Pulled Over for Speeding? Dealing with the Police

By Alborz Fallah | April 30th, 2007

It has gotten so bad on Australian roads that many innocent everyday drivers are getting massive fines and losing their license due to the state government’s insistence on blaming Speed as the single factor for the road toll.

However, the issue has gotten so out of control that drivers are being pulled over for speeding without any merit. For the majority of us, being pulled over by a police officer is a very distressing event, you are unlikely to argue with the officer and under the circumstances you will most probably agree that there is a possibility that you were speeding.

Firstly, when you are pulled over for speeding, your conversation with the police officer is recorded, many drivers are not aware of this, but its a fact.

When a member of our team was recently pulled over for a speeding offense he did not commit, he followed a very simple guide in dealing with the Police officer and the matter is now going to court with the help of Scott from Speeding Fine Consultants.

We will be using that case (successful or not) as our study case, but in the mean time, we are going to run a series of articles outlining the different processes involved in fighting unfair speeding tickets.

In this article we focus on the basics of what you should and shouldn’t say when pulled over for speeding.

Article 1 : Pulled Over for Speeding? Dealing with the Police

Firstly remember that when you are pulled over and booked for Speeding, the Speeding Incident is ALLEGED and not Proven!

You will be asked a number of questions by the police who will be tape recording your conversation as soon as the incident occurs.

The first question usually asked is “Why were you Speeding?”

This question alone is a leading question which implies that you were speeding even though the incident is not proven. If you admit to speeding you may find it difficult to defend yourself in court later on. Remember that you are not under arrest and your only obligation is to present your driving license and registration.

“Why were you Speeding?”
“I was not Speeding Officer, I was sitting exactly on the posted speed limit”

Even if the officer persists in repeating this question and saying the speed detection equipment has shown that you were speeding, do not feel pressured into admitting to the alleged offence. The fact that you are even asked why you were speeding with the implication that you were speeding is an infringement of your civil rights.

Instead simply reply,

“I was not Speeding Officer and if your equipment says that I was then I believe it may be faulty.”

Understandably you may feel quite distressed as most people feel uncomfortable when being booked for speeding and being in the presence of a police officer often feels intimidating. Don’t let any feelings of intimidation get to you. It’s important for you to understand that many thousands of speeding fines issued are unfair fines and can be beaten in court.

It’s also important to realise that under the National Safety Committee Guidelines fixed Speed Cameras are only supposed to be used and implanted and operated in areas which are known to them as a “Black Spot” or High Accident areas. You can ask the police officer

“Why are you operating this speed detection device in this area? Is it a known black spot or high accident risk area?”

If you follow these basic guidelines you will stand a good chance of beating an unfair speeding fine in court should you wish to defend the infringement. The Justice system in Australia is there for all of us, not just the police.

You should not assume that the speed detection device used was working correctly, or that the device has been operated under the police guidelines. Instead stay calm, present your documents as requested, drive safely to your destination and deal with the matter through the legal system.

In most cases the police will insist on assuring you that their equipment is tested and accurate. Don’t let this constant bombardment put you off, and remember, the officer is simply after a confession, after a while he or she will simply hand out the infringement notice and you will be on your way.

If you believe you are a victim of an unfair speeding ticket, you may feel as though you are being singled out, which usually leads to a feeling of helplessness. However the reality is very different, the state governments are using Speed as an excuse for more revenue, you CAN beat an unfair ticket.

Don’t be a victim of the state government’s revenue raising agenda, your fine may only be a few hundred dollars but demerit points stay around for a three year period and you may eventually find yourself in a situation desperate for more points.

Speeding Fine Consultants provide assistance and a support service to thousands of motorists every year who have been issued with unfair speeding fines. Demerit Points on Australian Licenses and the loss of Australian Licenses can and does cause severe hardship to many people nationwide.

This is not a terrifying ordeal as Speeding Fine Consultants provide you with ALL of the information that you need to represent yourself. With a fixed fee of $370, the myth that it costs thousands and thousands of dollars to fight infringement notices is not true. Speeding Fine Consultants provide a free case assessment in the first instance to advise you of your chances.

