Are you a flasher warning approaching oncoming drivers about a speed trap ahead?

If you do, this could have earned you ticket and a $150 fine a few weeks ago from the Florida Highway Patrol.

But because of a recently filed lawsuit in Leon and Seminole counties Florida Highway Patrol Acting Deputy Director Grady Carrick has ordered his officers to stop issuing these “flashing citations” until the case is settled in court.

As added support there is already case law that found that these types of citations are in fact a violation of your 1^st amendment rights.

STATE OF FLORIDA vs. ALEXIS NICOLE CASON, Defendant. County Court, 18th Judicial Circuit, Seminole County. Case No. 4549-DAK. April 28,2005, nunc pro tunc April 11, 2005. Donald L. Marblestone, Judge. Counsel: Michael D. Jones, Michael D. Jones and Associates, P.A., Winter Springs.

ORDER OF DISMISSAL This cause having come on to be heard April 11, 2005, and the Court having been fully advised in the premises, it is hereby ORDERED AND ADJUDGED that Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss is GRANTED.

The Court finds that Fla. Stat. 316.2397(7) does not prohibit a motorist from turning his or her headlights off and on, or turning his or her low beams to high beams, even if it is the motorist’s intent in so doing to “warn” other motorists of the presence of a law enforcement officer who may be using a speed measuring device to “clock” vehicular traffic. (12 Fla. L. Weekly Supp. 805a)

Here are some of our other tips to avoid and beat speeding tickets your speeding tickets.

You’re driving along on the Interstate keeping up with the flow of traffic and suddenly in your rearview mirror you see flashing blue and red lights of a trooper who wants YOU to pull over.

Glancing down at your speedometer you realize that even though you were keeping up with the traffic and keeping a safe distance between you and the other drivers, you were driving far above the posted speed limit.

Off to the side of the road, you glance into your side view mirror watching the officer walking up to your car and you start rolling down your window trying to think out your excuse.

Fumbling reaching for your wallet the officer asks, “Do you know why I pulled you over?”

You reply “I was just keeping up with the flow of traffic officer” explaining if you would had been doing the posted speed limit that you felt that you would had been impeding the flow of traffic, ultimately putting other drivers at risk.

Now with your driver’s license, registration and insurance card in hand the officer walks back to his car.

Chances are 15 years ago when I was a cop, as long as your driver’s license, registration and insurance card all checked out, I would have exited my patrol car and given you a stern warning to slow down and sent you on your way.

However with today’s tough economic times there has been a tremendous amount of pressure on traffic enforcement officers to issue speeding tickets when before they would had given you a break.

So today, the officer walks back to your car with his citation book and hands you a speeding ticket.

Along with your ticket the officer also hands you an envelope addressed to the local court with a fine schedule.

Checking the schedule you see that this ticket perhaps will cost you $150.

But is this your actual cost of the citation?

Once you pay your fine the courts enter into the state’s public record database that you’ve pleaded guilty to speeding.

Next your insurance agency will be notified and use it as justification to raise your auto insurance up to 10% for the next 5 years.

Doing the math, this 1 traffic ticket cost you in excess of $2500 over the next 5 years.

Add this all up you realize that a good radar detector would had been a fraction of this amount while also saving you time and aggravation of going to court and even the embarrassment of being pulled over.

A good radar detector such as the Escort 8500 X50 or the Bel RX65 your investment will be around $299.

Or if you want the added features of being alerted to all those photo enforcement cameras, your investment for the Escort 9500ix will be around $499.

However, if you’re like me and want to save money, consider signing up for my private offers and deals using the form to the top right and/or download my free eBook on How to Choose the Right Radar Detector.

As a member of my private radar detector community you will receive e-mail from me immediately that will contain a members only discount.

And please don’t worry, I will not spam you with worthless junk as I hate spam as much as you do.

If you have any comments or question please consider using the comment area below this article, which I check on a daily basis.

You’re driving down the interstate an a mile down the road you see a trooper with their reds and blues flashing with someone pulled over.

Then when you’re within a quarter of a mile of the officer, your radar detector starts alerting and you start ask, “Is something wrong or does my radar detector suck”?

I can assure you that neither are the case, let me explain.

Police radar guns are directional, meaning that the RF (radio frequency) they transmit travel in one direction.

So in many cases as you approach an officer that has someone pulled over, the antenna of the radar gun is pointed in the opposite direction that you’re traveling, as illustrated in this graphic.

Therefore any RF that you radar detector is detecting until you pass the officer, is the reflected signal ricocheting off of other objects such as signposts, vehicles and other reflective surfaces within the radar signal path.

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In Part II of the Radar Detector Laws FAQ video I discuss the federal and state laws regarding radar and laser jammers.

I also discuss the the Phantom RCD active radar jammer and the Veil Stealth coating.

Many of you perhaps already know that radar detectors are legal for use in passenger cars in all fifty states with the exception of Virginia and Washington D.C.

But did you know that radar detectors are illegal on all military bases and in commercial vehicles and that some states have cited drivers for having a radar detector attached to their windshield because of visual obstruction laws?

I’ve just completed part two of my radar detector and jammer FAQ video and in this video I discuss the laws regarding the various laws in the USA regarding radar detectors.