Drivers warned not to flash headlights to warn of police

The South West's top traffic cop has expressed his frustration over road users who flash their headlights to warn fellow drivers of looming police.

Flashing of vehicle headlights is not illegal but doing so is encouraging bad driver behaviour, according to South West traffic police officer-in-charge Sgt Craig Clarke.

Sgt Clarke said police were increasingly seeing drivers flash their lights to warn others of impending random breath tests or speed cameras.

"It is changing driver behaviour," Sgt Clarke said.

"People are then doing the right thing for 30 seconds and there are no consequences to people's actions."

He said while it was not illegal, it was at police discretion to book drivers if they did "dazzle" others by flashing their lights.

Sgt Clarke's frustrations come after he praised the region's drivers for being "generally well-behaved" over the Easter long weekend.

"The only disappointing thing that I noted was whether it was a speed camera or RBT people are flashing their lights to other drivers," Sgt Clarke said.

The stance is in stark contrast to a former South West police chief who encouraged drivers to flash their lights to keep drivers alert.

In 2001, Supt John Watson told the _South Western Times _flashing lights was a good way to encourage safe driving.

But the Police Commissioner's office has backed up Sgt Clarke's comments with a spokeswoman saying the commissioner would not support drivers flashing lights.

"While there is no specific offence committed in flashing lights to oncoming motorists to warn of a speed camera, police would generally warn motorists not to do this as it may unnecessarily distract other drivers, especially at night," the spokeswoman said.

"There is an offence of hindering police where it can be proved that the activity has impacted on the ability of police to do their job.

"In the case of flashing lights at oncoming traffic to warn of a speed camera…the offence would be extremely difficult to prove."

The _South Western Times _received reports of a sign set up before a speed camera warning drivers near Bunbury at the weekend.