Each case is assessed on its individual merits, no two cases are ever the same and cases are usually won based on a number of varying factors. Speeding Fine Consultants are here to help you save your license and beat your unfair Speeding Fine.

Further information about Speeding Fine Consultants and Scott Cooper can be found online at www.speedingfineconsultants.com

Please note, Car Advice is in no way affiliated with Speeding Fine Consultants, we are simply here to give advice to motorists at the receiving end of unfair speeding tickets, and we feel Speeding Fine Consultants to be the best choice.

Stay tuned for more articles and reports on our progress beating an unfair speeding ticket in court.

Carolyn

Well written article,

I think its important for more drivers to call the police up on their ways,

Australia is sick of this money making rubbish, everyone is well aware that Speed cameras are there to raise revenue and not make the road safer,

we all need to protest our speeding tickets, if the numbers are high enough, the courts will get full of angry motorists, and perhaps the police service and gov will take notice.

Something needs to be done, this is a great first step.

Thanks again!
Johno

I just wish more and more people would protest their tickets.

the state governments need to realize that we are all waking up to this great big lie that Speed Cameras save lives whilst they are lining their pockets with our hard earner cash.

It is such a shame the police are associated with this poor – revenue raising – image as they are the ones protecting our society from chaos.
280ZX

Should be pretty straight forward if your not speeding then dont worry! But before you go ahead and start protesting your rights to the cop make sure your car has no defects whatsoever(as a roadworthy might be in order) you dont have any form of drugs in the car(they will use any excuse such as “tip off”) etc to get a look in your car and the most important one of all Dont be pissed when they pull you over LOL.
Damo

Most people already know this 280ZX. This situation clearly has happened to you in the past but telling people won’t make a good name for yourself. Just change your name so you don’t sound like the complete cocktard you are. Maybe try 350Z over 280ZX. Just make a fucking effort it really isn’t all that hard.
Jabergut

To the dick who wrote Article 1:
You don’t appear smart enough to be giving credible advice on legal matters. Trying to procure people to lie to police is stupid (& and likely to be criminal).
Also, for your information, Police wouldn’t ask stupid leading questions anyway.
Steve

I feel sorry for all you people that listen to the advise given and find it funny.

Will the person who posted the advise in regards to dealing with Police and fighting infringments pay for your court costs and legal representation if you use one when you loose.

Be aware that it is extremely difficult to prove that you were not speeding. It is very rare that people will win a court case regarding speeding.
http://www.caradvice.com.au Alborz

Actually it is not rare at all, people win cases all the time, based on many reasons,

the point of the article is for those who ARE innocent, not those who wish they were,

if you KNOW that you are innocent, it is worth fighting for your rights in the courts, no doubt about it.

We need MORE people to challenge unfair speeding tickets,
Also the FIRST question the cops ask when you’re pulled over IS “why were you speeding” this is a fact.
rob

Well actually it is rare. Excuses such as medical emergency may be justified, but then that is what ambulances are for. The common one is “Oh I didn’t know it was that speed.” Which is then careless driving on the idiot behind the wheel. Posted speeds are there for a reason, to try and cut down on speed related accidents. At the end of the day if you pay attention whilst griving and do the posted speed limits you wont recieve a speeding infringment.

You can call yourself innocent all you like. The fact of the matter is if peolple obey road rules there would be no accidents, unless it is a mechanical fault.

Idiots behind the wheel need to take responibilty for once.
rob

And can you please tell me what an unfair speeding fine is. If you are speeding you are speeding. Just like calling a cow a cow. It is what it is.
http://www.alborzfallah.com alborz

Rob, you have to realize that Speed cameras and LIDAR is generally not THAT accurate,

it happens quite often that you are caught speeding when you are infact .. not speeding.

An unfair speeding ticket is much like being accused of doing something u didnt do,

As for the what the cops say first,
the last 2 times I’ve been pulled over, those were their exact words, perhaps its different from state to state!
MrJones

What Absolute rubbish!

this is a great article, all you idiots bad mouthing it because you have bought the governments “speed kills” bullsh!t need to wake up and realize you are all being taken for a ride.

