alerting fellow motorists about police, legal?

[Homer]

Everyone's seen somebody do it. You're driving, you see an oncoming car blink his lights a few times, and a few hundred feet down the road there's a cop.

This is illegal, right? You can't warn other people there's cops ahead, can you? What's the charge, aiding and abetting? Or is it Obstruction of justice?

[KamaroZ'91]

Im pretty sure its not illegal. Local Radio hosts warn about speed traps sometimes....
I never warned people of a cop down the road, i let them find out for themselves which is the best way to learn.... :)

[firecop]

Daylight lowbeams = okay
Daylight highbeams = failure to dim - ticket
Night = failure to have lamps illuminated - ticket

[Newsance]

Illegal? Not as far as I know, although if a cop sees you, and wants to get annoyed by it, I';m sure he'll find something to ticket you for, like a broken headlamp.. :)

[Jay87Z]

Originally posted by firecop
Daylight lowbeams = okay
Daylight highbeams = failure to dim - ticket
Night = failure to have lamps illuminated - ticket

What if its night, and say you have your low beams on, and just flash your fog lights? I'd imagine that would be ok?

Just curious, because thats how I've always done it at night.

[TC]

I don't mind it. My goal is to slow people down. If others flash their lights and it slows them down, mission accomplished. :shrug:

[gray88_5.7]

it's not a matter of catching and writing everyone. it's called "deterrance"..........just like TC says

[Newsance]

Yeah, but for some departments, it is called REVENUE GENERATION as well.

[gray88_5.7]

another misconception. all monies are divided up between the state and the local municipality. i dont get a % for every ticket i write and i'm pretty sure no one else does either.

[firecop]

Not here, all money goes to the state.

[Newsance]

Originally posted by gray88_5.7
another misconception. all monies are divided up between the state and the local municipality. i dont get a % for every ticket i write and i'm pretty sure no one else does either.

I never said you did, in fact I would be PISSED if that was so.

However, there are several departments in Colorado who's police departments a primarily geared towards generating enough revenue to keep the local government afloat.

Notably, a town in Colorado Called Alta is positioned right along a state highway leading to breckenridge. The highway speed limit is 40 mph. They had a little rusted sign saying unless otherwise marked, the speed limit was 20 mph on Alta town roads (all three of them). Well, there is a 40 MPH sign, conveniently 100 feet out of city limits.

about 15,000 vehicles drive on this two lane road daily each way, and the Alta police used to make a killing off of them. There hasn't been a single day I've driven through there in ski season where there hasn't been two BRAND NEW SHINY CRUISERS running radar somehwere in town.

It has been abated somewhat since the state ruled that since they are responsible for upkeep on that highway, it is their responsibility to set the speed limit in that area.

But yes, I know friends that were given defective headlamp tickets for being seen warning other vehicles, and unless you are crawling through that town, you will be ticketed, and if you are dumb enough to take it to court, you will get the maximum penalty, IE 300+ dollars for 2 mph over.

So yes, it does happen.

[KamaroZ'91]

I dont get sh1t for writeing tickets, my deptartment really dosent care if i right alot or not so i dont bust my ass issueing alot of them like i could. i dont know where the money goes, but i dont think it goes to my dept and i know it dosent help out the officers who generate these fines to the state.
I only wrote like 4 tickets last week, all for running red lights. And these people deserved it becaus the light was red way before they crossed the white line they are suppose to stop at. I gave alot of warning tickets and verbal warnings though. I think the scare of the blue lights is enough to slow alot of people down. I know thats all it takes for me.... Every stop i make is recorded, so the higher ups at least know im not just sitting around becaus im not an ass of tickets like some people do. Every cop is a little different on how they determine who they right and dont, but all of them are usually fair....

[88Phoenix]

From what I understand from a friend that is a cop, there is no min number of tickets that they have to write. But they do have to make so much money a month from the tickets. And no it is not a % of the money. They can write fines and things like that. And if you write enough tickets you get the better cars, and if you would like you can get into the dog team. I can say that the cops in PA were cool as shit. When I got down to SC they saw a young kid in a hot rod and had to write me up. Fucker write me up for 61 in a 45. I had just came from a light and was in first gear and wanted to clean out my motor. I hit second and took my foot off the gas, I was going about 55. But every cop and department are different.