Do you flash other drivers when you see a speed camera van?

Is it me or does no one do it anymore? People always used to give a little flash if you were heading towards the camera van?!

I’ve never done it, if you get caught tough.

No. I hope those who speed get caught. And are then punished.

yes but you get to drive like loon for your job why deny us this joy ?

No but i have not seen one for years tbh

Yes.I’ve seen cardboard signs warning people too 8)

Yep, I always flash.

The speed camera folk tell us that they’re put there to stop us speeding, so I’m just stopping everybody speeding a little earlier than they might have. Just without taking their picture. 🙂

no, however I have if they were driving like idiots, it is satisfying to see the brake lights come on in the mirrors knowing they are looking out for a speed camera 🙂

when I know there’s a camera ahead and there’s a chavved up hatchback behind…i make sure I slow down in plenty of time to let the chav floor it as he overtakes me.

It’s kind of a public service

no.

it’s not ****ing tricky, it’s a speed LIMIT, not an ‘advisory minimum’.

when i’m in charge, there’ll be speed cameras ****ing everywhere.

and breathe.

No.

I don’t, but this…

The speed camera folk tell us that they’re put there to stop us speeding, so I’m just stopping everybody speeding a little earlier than they might have. Just without taking their picture.

… is generally held to be the case. After all, it was all about conviction rates, they wouldn’t have signs up warning you that speeding cameras were nearby.

Yep everytime.

Yes.

But only to other van/truck drivers.
Its my duty, honour among thieves an’ all that 8)

DD +1

and I always flash.

there’s a few hotspots round r way and id say 90% of people flash.

I guage the type/speed of driver coming the otherway then flash accordingly. so for example if i see chav or white van man flooring it I let them get done.

Perverting the course of justice..

I don’t.

But….

They are saftey (not speed) cameras, or so we are frequently told. They are not purely for generating revenue, they are for highlighting sections of road that are particularly dangerous, and encouraging you to drive at a safe speed on them.

As a layperson (who has no chip on shoulder about speeding, never flashed other cars about speed cameras, and never had any points on licence in 15 years, I hasten to add) I am suprised that there is not already a test case that argues that flashing oncoming drivers is also just encouraging them to drive at a safe speed on that road. It’s not about diddling the police out of money after all, because they are doing it for the safety aspect not the generation of revenue. It’s not about encouraging people to drive dangerously because they will remember the spot and drive at a safe speed every time they pass it whether they are flashed by another motorist and slow down, or whether they are caughet by the police and have a fine/points/insurance premium hike.

Whether or not you get caught for speeding the first time you do, you will always be mindful of your speed once you know it’s a spot for mobile cameras, surely?

why flash motorists speeding who may kill your kids if not caught.

i’m so down with dd’s view on this that i actually drive around flashing my lights when there isn’t a speed camera van around.

i’ve single handedly reduced speeding in my village by 7.

Perverting the course of revenue generation….

I am suprised that there is not already a test case

There is. Though not quite on the charge you raised.

And an awesome factoid from the article sidebox…

The AA then developed a coded warning system that lasted until the 1960s. A patrolman would salute the driver of a car displaying an AA badge, except in the presence of an approaching speed trap.

Used to get flashed when in the van but never in the Chav mobile, people must immediately assume I’m speeding when in the car because of what it is!!

Perverting the course of revenue generation

If you want to avoid paying the “Stupid **nker” tax, don’t drive like a “Stupid **nker”.

my cousin (she’s an idiot, we all agree) stopped beside the cop van to tell the guy that people were flashing their lights and giving away his location.

as part of the traffic update here in germany, the radio tells yu where the old bill are carrying out their spot checks…. i seem to remember the same in Oz.

and yes, i always used to flash on coming drivers.

alpin – Member

as part of the traffic update here in germany, the radio tells yu where the old bill are carrying out their spot checks…. i seem to remember the same in Oz.We get the same on local radio here in Edinburgh. I’m sure that sometimes there are more warnings that cameras…….

of course i do, specially toward fellow two-wheeler. Sadly less and less people are doing it

Perverting the course of revenue generation….

Spoken like a person who has never been affected by or involved in a accident caused by excess speed.

Do speed camera vans really reduce accidents? Personally I don’t think so.

What DD said.

Spoken like a person who has never been affected by or involved in a accident caused by excess speed.

If you don’t flash someone, they continue to speed. If you do, they slow down. Surely the best course of action therefore is to randomly flash people all the time.

i go round shops coughing loudly when i see a shopliftery type and nod vigorously towards the security guards. they’re on commission you know.

i’m surprised at the response on here! I always flash other drivers – i despise speed cameras, just an annoyance and revenue generator.

Yes, i agree – some people do drive like idiots, but i honestly don’t think cameras stop them. And for god’s sake – why the hell would you have so many on the bloody motorways? If its near a school, or even a housing estate – makes sense, but a motorway!!!?!?

why the hell would you have so many on the bloody motorways?

Because the limit on the motorway is 70, and people exceed it. It’s to try to stop them from doing so.

why flash motorists speeding who may kill your kids if not caught.

But what if these maniacs get caught?

I’d be worried they’d think “why didnt that **** in the audi a4 who was coming the other way flash his lights to warn me?!?! I’m going to hunt him down and kill his kids”

For that reason I always flash my lights to warn people.

Generally yes.

Whenever I’m on my motorbike I’m always pleasantly surprised by the number of car drivers who will flash me to warn of a speed trap.

Do speed camera vans really reduce accidents? Personally I don’t think so.

School near me has its main entrance off a dual carriageway, kids regularly take a shortcut across it (especially if bunking off school or after after-school clubs). The road has a 30mph limit and everyone sticks to it as there is often a camera van on it. Very rare to see anyone speed on that road. Impossible to know if that has reduced accidents but id argue its safer (since all the fences etc never stop the kids).

For that reason I always flash my lights to warn people.
I flash my lights AFTER I see folks setting off speed cameras. Lets them know I’m laughing at them.

Do speed camera vans really reduce accidents? Personally I don’t think so.

You can go on blind supposition according to how you feel about them or you can go on statistics. Stats say “Yes”.

Depends.

If it’s on a straight bit of road with no pedestrian access (like the stretch between Hebden and Mytholmroyd) then yes.
If near a school or sheltered accomodation (Cornholme, Shade) then no.

More traffic police, fewer cameras please.

Yes everytime and give the thumbs down sign.

Yep always flash my (white van) lights, except in a 30mph limit.