[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by Ajack

Are you calling motorist's, rats, ants, and roaches?

People who break the law are caught in speed enforcement zones. If you don't break the law, you don't get stopped.

By the way, you added a line to my quote in your post. Please don't do that. You are deliberately misquoting me when you add to or change what I said.

[BogeyBoy]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

Flashing headlights that warn oncoming motorists of speed enforcement is illegal in Florida.

JLK

I think the actually law is pertaining to flashing lights on vehicles that are similar to those on emergency vehicles. The law is broad enough that people have been ticketed for flashing their headlights. Here it is:

Title XXIII - 316.2397 Certain lights prohibited; exceptions.-

(7)Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as a means of indicating a right or left turn, to change lanes, or to indicate that the vehicle is lawfully stopped or disabled upon the highway or except that the lamps authorized in subsections (1), (2), (3), (4), and (9) and s. 316.235(5) are permitted to flash.

However if you read (8) it refers to police, etc.:

(8)Subsections (1) and (7) do not apply to police, fire, or authorized emergency vehicles while in the performance of their necessary duties.

So as I read it - 7 says no flashing lights - 8 says unless you are police, fire, etc. (Sounds like the law is referring to the flashing lights you would typically see on emergency vehicles.)

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by BogeyBoy

I think the actually law is pertaining to flashing lights on vehicles that are similar to those on emergency vehicles. The law is broad enough that people have been ticketed for flashing their headlights. Here it is:

Title XXIII - 316.2397 Certain lights prohibited; exceptions.-

(7)Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as a means of indicating a right or left turn, to change lanes, or to indicate that the vehicle is lawfully stopped or disabled upon the highway or except that the lamps authorized in subsections (1), (2), (3), (4), and (9) and s. 316.235(5) are permitted to flash.

However if you read (8) it refers to police, etc.:

(8)Subsections (1) and (7) do not apply to police, fire, or authorized emergency vehicles while in the performance of their necessary duties.

So as I read it - 7 says no flashing lights - 8 says unless you are police, fire, etc.

That's why I said, "flashing lights that warn oncoming motorists of speed enforcement." Police won't stop you if you use flash lights to allow a truck to pull in front of you, or to signal that somebody forgot to turn on their headlight, or to warn oncoming traffic that there is an accident or obstacle in the roadway. But if you do it with the specific intent of warning others about traffic enforcement, there is a law to cover it.

[bkcunningham1]

Originally Posted by BogeyBoy

I think the actually law is pertaining to flashing lights on vehicles that are similar to those on emergency vehicles. The law is broad enough that people have been ticketed for flashing their headlights. Here it is:

Title XXIII - 316.2397 Certain lights prohibited; exceptions.-

(7)Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as a means of indicating a right or left turn, to change lanes, or to indicate that the vehicle is lawfully stopped or disabled upon the highway or except that the lamps authorized in subsections (1), (2), (3), (4), and (9) and s. 316.235(5) are permitted to flash.

However if you read (8) it refers to police, etc.:

(8)Subsections (1) and (7) do not apply to police, fire, or authorized emergency vehicles while in the performance of their necessary duties.

So as I read it - 7 says no flashing lights - 8 says unless you are police, fire, etc.

I read an article where this very statute was questioned because of the word "are" as opposed to "is." "Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles..." Since it says "are" the verb agreement is with the noun "flashing lights" (object or thing) as opposed to flashing lights "is" which would be an agreement with the personal action of flashing lights.

[Ajack]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

People who break the law are caught in speed enforcement zones. If you don't break the law, you don't get stopped.

By the way, you added a line to my quote in your post. Please don't do that. You are deliberately misquoting me when you add to or change what I said.

I don't see it, but if I did it, it was not intentional and I apologize.

[BogeyBoy]

I found this while searching the internet - interesting -

»Flashing headlights on/off to warn of speed trap (FL)(FS 316.2397(7) for flashing or blinking headlights)

Much has happened since my 12/09 ticket. An attorney fed up with government overreach agreed to represent me, filing a 6-page motion to dismiss. That worked.

Then, this week, he filed a class action lawsuit against the attorney general of the State of Florida for the 2400+ motorists who have been ticketed under the same statute - despite several court decisions (orders) that the statute did not apply to motorist communications.


(Note: Although the above says "this week" the info is from July 2010.)

From Channel 7 news, Miami:

http://www.wsvn.com/features/article...oward/MI89925/

[Indydealmaker]

No Pain. . . No Gain. There is no lasting health and safety gain from forewarning speeders. Just human nature.

[JenAjd]

In the midwestern city that I come from, the local media will announce that on that day the police will be monitoring motorists (speed and other infractions) in a certain area. I think the police still are successful in pulling over persons who are "pushing their limits".
It still amazes me how people seem to think they're being infringed upon when the laws are being upheld. If not for the law...we'd have mayhem.

