Posts Tagged ‘Speeding’

Tickets For Flashing Lights to Warn Other Drivers

September 19, 2012 | Author Jeffrey Kellner

The legality of flashing your lights to warn other drivers of upcoming speed traps is a hotly contested topic.

It’s a common sight on the road. You’re driving along when you notice an oncoming car flashing their lights at you as they pass. You know that this means that there are police up ahead and you react by slowing down to avoid a speeding ticket. Is this legal? Based on recent court rulings, it appears that this type of communication is allowed.

Driving

A man in Florida who was recently ticketed for this behaviour decided to sue the County Sheriff’s Office for violating his civil rights. The judge ruled that the driver was exercising his right to free speech when he flashed his lights to warn another driver of an upcoming speed trap. The judge further stated that this type of communication is protected by the First Amendment and the driver was therefore acting legally. The man won his case and the County police are now being told that they should not issue tickets to drivers for flashing their lights in this manner.

It’s an interesting question. Regarding this case, Judge Alan Dickey stated, “If the goal of the traffic law is to promote safety and not to raise revenue, then why wouldn’t we want everyone who sees a law enforcement officer with a radar gun in his hand, blinking his lights to slow down all those other cars?”. In other words, Judge Dickey feels that the result of this activity will be to slow drivers down, and that will result in safer driving. Therefore, he feels that the outcome is positive.

However, not everyone agrees with this sentiment. Rich Roberts, a spokesman for the International Union of Police Associations, thinks that flashing your headlights interferes with laws that are designed to make driving safe. “Warning oncoming traffic that there are law enforcement officers ahead allows a speeder to slow down until he passes the officers – and then he starts speeding again,” Roberts said.

In the past, drivers in New Jersey, Ohio and Tennessee have challenged similar tickets that they have received for warning other motorists by honking their horn or flashing their headlights, and the courts have similarly determined that this activity is protected under the First Amendment.

Currently, it appears that police officers are no longer issuing tickets for flashing headlights to warn other drivers of speed traps, but the future legality of this activity is uncertain.

Posted in Driving, Driving in the US, Tips, Vehicle Safety | Tags: 4safedrivers.com, driving, flashing lights, safe driving, speed traps, Speeding, ticket | No Comments »

Washington Personal Injury Lawyer Hails Gains in Traffic Safety, Urges More Action to Prevent Car Accidents

August 21, 2011 | Author alex.soltani

Focus on speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving could accelerate an improving trend in Washington’s statewide traffic fatalities, Seattle personal injury attorney Dean Brett says.

Even though Washington’s traffic-related deaths dropped to an historic low in 2010, raising public awareness of the dangers of speeding, drunk driving and distracted driving could prevent even more fatalities, Seattle car accident attorney Dean Brett said today.

On March 30, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission announced that the state’s traffic fatalities dropped from 492 in 2009 to 448 last year, marking the lowest number of crash-related deaths in Washington’s history.

“These numbers show that our roads are safer today than ever before, but there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done,” said Brett, a founding partner of the personal injury law firm, Brett & Coats, Attorneys at Law, PLLC, which represents car accident victims and their families throughout Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham and Spokane.

In 2009, the law firm secured a .5 million verdict in a case involving a drunk driving accident, which was the largest jury verdict ever recorded in Skagit County (French v. Parker, et al.; Skagit County Cause No. 08-2-00530-8).

“That number – 448 – is not so low when you consider that 448 families lost a loved one to a car crash during the past year,” Brett said. “Even the loss of one life to an auto accident that could have been prevented is one too many. That’s why our state needs to continue to focus on putting an end to the types of reckless driving that cause accidents, injuries and deaths.”

Brett said the emphasis should be on speeding, distracted driving and drunk driving because they are three of the leading causes of car accident deaths.

Speeding accounted for nearly 40 percent of all Washington traffic fatalities between 2004 and 2008, according to a Washington Traffic Safety Commission study. Drunk driving accounts for nearly one quarter of the state’s driving fatalities, 2009 state data shows, while distracted driving has become a growing concern due to the growing number of people who talk on cell phones or text while behind the wheel.

“We need to be aggressive in raising awareness of the dangers of reckless driving, especially in our message to younger drivers,” Brett said. “And reckless drivers need to know that they will be held fully accountable for their conduct.”

If a person or their loved one is harmed by a reckless driver, Brett said it is important to contact an experienced Washington car accident attorney in order to discuss their legal options.

“Our law firm’s main concern will always be on promoting safe driving and protecting the rights of innocent victims and their families,” he said.

About Brett & Coats

Brett & Coats, Personal Injury Attorneys, PLLC is a Washington personal injury law firm with offices in Seattle, Tacoma, Bellingham and Spokane. The firm represents car accident victims, including those injured in DUI/DWI accidents, and other personal injury victims throughout the state of Washington. The firm’s practice areas also include motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, boating accidents, construction accidents, railroad collisions and aviation crashes. For more information, call the firm at (800) 925-1875 or use its online contact form.

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Posted On: Seattle, WA (Vocus/PRWEB) April 04, 2011washington state driving record

Posted in Driving Record | Tags: accelerate, action, attorney, dean, distracted, driving, drunk, fatalities, focus, gains, hails, improving, injury, lawyer, personal, prevent, safety, seattle, Speeding, statewide, traffic, trend, urges, washington, washington’s | No Comments »

What Are Defensive Driving Courses – And Do You Need Them?

May 1, 2011 | Author Erin Kilgour

Have you ever gotten a traffic ticket? If so, you have also likely received points on your driver’s license that often can stand in the way of lower insurance and better positions when it comes to employment. However, you don’t have to let these points always get in your way.  While they may expire after some time, the time is usually between 3 and 7 years, which means that they follow you and torment you until they are gone.

Well, what if you don’t want these points on your license? What if that ticket is showing up and really ruining your options? Is there anything that you can do to ensure these points and tickets disappear? 4Safedrivers.com provides driving records online for a fee.

When it comes to removing tickets, defensive driving classes are the best option. If you don’t know what a defensive driving course is, well the name says it. It is a course that provides you with safety and traffic law information, the proper maneuvers on the roadways, and how to avoid accidents and tickets regardless of the situation. Defensive driving  courses may be court mandated if you have accumulated a great deal of points or if the infraction you received warranted the need for these classes.

A key note, however, is that you must remember that not all tickets or points may be removed by taking defensive driving classes, as some infractions are too serious to be removed. DUI and DWI offenses in most states aren’t removed with these courses, and must remain on your driving record for the duration of your license or until they have expired, depending on your state. I also found this Blog very helpful for texas online Defensive driving

Posted in Department of Motor Vehicles, Driving, Tips, Vehicle Safety | Tags: (1-point) tickets, Failure to stop at stop sign, Failure to yield or stop at traffic lights, Improper lane changing, Multiple small infraction, Speeding | No Comments »