This website has the guts to stand up and say otherwise, and I applaud them for that.

Its people like the ones above, that make governments believe they are getting away with it all, they are not.

Speed cameras DONT save lives.

Thank you for your article, I look forward to others in the future.
Michael

In actuality all of us speed probably more than we think, it is just for short periods of time. It may be when we crest over a hill or head off after the light turns green but our speed often jumps over the limit if by only a few kilometres per hour but that is usually enough to warrant an infraction according to most states like mine in Victoria where we are only allowed 3 kms over the limit yet our speedometers are allowed a 10 percent error. Our speedometers may show us we are driving at 100 kph but we may actually be driving 10 kph over (a legal speedo error according to our government), more than 3 times the amount Victoria allows you to be over the limit. That is a pretty big conflict in my opinion.

The point is that these speed cameras are obviously a revenue driven scheme posing as a life saver. Studies show that we are no safer now with the speed cameras than before they were introduced.

My biggest concern is that we are spending so much time focusing on our speedometers that we are going to be spending less time focusing on the road and objects in front of us like people and other cars. I would bet that one reason we are not safer with the current speed rules is that we are much too distracted by our speedometers, causing more accidents. I was watching a program recently that showed a town in Europe that did away with speed signs. It found a reduction in accidents because people were much more focused on driving than speed. It also showed that the average speed per vehicle went down because people drove according to the conditions instead of trying to drive the speed limit and a little bit over.

I say lets get our politicians out of our pockets and focusing on truly trying to improve our roads based on good research. But how do you surgically remove a politician from revenue? Is there a surgeon skilled enough?
Benny

I visited this site tonight after seeing it on Today Tonight. I was looking for an informative site to assist me in my research for a new car. After reading the article “Pulled Over for speeding? Dealing with the police” I have decided that this visit will be last.

Before I continue I would like to disclose that I am a police officer. Oddly enough issuing traffic tickets is not the main activity that I would undertake during the average shift. I have issued a number of them over the years though, and feel that I am reasonable educated and sufficiently experienced to make some comments about the article.

If the public are encountering a feeling of being uncomfortable when in the presence of a police officer, as is suggested in the article, then there is something wrong with those people. I don’t think that the last victim of an assault or perhaps the home owner targeted in a burglary felt uncomfortable being in my presence, and I actually hope that my presence and actions assisted them in dealing with being the victim of a crime. If you are nervous after being stopped by police for a traffic matter, then may I be so bold to suggest that you address whatever your problems are via counselling, and stop trying to shift the blame to police.

The author also cites the usual ‘revenue rasing’ line that gets flung around these types of articles. I have a suggestion that may be a little audacious, but instead of issuing fines, I believe that the drivers licence of the person should simply be suspended. The article does begin to address the issue of demerit points, and states: “…the loss of Australian licences can and does cause severe hardship to many people nationwide”, but fails to highlight the social costs involved in traffic accidents which occur each and EVERY day around this country.

The article goes on to advertise that for a fixed fee of $370 Speeding Fine Consultants will provide you with assistance. $370!!! Oops, here comes that ‘revenue raising’ phrase again. The article attempts to disassociate CarAdvice.com.au from the afore mentioned organisation, but you will have to do better than that.

Alborz, when I speak to drivers the first question I ask is not “why were you speeding”. You stating that this is “a fact” is incorrect. I would like to ask you what qualifications and/or experience you have to state in your post: “Speed cameras and LIDAR is generally not THAT accurate”.

Mr Jones, despite what you may think about the “Speed Kills” slogans that Governments use, I can assure you, Sir, that from my experiences in attending to traffic accidents that speed (and following distances) are the most frequent contributor to the accident. Driver attention is a close runner-up, and if the vehicle was travelling at a more appropriate speed and following distance for the circumstances, then the accident would be less likley to have occurred.

Finally, I would like to agree with the author on one point. Speed is not the single factor in the road toll. Drivers usually only have to prove their competence in driving a motor vehicle once in thier lifetime. They can then allow their competence to drop to a standard far below what other road users ought to expect. Driver competence needs to improve!

