Drivers could face up to $2,200 in fines for a common act of mateship on our roads, with one Western Australian mother describing the deed as being part of the ‘Aussie spirit.’
Jadee Blackley, who lives in Karratha, said she will always flash oncoming traffic to warn them of police on the road ahead in case they’re accidentally speeding.
‘We have each other’s back, it’s just the way we do it here,’ Ms Blackley said in a series of Tiktok videos.
She added: ‘I’m not condoning deliberate speeding, casual speeding… but I will absolutely flash you for a speeding camera.
‘If you can sit here and tell me that you’ve never looked down at your dash and just been 1 km/h over the speed limit. In WA, you can be fined $100 for being 1 km/h over… how infuriating.’
The videos garnered a mixed response with some of Ms Blackley’s followers slamming her for condoning unsafe driving.
But Ms Blackley clarified, noting she would never flash another driver for an upcoming RBT.
‘I’m sorry, but if you’re pissy driving, then we cannot be friends, that’s just disgusting,’ she said.
Jadee Blackley said she flashes other drivers to warn them of speed cameras as part of the ‘Aussie spirit’
However, she says she wouldn’t warn drivers of an upcoming RBT stop
‘Why do we want to warn people and give them the opportunity to turn down a street earlier? Let them get caught, let them get fined, let them lose their licence. They shouldn’t be driving.
‘Speed camera? I’ve got your back everyday of the week.’
However, regardless of scenario, helping another driver avoid a fine could land drivers in hot water with the police.
Director at Melrose Keys Lawyers, Hayder Shkara, told Yahoo that flashing high beams at an oncoming vehicle within 200 metres could result in a maximum fine of $2,200 in NSW.
‘From a purely legal perspective in NSW, there is a specific road rule that can potentially apply,’ Mr Shkara said, referring to Road Rule 218.
‘That said, I have personally never seen anyone fined for briefly flashing their lights to warn of a speed camera. In practice, enforcement for this specific behaviour appears to be very rare.’
Across the country, Victorian drivers could face a $305 on the spot fine, or over $1000 if the matter is taken to court; in South Australia, fines range from $70 to $300 and in WA, the penalty is $100.
In Tasmania and the ACT, on-the-spot fines are just over $200, Queensland drivers can be slapped with a $66 fine and in the Northern Territory, just $50.
Join the debate
Is warning other drivers about speed traps an act of Aussie mateship or undermining road safety?
Flashing oncoming traffic to warn them of police could cost drivers up to $2,200 in fines
The risk of being caught flashing has encouraged Aussies to download live traffic updates apps such as Waze, which drivers can use to flag police sightings in real-time.
A national study conducted by Continental Tyres in 2025 revealed 67 per cent of Aussies flash their high beam lights to warn others about speed cameras or police.
However, 9 per cent of respondents said they interpreted the flashing to mean ‘go ahead’.
