Traveling along the road or highway in New York you notice the pulse of a bright light – the flash of an oncoming car’s headlights. Drivers flash other cars for all sorts of reasons – to inform a driver that their vehicle’s headlights aren’t operating or to indicate they plan to pass another vehicle on the road.
Sometimes, drivers will flash oncoming cars to warn them of a hidden police car up ahead so that they can slow down and avoid a potential traffic ticket.
But is this “common courtesy” legal? Here’s what we found regarding the practice in New York:
Can you flash your headlights at other cars in New York?
Yes, flashing one’s headlights, including to warn others of a speed trap, in the Empire State is legal, according to New York Vehicle and Traffic Law.
The law states – in addressing equipment on a vehicle including wipers, horns and headlights – that headlamps “shall be operated so that dazzling light does not interfere with the driver of the approaching vehicle.”
In 1994, the Appellate Division, Second Department determined that flickering high beams did not equal “dazzling lights.” Additionally, in 2009, the Fourth Department made it clear that flashing lights is not a violation of New York traffic laws and that a motorist cannot be stopped specifically for flashing a vehicle’s high beams.
Contributing: USA Today Network
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Is it illegal to flash your headlights to warn drivers in New York?
Reporting by Victoria E. Freile, New York Connect Team / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
