‘Us and them’ bravado no good for safety on roads

Flashing cars to warn them of speed traps is just one of the many seemingly harmless actions that can endanger other drivers. Road safety campaigns work, but we all have a responsibility to listen, writes Clodagh Finn

HERE’S one scenario that is almost certain to play out at some point over the festive period. You’ll be driving along at an indeterminate speed when an oncoming driver flashes you — motorist-speak that means “be careful, there’s a speed camera or a garda checkpoint up ahead”.

I’ve done it myself, just as I’ve found myself putting a foot to the brake when someone does the same for me. And that’s just it. We see the warning as a favour, or some sort of unspoken complicity between road users. It’s considered collegial, a good turn, yet the truth is far more ambiguous.