You are not supposed to be in the right hand lane for no reason.
It is illegal to pass another vehicle on the left hand side, unless they are in a lane that is assigned for that lane.

'afternoon all...

Personally, I don't see any real harm in alerting other drivers to the fact that Radar has been detected in close proximity. After all, aren't our political masters constantly entreating upon us all, the necessity to curb driver behaviour. By lessening speed, calming traffic and all the other little platitudes they have carefully stored within their vocabulary ?

Is it not true that any government (outwardly) would prefer to superintend and reduce the carnage caused by some of these awful vehicular tragedies, by use of encouragement and by a police presence, rather than punitively ?

Of course there's very few of us who don't believe there's a certain amount of revenue raising involved in all this traffic interdiction too ?

I don't think there'd be too many of us who would be bold enough to overtake a Highway Patrol Vehicle, when driving at the posted limit, on any dual carriageway ? I recall us being told at the academy, the benefits of a police presence, particularly on our Hwys. I reckon in many instances the uniform 'presence' does seem to be a positive benefit in most cases. Even in and around these major shopping malls and precincts ?

Sadly though, these days there are certain ethnic groups where a police uniform merely exacerbates the situation, and induces them into taking even a greater degree of violence ! I will freely admit, I'd not wish to wear a uniform in certain parts of Sydney now ?

o sung wo, it is my understand that it is legal to alert drivers of a hazard, such as a trap, it's only illegal if you use high beam. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Hi there REHCTUB...Been awhile ah my friend ? Anyway, you're really testing my knowledge now ? Essentially, there's no specific offence in NSW in drawing another's attention to the presence of a Radar device ? I should hasten to add, I've been out of uniform for yonks !

Where the offence is disclosed, is in the manner in which you do so ? Preparatory citation might include; 'Without lawful excuse' flashing you high beam, excessive sounding of your horn, waving frantically out the window of your M/V - citation might be; failing to exercise proper control over a motor vehicle. Something along those lines anyway. Sorry my friend, please don't take my word for it ? I've not done GD's since the mid 1970's therefore my memory is very rusty. I'm sorry.

In the long, wasteful days of the Anna Blight Labor government in Queensland, when the Treasury coffers were strained by spending, the useless affirmative action minister for police Judy Spence thundered against motorists who 'condoned speeding' by 'illegally flashing lights' and set Queensland's finest against these errant drivers.

At the same time it bears mentioning that around the same time Premier Anna Bligh, Judy Spence's leader, sooled Gold Coast police onto Sweet Young Things (SWTs) who dared to sun their boobs on the balconies of Main Beach's high rises. Anna must have had very keen eye sight because spotting some titties on the umpteenth floor of a highrise and behind balustrades is quite a feat.

Anyhow, the offence relating to warning other motorists of cops hiding in the bushes with radar (as opposed to using the same bushes to scan highrise balconies with powerful binoculars to find naughty nipples) is actually that of using high beam. Before anyone goes off the planet, you can use high beam, but not within 200m of an approaching vehicle.

The reality is this, if Plod nicks you for a flash, either of high beam lights or a naughty nipple, you have the option of a court defence which you will probably win with a half-decent lawyer. However it will cost you court appearances and possibly $10,000 for your lawyer. If the beak is having an off day you will be up for the fine plus your lawyer. Go before the beak and the fine is multiplied.

Like the motorist who recently left his (parked) car window down slightly in the record temps, Queensland police do make the supreme effort to apprehend motorists who 'offend'. In fairness I should add that the REAL police - those who are trying to collar criminals - have a poor opinion of their over-zealous traffic cop colleagues who nit-pick to harass ordinary citizens, and lose the cooperation of the public that is vital to REAL police work. Not something that Labor's authoritarian old trout Anna Bligh and Judy Spence ever understood though, and some 'men' are like them. :(

We find everywhere in nature that animals - mammals and birds that live in groups, have some kind of a warning system where individuals inform the rest of the group about the presence of predators.

Whether the predator's presence is justified or otherwise, is a separate issue: as far as the potential victims are concerned, their solidarity is important regardless.

So the issue of rightness or wrongness of speed limits and the enforcement thereof, should be dealt with in another discussion - and indeed we just had one recently!
(http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=15912)

The fact is that police is out there to catch us. Why they hunt us and whether or not they succeed is irrelevant here because this topic is not about them but about what WE do about it. When I signal to other drivers that there's danger ahead, I show them that I care and I show them that I'm even willing to take a risk for them. Similarly, when others signal to me, I appreciate that they too care about me: even if I'm well under the speed limit (as I almost always am), that's very nice to know!

Another benefit of letting others know of the presence of predators, is that we can then all drive there really slowly, as a way of frustrating the police, sticking our tongues out at them, telling them "you won't catch me alive - go elsewhere!".

My grandmother died after a man tried to snatch her purse.
He didn't succeed: she fought him off and kept her purse, but at the time she didn't realise that in the process she had a heart attack, of which she died a month later.

While police may save some lives by preventing some road accidents, has any research been made about the number of drivers receiving heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure and other health troubles as a result of the shock of encountering (or even passing by) the police; or receiving the notices in the mail? Or has there been a research on the effect of their shock and emotional impact on their families?