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MOTORISTS are appealing for information in relation to an incident in which the driver of a car failed to flash his headlights at oncoming traffic to warn them about a Garda speed van, resulting in penalty points and speeding fines for dozens of commuters.

The incident, in which a red Toyota Corolla heading north on the Ashbourne to Slane stretch of the N2 failed to warn southbound traffic of a Speed Camera van parked on the side of the road, has once again raised the issue of proper Traffic Corps warning etiquette, with many motorists calling for harsher punishments on drivers who fail to give a “FLASH-FLASH” warning to oncoming traffic.

“It’s a load of shite, is what it is,” said Conn Malone, who received 2 penalty points for speeding and an 80 euro fine after being caught doing 135kmph in an 100kmph zone.

“How the fuck was I supposed to slow down for the Traffic Corps van when nobody flashed me to warn me? I met the red Corolla there at the Cherry Pickers and, he didn’t flash his lights at all. Not a blink!”

“Another five hundred yards up the road and I see the flash of the speed trap going off. If I’d know the van was there, I would surely have slowed down to the speed limit until I was past it. Motorists like red Corolla man are a menace on these roads”

Although the unwritten rule of Irish motoring clearly states that motorists who spot a speed van should give two warning flashes of their headlights to oncoming traffic for at least a mile, or they’re nothing but a pure bollox.

Many road users are calling for more punitive measures to be taken against those that cause them to get stung by speed cameras.

“If I’m going to be hit with an on-the-spot fine for speeding just because I wasn’t warned, then the lad who didn’t warn me should get done as well, ” said car-driver Aine Ross, who will lose her license if she gets two more points in the next six months.

“They’re the leading cause of people getting done for speeding in this country, and it’s time something was done. There should be at least a three-point punishment for people who fail to flash at oncoming traffic, and a fine too. That would encourage people to warn their fellow motorists to slow down for the next mile, and help bring the Road Traffic speeding statistics down”.

The Road Safety Authority were approached by WWN for their opinion on the matter, but they were unable to remove their palms from their face long enough to give a comment.