I have to prove my comptence to use a firearm every 6 months. LIDAR is every 12 months. And the LIDAR is checked EVERY shift for accuracy against a known standard. How often do you check your tyre air pressure, let alone your speedometer for accuracy?

I do not intend to return to this site. This article is the cuase of that.

Loz

Actually, Benny. I am much more uncomfortable and distrustful of police officers than I am of the regular population. The police have created a dichotomy of “them vs us”. I’m not saying by any means that there aren’t good police officers, nor that genuinely good officers shouldn’t be appreciated – my best friend is a policeo officer, and I have encountered a couple of good ones. On the other hand – I have also witnessed officers abusing their power, antagonising and intimidating people, threatening arrest and showing off their badge while drunk, being grossly negligent as to people’s safety and a host of other arbitrary abuses of their authority. Power corrupts. Your comment that “If the public are encountering a feeling of being uncomfortable when in the presence of a police officer, as is suggested in the article, then there is something wrong with those people.”… no the public are the ones paying your salary. You are in a position of authority that is entrusted to you BY THE PUBLIC. If the public are uncomfortable with the police – the problem is with the police. Unless the public have your full confidence and trust – the problem is YOU.

http://www.alborzfallah.com alborz

Benny, thank you for your input, its a shame if you do not return, we are always in need of opinions from the otherside, that is what makes a good debate.

this website is completely unrelated to the site in question.

furthermore,

firstly, the article is referring to average everyday people being pulled over for speeding, you obviously dont feel this way, but for most of us, a police officer is rather intimidating, specially when he is handing you a traffic infringement

secondly, I agree, drop the fines and go hard on the points, that way people might believe that its not a revenue raising agenda

thirdly, as I mentioned, every single time i have been pulled over, that has been the first line i’ve heard from the police

fourthly, countless studies have shows complete inaccuracy for speed guns meeting international standards, you simply need to google this to find out

and most importantly, as mentioned, vehicle ADR rules give a 10% chance of inaccurate reading on speed for the speedometers, and whilst this will cause a person to believe they are not speeding whilst they might me, you can see how this is unfair!
rob

Alborz Im in W.A. we dont use Lidar here. And unless you have manufacture notes on the Lidar system or you are a qualified technican your info and comments are other wise useless. I dont know what state you are from but in W.A. they give an 8km/hr over before you get flashed to account for speedometers being out and to account for those people who are unable to keep an eye on their speed. And to comment on what all Police say when you have only been stopped twice, I find to be quite bold, wouldn’t you. However I do agree drop the fines and take away more demerit points.

And Michael if you did tests on a speedo in a new vehicle you will proberly find that it in fact reads higher that the speed you are really doing, so in fact you are actually going slower. Oh yeah and if glancing at your speedo for an instant second takes your concerntration from your driving you shouldn’t be driving.

MrJones your just a dick, I wont bother.
rob

DON’T SPEED YOU WONT GET A FINE…….. SIMPLE. You can cry about it all you like it is not going to change. Live with it. Move on. Life wasn’t meant to be fair.
http://www.alborzfallah.com alborz

Rob its obvious we are not going to agree
so lets waste no more time arguing
I do appreciate your input though
people do have different opinions and you have to respect that
280ZX

Message for Damo Lamo, when was the last time you got pulled over?? I mean you do drive dont you? I just ask as you have written so much on so many cars i was sure you owned a whole fleet? So can you tell us all how many years driving experience you have just so i know im dealing with someone who actually knows how to drive? Oh yeah and the comments i wrote above were tongue in cheek you F*(&**^ing nimrod!
jeff

can we try to have a productive discussion please? I agree with you Alborz, it’s great to see a cop on the site.

