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The police claimed that it was an obstruction of justice
Flashing Headlights to Warn Other Drivers: A First Amendment Right | Lansing Legal Examiner | Lansing Michigan Personal Injury Lawyer
Are you doing something wrong or illegal when flashing lights to warn other drivers of a speed trap?
Do you flash lights to warn others?
OMG you have no respect for the law blah blah blah etc etc oh noes!!It's my understanding that it's against the law in Illinois to do it. I do it all the time. Bad Maggie!!!!!
It's my understanding that it's against the law in Illinois to do it. I do it all the time. Bad Maggie!!!!!
Flashing Headlights to Warn Other Drivers: A First Amendment Right | Lansing Legal Examiner | Lansing Michigan Personal Injury Lawyer
Are you doing something wrong or illegal when flashing lights to warn other drivers of a speed trap?
Do you flash lights to warn others?
It's my understanding that it's against the law in Illinois to do it. I do it all the time. Bad Maggie!!!!!
Legality would obviously depend on the jurisdiction. I'm pretty sure it would be in the UK, though I'd be amazed if anyone was actually charged.Are you doing something wrong or illegal when flashing lights to warn other drivers of a speed trap?
Legality would obviously depend on the jurisdiction. I'm pretty sure it would be in the UK, though I'd be amazed if anyone was actually charged.
I do think it's wrong though.
Look at it this way. Imagine you're in a flat overlooking a row of garages. You see a couple of guys breaking in to the garages in turn and stealing from them. You then see a couple of cops about to come around the corner. Do you shout a warning to the theives?
First one that came to mind? What do you think it wrong with it?Really? That's your "apples to apples" comparison?
First one that came to mind? What do you think it wrong with it?
So... if I warn anybody to be good and not break the law... even my own kids... I'm then breaking the law?Flashing Headlights to Warn Other Drivers: A First Amendment Right | Lansing Legal Examiner | Lansing Michigan Personal Injury Lawyer
Are you doing something wrong or illegal when flashing lights to warn other drivers of a speed trap?
Do you flash lights to warn others?
Flashing Headlights to Warn Other Drivers: A First Amendment Right | Lansing Legal Examiner | Lansing Michigan Personal Injury Lawyer
Are you doing something wrong or illegal when flashing lights to warn other drivers of a speed trap?
Do you flash lights to warn others?
To a certain degree I think it is more of an older generation thing. I've noticed that it's commonly known in people older than me, knowledge is hit-and-miss with people my age, and seems to be little known in people younger than me.I've never done it, but I didn't realize that was something people even did. I wonder if it's an older generation thing?
If no speeding crime has been committed, then there's no justice to obstruct.
There must first be a crime, then if obstruction of bringing the perp to justice occurs, then there is, obviously, obstruction of justice.
Then again ..
.. If someone speeds and there's no cop there to see it, is it still a crime?
Likewise, if someone trespasses into America and there's no border agent there to see it, did the criminal trespass still occur?
The problem here is that flashing one's lights to warn people who might have been speeding is tantamount to aiding and abetting a law violator, in essense, "hiding" them from police.
But people do so because of the natural comraderie that develops between most drivers when it comes to the police, police who can take their money away from them. The thought of having one's money taken from them frightens people into protective relationships.
And it's difficult for police to tell who was speeding and slowed down in response to flashing lights and who wasn't speeding in the first place, so without an actual criminal to point to the police can't prove aiding and abetting, even though it was clear that the flashing lights was "likely" an aiding and abetting attempt.
Not sure what the solution is here .. but if the police are frustrated too long on the matter they'll develop improved high-tech methods involving GPS, heat signatures, etc. and the light-flashers will be rendered irrelevant and all perps will get nabbed.
Of course, people could just slow down .. but who wants to be late to work, or to that hot date?
And besides, there are so many traffic jams anymore that when one breaks free from them it just feels so damn good to hit that accelerator and speed up! Someone should do something about the traffic jams!
Regardless, illegal aliens should still be deported, and those Benedict Arnold Americans who aided and abetted them brought to justice, no excuses. Just so it's clear the analogy breaks down compeletely here.
We must choose the laws we will support and those we will violate with respect to what's best for our fellow American citizens.
It's my understanding that it's against the law in Illinois to do it. I do it all the time. Bad Maggie!!!!!
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