46.2-842.1. Drivers to give way to certain overtaking vehicles on divided highways.
It shall be unlawful to fail to give way to overtaking traffic when driving a motor vehicle to the left and abreast of another motor vehicle on a divided highway. On audible or LIGHT SIGNAL, the driver of the overtaken vehicle shall move to the right to allow the overtaking vehicle to pass as soon as the overtaken vehicle can safely do so. A violation of this section shall not be construed as negligence per se in any civil action.
Signal. Not signals.
you really need a better grasp of the english language, and a better education on reading and understanding legal statute (my wife is a retired attourney, and even she had a chuckle reading your multiple statements of interpretations). Please discuss this with the nearest Commonwealth attourney (a Commonwealth Attourney is both a District and/or a Circuit Court atty...there is no difference, they are the same as a DA in any other state..), or better yet, Virginia State police.
the word "signal" (not plural) refers to the "act" of "signaling" your intent, not the actual equipment used in the activity. Here again, YOU are making an interpretaion based on YOUR belief that you understand the language, which you clearly do not. You would be cut to shreds in court for your "definition".
No where else in the Va state code book does it say anything else about what type of vehicles are allowed to flash their lights other than motorcycles. SO, it states that emergency vehicles are the only types of vehicles that can do this. Do you need a special device to flash your lights? NO -- The driver can manually do it on any regular vehicle.
If a driver flashes their headlights, whether it be Manually or use a Special device to do it, and they`re not operating an emergency vehicle and have emergency lights activated when they do it, they are in violation.
Where is the common sense that everyone seems to lack these days?
again, YOUR interpretation. and a wrong one at that. The ONLY VEHICALS that are allowed to have "LIGHTS THAT FLASH CONTINUALLY" by means of an INSTALLED MECHANICAL DEVICE are emergency vehicals, and motorcycles (motorcycle flash rate is defined in the specific bike statute).
There is NO LAW SPECIFYING MANUALLY FLASHING ONES HEADLIGHTS FOR ANY other VEHICAL.
I and most of us HAVE COMMON SENSE, and likewise we CAN read and COMPREHEND the letter of the law, without being blinded by attemting force the reason you seem to be in belief of in carrying out YOUR INTERPRETATION of true law. Every single vehical on the road today has a "mechanical device" to switch from high beam to low beam and back again. Your reasoning alone would have EVERY VEHICAL in violation of Va law, by simply having a high lo beam switch. Where is your common sense?
Your credibility is seriously in jeapordy by your statements so far.
you even made the statement it was "ok" to flash to pass someone already...
My post was only pertaining to cars/trucks. There is only one time that drivers are legally Ok to flash their lights and thats when they get behind someone in the left lane that wont get over, and then they can only flash them ONCE. I usually dont write the ticket if they flash only one time(flashing them at someone you know, etc). Its the ones that flash their lights multiple times is the ones I get.
.... However, any person, in any vehicle, Not Motorcycle, can make their lights flash in this manner. This is when the violation of law occurs. The operator is to blame and not the cars fault.
The question that I would then myself would be is "WHY is the operator of this vehicle making his lights flash". Thats when my interpretation comes into play.
While I do agree, that this is not the most violent offense in the world, its still an offense here in Va. I have heard most things about the police(Harassing people*************), mostly from those who have gotten tickets and think that the law doesnt apply to them.
Police Officers do what they are hired to do, Enforce laws. Some like it, Some dont. Thats Life. We cant make every single person happy in every situation, although I do try.
mayb a better wording inlieu of "not the most violent offense in the world" would be "not the most serious crime", your seeming to link a simple moving violation with something tantemount to a Felony.... very disturbing...even in casual conversation, and a lot can be construed from this as to the outcome.
Oh, I have not had a speeding violation anywhere for over 25 years, personally I don't have a reason to speed carelessly, and risk High insurance rates on a bike that it will do in excess of 150 mph...
or any vehical for that matter.
to get back to the origin and intent of the posting, flashing lights at oncoming traffic to force them to slow down accomplishes fully the INTENT slowing speeders down, period. The speed trap, which is clearly applied to repeatedly enforce the offense of breaking a law, does nothing to make driving safer for anyone, and the only affected person is the one with the ticket.
The reasoning vs. the outcome differ greatly.
I'd be curious to see what you would do, seeing a vehical with a sign mounted to the front bumper below the line of sight of the driver of the vehical so as to insure his visual path of the road was unobstructed, reading
"slow down, there is a cop ahead"....I think I know the answer already....