I know that in Victoria at least, speeding fines are used to prop up the state budget. and some may argue that it isn’t revenue raising, but I think that much money has a very powerful influence on a politicians mind when he/she decides to lower the tolerance to 3km/h.

but heres the rub. if you stick to the limit, you won’t get a fine. I have been driving for 7 years now, I drive over 100km a day and I have had one speeding fine. just one. I have seen plenty of cameras, but at the time I got caught, I was speeding, in a 60 zone at night in a busy area. there was no justification for it at all. I deserved to get caught, the limit is in place because people speed all the time, and the faster you go, the less time you have to react when something goes wrong. and if you do hit something, the damage and injuries will be worse. speed doesn’t cause accidents by itself, but it does make them worse.

do you honestly think that if we got rid of all the signs and the cameras people would slow down? this is a very difficult concept for me to understand. when I am in traffic, I can and do get the finger or a beep for staying at the limit! Australians aren’t good enough drivers to be allowed free reign, we all think we are but honestly the training most of us have is pathetic. the speed limit is in place to protect all of us.
Damo

Calm down 280 (if that is your real name, which it clearly isn’t). You don’t need to get all worked up because your car had a few heating issues. Tongue in cheek? You’ve already admitted it so don’t bother denying it because it won’t work. Your a bit of a joke really, much like nissan at the moment. I was just having a little stab at you but obviously you cannot take it. Driving a car like your name states I wouldn’t exactly blame you. Now just go off and have a little fun and join some silvia site I hear they go for your type. Good day to you.
-D.
ottoau

While i am NOT a sucker for pain, i DON’T mind getting stopped and booked by police.I want the personalised service.

Where i DO mind is getting them in the mail, same fine but NO one to one service, that suxs!

Having said that i have never beat a police issued ticket, but camera ones yes, DONT ask!

I just accept if for the simple fact for the amount of time i speed vs the tiny amount of tickets recieved, its a fair trade off really.
[ie 225km/h no ticket, 64km/h fined!]

Cheers

O/A
Ch!P

First off, I will declare that I am a Police officer. My issue with this supposed informative article is the usual mixing of Fixed Speed cameras in with Radar and Lidar, any mention of these devices together immediately tells me that (especially THIS article) the writer has not done their research or is being disengenuous with their knowledge to try and make their point.
.
the mention of ” National Safety Committee Guidelines fixed Speed Cameras are only supposed to be used and implanted and operated in areas which are known to them as a “Black Spot” or High Accident areas. You can ask the police officer

“Why are you operating this speed detection device in this area? Is it a known black spot or high accident risk area?” ”
.
I would love to hear this question come out of the mouth of a motorist. The very simple answer would be that I am not using a FIXED SPEED CAMERA. This line thrown into the article whilst also decrying the use of Radar and Lidar is proof to me either of poor research, or extremely poor ethics in reporting. police radar and Lidar are not subject to this ‘black spot’ requirement that has been mentioned in regard to FIXED SPEED CAMERAS. Whether people want to believe it or not, it would be extremely rare (but I admit NOT impossible) to be incorrectly booked for speeding using either Radar or Lidar (definitely impossible[if device functioning properly]). Correctly used radar and Lidar are checked at the beginning and end of each shift, and in NSW at least operators undergo an extensive course. I know that many people don’t think they were speeding when we stop them. Why ? because when they have spotted us, and we are about to pull them over, they have already lifted off the accellerator and started to brake before even glancing at their speedo, which by now is showing a lower reading than what we would already have detected them at. This is particularly true of Lidar. lidar is the absolute most accurate of all the speed measurement devices used by police, and least prone to errors. (if you believe any media reporting, even TT in the past has said, ‘if you get done by one of those, you’re gone[or words to that effect]).
.
Anyway to finish up. In NSW, if stopped by hwy patrol, the first thing they will likely do is tell you who they are and where they are from, and that you are being recorded. (We are not asking you, we are TELLING you) We will tell you why you have been stopped, and ask you for a reason for your actions. That is not trying to illicit a confession. we are telling you why we have stopped you, we are asking why you did what we are alleging. It’s very simple.
It seems that many people are suggesting that we should not enforce speed limits. Are you serious ? is it okay for people to do 90-100 in 50 zones in residential streets ??? based on comments here, and people I stop for such offences it seems so. Many people throw out the old, “but what about the person who was tailgaiting me back on [insert road here]“, “what about the person who didn’t indicate back at [insert location here]“. guess what such people as those (the tailgaters, the non indicators etc.) say. “i wasn’t speeding”. then of course there is always the requisite, “go catch a real criminal” or similar. Speeders come in all ages, in all manner of vehicles. Many must realise later that they did do the wrong thing, as i rarely end up in court, and those that do end up in court, usually have more than one speeding fine on their record. Anyway, the BS also mentioned about people having to constantly look at their speedos is just that, BS. A properly engaged and attentive driver should be able to scan the road ahead (and for crying out loud PAST the bonnet), check rear view mirrors, and occasionally glance at the speedo. Anyone with correct vision, and any idea about peripheral vision, not to mention knowing how their car drives should have no problem driving to prevailing road conditions, including (if appropriate) the speed limit. While I agree in some instances that the Government message of ‘Speed kills’ is poorly communicated. I KNOW that INAPPROPRIATE spped kills and injures. That message though is far too complicated for the majority of motorists who drive around treating there two ton plus hunk of metal as a mobile lounge room, where they switch their brains off and don’t concentrate on the task at hand. the task at hand when driving is just that. DRIVING. anything else should be secondary. Conversation with passengers, fine, but not involved convoluted discusssions that distract you. fiddling with the radio and/or cd etc. WAKE UP. And of course talking or texting on the mobile while driving. Even a hands free can be distracting if involved in long drawn out discussions. Inattention is the biggest problem on the road. It just happens that it often leads to speeding.
.
Oh and in NSW, we don’t have the draconian 3km/h BS that Victoria has. Most NSW Hwy patrol are MORE than generous with 10% PLUS. As for fixed speed cameras in NSW it would at least be 10%.
.
I have an answer for the road toll, and it not dropping since the time indicated. IMMIGRATION.
adam

