AB Man Ticketed for Flashing High Beams

[damama55]

A man in High River, AB, got a $155 ticket for flashing his headlights to a vehicle that looked like it had its high beams on. It turned out to be a Sheriff's car, and the officer did a U-turn and followed him and gave him the ticket.
http://wpmedia.calgaryherald.com/2017/1 ... =96&crop=1
Q: Is It Illegal to Drive with High Beams? - BC Driving Blog
drivinginstructorblog.com/q-illegal-drive-high-beams
Legally in BC, you must dim your high beams whenever you are within 150 meters of another vehicle – a vehicle in front of you going the same direction or opposite direction. I’m not sure how many people can accurately judge 150 meters when they’re driving (let alone when they are not driving!) so be courteous and dim your high beams when you encounter other drivers and pedestrians.
Never heard of this before. Be careful driving in AB, I guess.

[Merry]

I had no idea that using your own headlights to let someone know they've forgotten to dim theirs is illegal in AB. Is it illegal here in BC as well?

One thing that USED to be illegal is having headlights that were far too bright. But nowadays they seem to have dropped that law, resulting in many instances of drivers being dazzled by oncoming lights (even when they ARE dipped). I think allowing overly bright lights is far more dangerous than someone using theirs to flash someone a warning.

[damama55]

From what I can see, through different sites, it seems to be okay to quickly flash them. But, if the other driver doesn't dim them down, of course you should not keep yours on high, but look to the right shoulder of the road to make sure you don't get blinded by the other driver's high beams. As for the extremely bright headlights that are on sooooo many vehicles, they tear the eyes right out of your head, I find. THEY should be made illegal, for sure. I have a feeling the guy given the ticket in AB probably won't have a problem having it thrown out, like the guy that got the ticket for going 1 KM over the speed limit.

[Even Steven]

He probably wasn't flashing his in a polite way, but rather being an asshat.

[damama55]

Read the story and you will see, he quickly flashed them to let the driver know that his high's were on. I think the Sheriff was having a bad day and decided to teach the guy a lesson-- "Don't flash your lights at ME!!"

[lightspeed]

I had no idea that using your own headlights to let someone know they've forgotten to dim theirs is illegal in AB. Is it illegal here in BC as well?

One thing that USED to be illegal is having headlights that were far too bright. But nowadays they seem to have dropped that law, resulting in many instances of drivers being dazzled by oncoming lights (even when they ARE dipped). I think allowing overly bright lights is far more dangerous than someone using theirs to flash someone a warning.

Probably cheap and nasty Chinese HID kits. They're hideous and the vehicle should be put off the road until fixed. A good properly set up headlight upgrade doesn't blind people.

[Dizzy1]

The cop was being an *bleep*. Plain and simple.

[lesliepaul]

Just another "public servant" on a power trip.........there seems to be no shortage of police officers today that don't suffer from it from time to time and some who are constantly on the power trip. It all boils down to police today who have had "reasoning ability" removed from their brains while in training.

[my5cents]

I had no idea that using your own headlights to let someone know they've forgotten to dim theirs is illegal in AB. Is it illegal here in BC as well?

One thing that USED to be illegal is having headlights that were far too bright. But nowadays they seem to have dropped that law, resulting in many instances of drivers being dazzled by oncoming lights (even when they ARE dipped). I think allowing overly bright lights is far more dangerous than someone using theirs to flash someone a warning.

It is technically illegal to use your high beam when an approaching vehicle is within 150 meters, both in AB and BC.

No they haven't "dropped" the law that requires low beam headlight to be adjusted so that "regardless of the load on the vehicle...will not strike the eye of an oncoming driver" (Section 4.06 Motor Vehicle Act Regulations)

But having said that it is illegal to have high beam headlight on when an oncoming vehicle is approaching, there should be some common sense used by law enforcement.

An example of that would be another circumstance. You are being approached by an oncoming vehicle at night and you can barely see the vehicle because it is not displaying any headlights. You "flash" your lights off and then on, to alert the other driver to a very dangerous situation.

Technically if this act was observed by this AB law enforcement moron, he could write you a ticket for driving without (although briefly) headlights.

In reality what you are doing is warning another driver of a VERY dangerous situation. A reasonable person would of course agree with your actions and I expect so would a judge.

If I was the person who received this ticket, I would tender the dash cam video in court. I would then cross examine the AB Sheriff.

What is the alternative. In this case (if the Sheriff is telling the truth) the Sheriff's headlights were out of adjustment and contrary to the law.

