here in FL it is ILLEGAL to flash....
seriously, it is like a $500 fine if I remember correctly
bigger ticket than 20mph-over
This is my first post here, and I hate for it to be a correction to an existing post - but I have to correct this statement.
I live in Florida, and was ticketed for blinking my headlights to warn others of a speed trap ("flashing lights prohibited" FS 316.2397(7)). It's a $100 non-moving violation ticket. This statue is not applicable to communication of motorists - and only prohibits specific types of lights (i.e. strobes, rotating, flashing). In fact, the driver's handbook and other statues specifically authorize (and require) the 'blinking of headlamps' to signal intent to pass, or to let someone know they can pull back into your lane.
I fought the ticket, and it was dismissed (thanks to a motion to dismiss by an attorney) before the trial.
If you are stopped for flashing your lights to warn others (in FL) please PM or email me.
The traffic stop (arrest), if based solely on the blinking lights, is an illegal stop - and a violation of due process and free speech - both federal and state rights.
On an aside, warning drivers to 'pay attention' is neither helping them break the law, or condoning speeding. All you're doing is giving them a heads-up that trouble lies ahead. For this to be an 'obstruction' charge, the law would have to prove that you colluded with the speeder.
Warning others is one of the last remaining civilities we have as driving motorists. I've done it since I first started driving. And now that I KNOW the law, I look forward to seeing LEO in the median. I start flashing my lights well before I pass them.
My traffic stop, where the officer clearly stated that warning other motorists is illegal, was recorded (both video and audio). I put it on YouTube, but took it down on the recommendation of the attorney who is representing me. I will put it back up again shortly...