If speeding is the major contributing factor in majority of road accidents, then why has revenue from speeding increased and why has the raod toll continued to increase as well? and not decrease? the proof seems to be in front of us!?
I have had rude, arrogant police when pulled over for any reason and i’ve also had considerate and polite police, all comes down to what individual copper you get sometimes.
I also know that there are ‘unofficial’ targets set when fixed speed cameras are set up in relation to revenue for that set up period.
Paul

I agree with most of what you have said ‘Ch!p’ to some extent… but:

“Anyway, the BS also mentioned about people having to constantly look at their speedos is just that, BS. A properly engaged and attentive driver should be able to scan the road ahead (and for crying out loud PAST the bonnet), check rear view mirrors, and occasionally glance at the speedo.”

Placing such an emphasis on speeding DOES make you look down at your speedo more and potentially focus less on the road. Going past a fixed camera you look at it religiously. Going past a cop you look at it more. On double demerit weekends you look at it more.(And the new p-plate laws will make them look at it even more, drivers who might not have the skills to concenctrate 100% on both at the same time!). Further evidence is seen in some cars like the Honda Civic, which now have the speedo higher up so its more in the line of sight of drivers, thats enough for me to say people do have to look down more… which would mean your less focused on the road! And it only takes a split second for something to happen, without your full attention, and an incident occurs… all because we place such an empahsis on ‘speeding’ which statistically is misreprented when it comes to causes of crashes.
http://www.aussiespeedingfines.com/ Christiana

Speeding Fines – What you really need to know. This 65 page book released into the Australian market details everything you need to know about speed detection, speeding fines, speed cameras and their associated laws and exactly how to use this information to your benefit.
Daniel

I do several trips down to Melbourne from Sydney a year – usually on long weekends (double demerits). Until recently, all the cars i’ve driven have not had cruise control fitted.