Should every driver being blinded by the oncoming vehicle just put up with it ? Perhaps the oncoming driver has forgotten they are on and a quick flash will alter him/her.

Of course what could have happened here is the Sheriff's vehicle did have out of adjustment headlights, after being flashed, of course they couldn't be lowered, so perhaps the "flasher" then just left his high beams on "to punish the oncoming driver" for not lowering the headlights.

Now the ticketed driver is only telling part of the story.

It scenario two is the case, the Sheriff is NOT a moron, the flasher is.

The only thing clear here is that one of them was.

[Dizzy1]

Of course what could have happened here is the Sheriff's vehicle did have out of adjustment headlights, after being flashed, of course they couldn't be lowered, so perhaps the "flasher" then just left his high beams on "to punish the oncoming driver" for not lowering the headlights.

Now the ticketed driver is only telling part of the story.

It scenario two is the case, the Sheriff is NOT a moron, the flasher is.

The only thing clear here is that one of them was.

Even that scenario is not worthy of a ticket.

While the other driver was being an *bleep* by keeping his high beams on, that doesn't change anything - the cop was still being an *bleep*.

[my5cents]

Even that scenario is not worthy of a ticket.

While the other driver was being an *bleep* by keeping his high beams on, that doesn't change anything - the cop was still being an *bleep*.

Actually I think it is.

The approaching vehicle has either poorly adjusted headlights or the driver for whatever reason isn't dimming the headlights. Flashing one's high beam headlights to attempt to alert the driver, I think is a good idea (the ticket aside). If the oncoming vehicle does not lower their lights and the flashing driver decides to keep the vehicle's headlights on high beam, that is dangerous and deserves a ticket.

Simply, two wrongs don't make a right.

[Dizzy1]

Actually I think it is.

The approaching vehicle has either poorly adjusted headlights or the driver for whatever reason isn't dimming the headlights. Flashing one's high beam headlights to attempt to alert the driver, I think is a good idea (the ticket aside). If the oncoming vehicle does not lower their lights and the flashing driver decides to keep the vehicle's headlights on high beam, that is dangerous and deserves a ticket.

Simply, two wrongs don't make a right.

If a vehicle was driving (as many do) miles on end with their high beams on, I'd agree with you. But in the case of the story, and your scenario - I disagree - respectfully of course.

[Merry]

Although it's true that "two wrongs don't make a right" that would only apply if the guy who got ticketed put on his high beams and left them on. But if all he did was a quick flash of his headlights, then I have to agree that it sounds as though the cop was being a bit of a "bleep".

Because in that scenario, a verbal warning would probably have been sufficient. Handing out a ticket sounds like overkill, and abuse of the policeman's authority. And the problem is that every time an officer overreacts like this, it hurts the image of the entire police force.

There are some individuals who should never be granted authority over their fellow citizens, and it sounds as though this particular policeman might be one of them.

[damama55]

“On Monday evening, Jeff McLenaghan was travelling north on Centre St. in High River just past the traffic circle when he was dazzled by a bright set of headlights coming in the opposite direction.

Thinking the oncoming driver inadvertently left his high beams on, he did what he’d done dozens of times previous: he tapped his brights as a friendly notice to the other motorist.

“It was just real quick, a heads up,” he said.

“Maybe a tenth of a second.”

[my5cents]

Although it's true that "two wrongs don't make a right" that would only apply if the guy who got ticketed put on his high beams and left them on. But if all he did was a quick flash of his headlights, then I have to agree that it sounds as though the cop was being a bit of a "bleep".

Because in that scenario, a verbal warning would probably have been sufficient. Handing out a ticket sounds like overkill, and abuse of the policeman's authority. And the problem is that every time an officer overreacts like this, it hurts the image of the entire police force.

There are some individuals who should never be granted authority over their fellow citizens, and it sounds as though this particular policeman might be one of them.

I agree and disagree. If the citizen who was ticketed just flashed his high beams, the cop wasn't being "a bit of a "bleep", he was being a HUGE "bleep".

If the scenario was just a high beam flash, I don't think a verbal warning would even be in order.

If I was the cop and (apparently like this cop did) had the time, I might have pulled the citizen over and asked him why he flashed his lights at me, since my high beams weren't on. When the citizen told me that my lights were blinding him, I would have thanked him for letting me know, apologized for pulling him over and taken the police vehicle to be repaired or if not possible, exchanged it for another vehicle and made sure the vehicle was repaired.