Man Fights Ticket Over Flashing Headlights to Warn other Drivers..

[madinmaryland]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/16/AR2009061603186.html?hpid=topnews

Mark Zaid was driving to a baseball game recently when a driver coming in the opposite direction flashed his lights. It was a warning: Montgomery County police had set up an enforcement zone.

As a common courtesy, Zaid says, he flashed his lights back. A police officer saw it and issued him a $50 citation, telling Zaid that it was illegal in Maryland to flash headlights while driving and that he could actually be charged with something worse: "obstructing a police investigation."

That officer might have picked the wrong guy to ticket: Zaid, of the District, is a lawyer who represents government whistleblowers. He believes he did nothing wrong. "The more I thought about it, I realized I'm going to make an issue of this," he said.

Zaid appeared in Montgomery County District Court yesterday to fight the ticket. The officer who issued the citation, near Westlake Drive in Bethesda, did not appear -- he is on military leave, according to Montgomery police -- so the judge dismissed the ticket. Now Zaid is demanding an apology and says he will file a lawsuit if he doesn't get one.

Montgomery County police defended the citation, saying Zaid was violating a state law that prohibits driving with flashing lights.

Zaid isn't alone in his anger. The issue of whether motorists have a right to warn others about enforcement zones has been the subject of much debate across the United States and Canada, though there has been no definitive court ruling. In Franklin, Tenn., one man spent more than $1,000 to fight a $10 ticket.

..snip

Wow. I have always done that as a courtesy to other drivers.

[NJmaverick]

1. I always knew it was a nice thing to do

but for some reason I also knew it wasn't something you wanted to be caught doing (at least by the police)

[madinmaryland]

2. I mostly drive with my headlights on, so for me I just drop down to the

parking lights, so that at least the signal is not noticed by the cops if they are behind you.

:shrug:

[csziggy]

3. My Dad taught me to flash my lights to let big rigs know when they have safely passed me

Is that also illegal? I always thought of it as a safety/courtesy thing.

I tend not to warn people of speed traps on my local roads since most people go far too fast for the conditions. But I will flash lights to warn of dangers ahead.