Many of us have either been guilty of flashing our headlights to warn oncoming drivers of a police officer ahead, or have been the recipient of such a warning. Laws concerning this method of alerting fellow drivers vary from state to state; Florida, Virginia, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York and New Jersey permit the flashing of headlights while other states such as Arizona and Alaska prohibit it. The remainder of the states—including Texas—have no laws regarding the practice at all. A recent bill introduced in New Jersey actually clarifies the issue, stating motorists can flash their headlights in the direction of oncoming traffic to warn of accidents, hazards…or speed traps. A 1999 law prohibited drivers from “misusing headlights,” however lawmakers now say that law was never meant to prohibit drivers from warning other drivers about an upcoming speed trap.
A Texas man found himself on the wrong side of the law when he was taken into custody for brandishing a sign which warned oncoming traffic of a police officer up ahead; the man claimed the sign was nothing more than a sign which announced the speed limit for the area. Ron Martin, arrived in court to fight the misdemeanor charge he received from waving his hand-painted sign which stated “Police Ahead.” The police officer wrote in his report that after a number of requests to drop the sign, the young man complied and was handcuffed and taken into custody. Because Texas has no laws concerning warning other drivers about speed traps, police cited a city ordinance which prohibits people from holding or wearing “advertising” signs on public property. Martin argues he was not advertising anything at the time of his arrest. If you are in a similar situation, it is definitely to your benefit to hire a Houston traffic ticket attorney as soon as possible.
Although police officers may believe it makes their job much more difficult when drivers attempt to alert others about speed traps, if you have received such a ticket—or any other form of traffic ticket—it is important that you contact an experienced Houston traffic ticket attorney as soon as possible. While it may seem like too much time and trouble to fight a traffic ticket, in the end you will be very glad you did. In the state of Texas, paying a ticket is equal to admitting guilt; you will be convicted of the traffic “crime,” and will receive points on your driver’s license as a result. When you have accumulated a certain number of points on your license, you will suffer many adverse consequences. You will be charged a surcharge which is a significant amount which must be paid yearly for several years. Your insurance rates will go up, and with a sufficient amount of points you could even lose your driver’s license. Hiring a Sullo & Sullo Houston traffic ticket lawyer can help to ensure that these negative consequences are minimized to the extent possible. Don’t wait—hire a skilled Houston traffic ticket attorney today.