[bkcunningham1]

Originally Posted by BogeyBoy

I found this while searching the internet - interesting -

»Flashing headlights on/off to warn of speed trap (FL)(FS 316.2397(7) for flashing or blinking headlights)

Much has happened since my 12/09 ticket. An attorney fed up with government overreach agreed to represent me, filing a 6-page motion to dismiss. That worked.

Then, this week, he filed a class action lawsuit against the attorney general of the State of Florida for the 2400+ motorists who have been ticketed under the same statute - despite several court decisions (orders) that the statute did not apply to motorist communications.


(Note: Although the above says "this week" the info is from July 2010.)

From Channel 7 news, Miami:

http://www.wsvn.com/features/article...oward/MI89925/

That was good research. Very interesting.

[graciegirl]

Between the research done on here by bkcunningham, Tal, and now BogeyBoy I think I am gonna cut up my library card. I don't need it anymore.

[philnpat]

I can't believe so much has been written about stop signs and speeding.
For many years I was involved in business and office politics. I promised myself that when I retired I was going to simplify my life.
If the speed limit is 40MPH...I do 40MPH. Stop signs mean stop and yield means yield.
Why not play by the rules, keep things simple and enjoy your retirement that you've earned?

PS...Several years ago I flashed my lights at an oncoming car after seeing radar. The young lady gave me a one finger salute (apparently she didn't know what I meant) I looked in my rear view mirror and saw flashing lights and an officer pulling her over. I just smiled. Haven't flashed my lights since

[bkcunningham1]

Originally Posted by JenAjd

In the midwestern city that I come from, the local media will announce that on that day the police will be monitoring motorists (speed and other infractions) in a certain area. I think the police still are successful in pulling over persons who are "pushing their limits".
It still amazes me how people seem to think they're being infringed upon when the laws are being upheld. If not for the law...we'd have mayhem.

I was a journalist in different states. The state police in Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky and other states where I worked would send press releases to the newspapers asking for stories before holidays stating where they were conducting sobriety checkpoints and where they were going to have extra law enforcement patroling for speeders, reckless drivers and such.

As a young reporter, I would call the police and make the press release my own byline story by including statements from the officers about the increase in traffic volume during holidays, the importance of not driving while tired, not to drinking and driving and then asking them to relate some tragic story they witnessed because of the someone not observing the above mentioned safety tips.

The police I worked with loved it because it helped raise public awareness, got them press clippings to send in for grant monies and mayber helped curtail accidents. The newspaper loved getting the notices from the police about where they patrols were going to be because it helped newspaper sales and in turn ad sales. So it was a win-win for everyone...unless you were one of the people who didn't see the flashing headlights and were dumb enough to break the law and got caught or injured someone.

[otherbruddaDarrell]

[quote=bkcunningham1;304629]Like flashing your headlights at oncoming traffic to warn them of a police officer radaring. Is that illegal?[/quo

[Bottaboom]

Originally Posted by Talk Host

The administrators of Talk of The Villages could be held responsible if such a "cop watch" thread is concluded to be "interfering with the duties of a police officer."

Until the original poster or another interested party can show conclusively that such action is not outside the law, we will error on the side of caution. We won't permit an organized effort to warn of locations of traffic enforcement.

Even if it is deemed to be not illegal, we would still have to decide the value of such a thread and the effect it could have on the overall safety of the community.

JLK

Sounds like censorship to me. What happened to freedom of speech? It's no different from me telling someone that I saw a radar trap or even a sobriety check point. You're saying I might be arrested for that? Too funny. I know that when I am informed of such a trap I drive even more carefully then I already do. If someone thinks there is a trap they will be paying more attention to what's going around them. IT WOULD MAKE IT SAFER!!!!

[Talk Host]

Originally Posted by Bottaboom

Sounds like censorship to me. What happened to freedom of speech?

The first amendment guarantees you the right to stand on the street corner and speak your piece. It also allows you to start your own newspaper or internet forum to speak your piece without government interference.

The first amendment does not guarantee you the unfettered right to speak your piece on a privately owned newspaper, radio station, tv station, magazine or internet forum. Once you own your own newspaper or forum, you may say what you wish and you will personally be held responsible for everything that everybody says on it. You will guard your investment carefully so that you aren't arrested or sued for what somebody else said on your privately owned medium.

Violations of freedom of speech apply only to government intervention in your right to speak. The constitution reads: ""Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech."

Censorship, on the other hand, is perfectly legal. Encarta Encyclopedia says, "In modern times, censorship refers to the examination of media including books, periodicals, plays, motion pictures, and television and radio programs for the purpose of altering or suppressing parts thought to be harmful, illegal, or offensive.


JLK