Highway patrol operation: 35-year-old Armidale man charged with drink driving in Armidale after flashing lights at police

The 35-year-old Armidale man was driving south on the New England Highway at Armidale about 9.05am on Saturday when highway patrol officers from Tamworth claim they saw him flashing his high-beam headlights at oncoming cars.

Police will allege he also flashed his lights at a marked highway patrol car travelling north.

Officers stopped the vehicle and spoke with the driver who they will allege told them he was warning other drivers of police ahead. The man also had his mother in the passenger seat at the time.

Police subsequently breath tested the man on the side of the road before he returned a positive reading.

He was taken to Armidale Police Station and allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of .118 – more than double the legal limit.

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He was charged with mid-range drink driving second or subsequent offence within five years and had his licence suspended to front court later this month.

The arrest was part of a high visibility policing blitz by highway patrol officers from across the region over the weekend.

In NSW, there is no specific law against flashing your lights to warn other motorists, but in doing so it may still result in a fine and demerit points.

Police warn using your high-beam at oncoming vehicles within 200m is an offence, and the penalty is a $110 fine and one demerit point.