Is It Legal to Warn Drivers of Speed Traps in Ohio?

I just got back from a long road trip, crossing a handful of states from one end of the country to the other. With nearly 30 hours on the road just getting to and from my destination, I must have been notified by my maps app of at least 100 speed traps.

That's the more common way of being given a heads-up these days, though it's not exactly reliable. It seems to me the app is wrong more often than not, but hey, it helps avoid interstate tickets, and that's a positive I'll happily take.

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But before apps, (or radar detectors if you got really fancy) you could only rely on oncoming drivers to flash their headlights at you to warn you of a police speed trap.

I saw someone give me a heads-up a few weeks ago headed into work, but that's the only time I've seen someone do it in years. But is it even legal to do such a thing in Ohio in the first place?

It may come as no surprise, but it is perfectly legal to flash your headlights to an oncoming driver to warn them of a potential speed trap in Ohio. Back in 2014, a federal court in St. Louis argued it was a First Amendment right for drivers to communicate in such a manner. Ohio quickly followed suit in working to codify the practice into state law, though a precedent was set back in the 1970s anyway.

Of course, this only includes a quick flick of your high beams or your standard headlamps - this is not a justification for driving with your high beams on continuously. Obstructing another driver's view with your headlights can get you into trouble.

If you travel to Michigan, you may want to check up on their law by clicking the link below.