Flashing Your High Beams To Warn Others Of Police; Legal Or Illegal
(Texas) We've all probably been in this situation while driving along Toll 49 in Tyler, Texas, or on I-20 to Dallas, or Highway 64 to Henderson; an oncoming vehicle flashes its high beams at us, sending us a warning us that law enforcement may be ahead.
While we might not be speeding, the driver is signaling to us to slow down so that we don't give the law enforcement officer a reason to pull us over and issue us a citation.
It happens during the day and at night, but when that driver gave us that courtesy flash, did they just break the law by performing that action?
Can you get a ticket in Texas for flashing your high beams to warn others of the police ahead?
The answer can be a bit tricky. According to the Victoria Advocate, Texas law does not specifically prohibit flashing your headlights to warn other drivers about police, but other rules governing high-beam use can apply. However, there are rules within the Texas Transportation Code that could lead you to be cited for such an action. The code states that,
an approaching vehicle within 500 feet must use the lowermost beam or otherwise avoid projecting the high-intensity portion into the approaching driver's eyes; an operator approaching a vehicle from behind within 300 feet may not select the uppermost distribution."
Lt. James Poe of the Victoria Police Department says, "Whether or not I think it’s a good idea to flash your high beams just to help people to avoid getting caught for speeding, I don’t think it is." (Victoria Advocate) You don't know why that officer is sitting on the side of the road.
Reasons why you shouldn't flash your high beams to warn of a police officer?
That officer might just be sitting there not running radar and completing paperwork on a previous stop, watching for a stolen vehicle to pass by, or trying to identify someone who may be wanted, and by flashing your lights, you may be warning a wanted person.
How Far Is 500 Feet When You're Driving?
While technically, you can't be ticketed for flashing your high beams to warn others of a policeman sitting there running radar on the side of the road, you can be ticketed if you do it within 500 feet of a car coming at you or 300 feet behind another car. I'm not sure about you, but I'm not sure how far 300 and 500 feet are, so I just don't do it.
If you drive the same route regularly, you may already know the areas where officers frequently patrol. If you're on a Texas state highway or Farm-to-Market road, you know to slow down while passing small towns. It's just common sense!
Officers aren't out there just to give you tickets; they want you to travel safely because speeding is among the leading causes of death while driving on Texas roadways. Then there's this explanation too.
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EDIT: This was originally published in February 2023 and updated on January 24, 2025.