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Bright Driver Busted for Not-So-Bright Flashlights Instead of Headlights

With so many ways to get creative in an attempt to break or bend the law, police must often find themselves in the strange dilemma of applauding the apparent ingenuity of an illegality while ringing the alarm on the recklessness of it.
Creative driver uses flashlights for headlights, unsurprisingly gets caught 4 photos
Photo: Twitter / Trooper Rick Johnson
Creative driver uses flashlights for headlights, unsurprisingly gets caughtCreative driver uses flashlights for headlights, unsurprisingly gets caughtCreative driver uses flashlights for headlights, unsurprisingly gets caught
Washington State Patrol officer Rick Johnson seems perfectly able to walk this fine line, telling CNN of their latest discovery, “You know, I guess this is 2020, right?” Indeed, the year is still 2020, which means it’s still an open buffet to all things strange and unbelievable.

This is one of them. One driver was pulled over on I-90 after a trooper noticed the car had very dim headlights. That trooper must have been shocked to find flashlights instead of the headlights he’d misjudged as “dim.” The Chevrolet in question had taken some damage to the front end, which caused the actual headlights to fall off.

Not wanting to find alternative means of transport, the driver chose to try and craftily recreate the impression of headlights by taping actual flashlights in their place. He should have gone for the alternative means of transport option since he was also driving on a suspended license, so this was a double whammy for him.

Johnson explains that if the flashlights for headlights weren’t bad enough, they were running on nearly-empty batteries. Which explains why they were “super dim.”

While this driver is due some credit for thinking outside the box and working with whatever he had around to fix a problem, it would be best if he put that creativity to less dangerous purposes. The reason you’re not allowed to use flashlights for headlights on public roads is that they don’t meet the lumen requirements. This is not legal and unsafe, so laugh if you will, but don’t follow this example.

Drive safe – and properly lighted.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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