Having just done the trip last month in my “new” car with cruise control, I have to say that it was sooo much less tiring. I could watch the road the whole time, instead of worrying that I might be going 2-3KM/H over the limit (in VIC).
It’s great to be able to just cruise past the highway patrol cops on cruise control, knowing that I don’t even need to look at the speedo.
The whole focus on “speeding” on long trips certainly does add to the fatigue factor, as far as i’m concerned.
davos

o.k. I fully agree with all speeding related issuses. we have all been dumb enough to speed… everyone here has lived to tell the story… the hard and cold facts are you speed you run the risk of never seeing your family , friends or loved ones ever again… it will never effect you personally as you may be dead otherwise you could be killing someone elses child/ children… but here is what happened to me… about 15 months ago i lost my liscence for speeding 45 km over the speed limit NO denying it It was late at night and i was rushing to get home…. i dont know the exact speed but apparantly that was it … i own a hottet up car and lost my liscence for 12 mths… fair deal i know i was speeding and im on my p’s. ….. i got my liscence back about 2 months ago …. and guess what …. I was caught speeding again…. this time i know i wasnt speeding …. i didnt even see the officer so i didnt need to worry about slowing down and i was very conscience of the speeds i was doing…. i saw the police lights behind me so i pulled over to the side of the road to allow him to pass …. i thought he was after someone else…. go figure…. it took me a few seconds and i pulled over . the officer got out of the car and said exactly as afore mentioned .. who he is where from recording etc… then he hit me with do you realise you were speeding .. i answered honestly with no… his exact words were ” dont give me that bullshit ” my jaw nearly hit the ground after that he said you were travelling at 94 in a 60 zone. !!!
I know i may sound like b/s but i know i wasnt speeding the road i was travelling had two roundabouts with a 1km stretch between them there were cars in front and behind and for my to be doing that speed would be impossible for me to not know… i dont know anything about radar or lidar or any of those things but i know what i know.. believe me or dont believe me i dont care …. either way i am resigned to another 6mths with out driving i will lose my job i just started and because i live in a semi rural area i wont be able to work until then …. but i tell you now I hope they are as accurate in saving lives as you say and i hope my loss of employment isnt an error caused by the radar either being out … you know a funny thing just crossed my mind… a question ,,,,, i play indoor cricket and sometimes the radar picks players running rather than the ball speed …. even though it is fixed…. is it possibl for a radar to mistake a bird for a car… i dont know but i know i wasnt speeding …. PLEASE DONT SPEED you will save your own life or mine when im driving i was stupid once but its all it takes… and to the police officers … us p platers have a lot to learn but we will never learn if we dont make mistakes … and to the government…. if only we knew the real conscequinces of speeding … you have a program that the revenue raised in these courses ….. could you make better use of the money by putting p,platers through this course a manditory befor going to green p’s or even from l;s to p’s im sure it even if you save one life with it is all worth it…..
http://www.howtodot.com JoyBoy

Speed does not kill.. the facts to confirm that are easy to come by .. in fact only 5% of road accidents are related to speed. only driver education will lower the road toll and make the roads safer. the government is conditioning us into believing all this rubbish with our hard earned money through relentless advertising and a shameful waste of tax payers money. what about the other 95% of road accidents? do they really expect us to believe we can have a zero road toll? Never will that day come. how many more millions of dollars will they waste to keep the road toll at its present level. Stand up to the system that is meant to “serve US” not “condemn us”. the remarks on this post about facing the police are an excellent idea. but you wont have to go to all that trouble if you are armed with the correct information .. go here to learn a proven method and not paying the fines and standing up to this money grabbing http://www.howtodot.com
Dr. Bob

Hi, Interesting coments on both sides. Current serving police officers are duty bound to support the current speed enforcement system. They will say it is accurate, fair and there is no quota system or similar. But as I have observed with 8 former police officers as friends that once they leave the force they have all stated that radar is not always accurate, they hated the constant pressure to book or only target speeding motorists. Also 3 of them even told me how they set up and used radar to get false readings. Naturally the readings were higher.

Can radar and laser guns give false readings? Yes, thats why they have to be used in strict accordance to operational guidelines to minimise false readings. Can police officers give tickets when they know the reading is false? Yes, this is proven over and over again in court. Do police use the same high reading over and over again through their shift? Yes. There have been many cases where several motorists have been issued with tickets one after the other, all with the same speed and distance away readings. This only comes to light when 2 or more motorists contact the same legal or motoring body for advice and the connection is made. Unfortunatly the motorists who just paid up didn’t get the fine back or points re-instated.

