"It is important to bear in mind that the overall objective of the safety camera network is not to trap motorists but to reduce the number of speed related collisions, to save lives and prevent serious injuries, as speeding is a major factor in road traffic collisions and fatalities."
So next time you see a speed trap, be warned that alerting other drivers with your headlights could get you in hot water!
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