As for the old chestnut, If you don’t speed you’ve got nothing to worry about, Crap. With the growing number of vehicles with gps tracking being booked and then shown by the tracking records that they were not speeding proves this out.

In the USA, UK and some european countries police cars have video recording devices, as seen from tv police shows. Why have video? Because it significantly reduces false bookings and verifies correct bookings. The technology is available to have video recording on radar/laser guns as well. Video recording clearly shows the validity of the booking and would greatly reduce legal challenges. So why arn’t video recording devices installed in australia? Because it will significantly reduce the number of tickets issued. It is not cost as the cost is minimal compared to the fines currently raised.

This last fact proves many tickets are false and that speed enforcment is primarily revenue raising.

This happened to me, I was travelling in a 90 zone with a police car very close behind me. Approaching a cross road (I had right of way) I anticipated a car was not going to stop but just pull straight out. I slowed and sewerved behind it. The cop car skidded sideways and also went dehind it. What did the cop do? Came up behind me flashed and pulled me over. Put me on the bag, did license and rego check as well. I asked why I was pulled over having avioded an accident and not the other driver, “luck you weren’t speeding isn’t it”.

Sums up pig mentality to road safety.
http://durshellpa.net michelle

My husband drives truck, here in the U.S., his CDL’s is our income.It’s the same here, He knows he was going the speed limit when he was radared for goin over 26 miles of the the required speed limit. He knows this because he had cruise control set and he frequently looks at his speedometer. He was pulled over almost 2 thousand miles from where we live. How do we fight this. The cops aren’t supposed to make such critiical mistakes that destroys their own countries families. But then again our country seems not to care about families anymore anyhow.
Daniel

I have just one ?, If police can use mobile phones while driving and we can’t, are they better drivers than us.
Bob

I was pulled over in the inner west of Sydney yesterday because I was using a mobile phone and the the officer told me he had ICV footage of me using the phone. I was not even aware this technology is out there.

Anything for them to make more money I suppose..
David

Well 99.9% of the time if you get pulled over you are speeding.That Victorian police use a 3kp/h over the limit as the standard is stupidity. A 10% factor is fair. What bugs me the most is the attitude of certain police. I find the young ones are out to prove a point, lack basic curtesy and treat you as an idiot. Being 62 years of age does not help me accept this sort of attitude. I find the older cop to be more polite and easier to deal with. Nobody likes being pulled over and its only natural that the driver when confronted with the law feels uncomfortable.
Police should realise this and if they are polite they will find the vast majority of motorists will be more relaxed and co operative.Its not only words they use but their manner, voice tone etc. One young cop in particular when he pulled me over was agressive in his words, body language, voice tone it really got my back up. Of course if you are spoken to in this sort of way you tend to reply the same way. In the end I took his name, number date time and told him I would be reporting him for his overaggresive manner.I did report him but but guess he was never spoken to about it.
Mic

COPS ARE ALL F@!#ING WANKERS END OF STORY… ALL PIGS NOTHING MORE TO IT
http://www.cameralane.com.au exigepower

If you like the feeling of speed best you join a car club and enjoy their controlled track days, you can speed all day and most clubs only cost around $80 a year, and in my club we have a police man who I love to pass at 160K down the Sandown straight and he buys me a hot dog later with a smile
hurt

on the saturday 3rd january 2009. i was pulled up in the car park of 727 in bray st coffs harbour.and booked for not wearing a seat belt.the police officer came over to my car and said you wernt wearing a seat belt and i said yes i was ,i just uncliped my seat belt getting out of my car when he came,he could see this.he has his lights flashing.which was not needed to do in private car park,he said stand here to be in view of the police car vieo view.and said again you wernt wearing a seat belt and i said yes i was.he said you sit back in the car and show me how you were sitting so i sat in the car and showed him how i sit.he said something like i couldnt see the seat belt lapel so you wernt wearing your seat belt and handed me a fine for $243 and i said how many points is this he said 6 points.he was very intimidating.so any how i paid this fine so there wouldnt be any reprisals,i was told be a friend,and they said you dont have to pay this. so i am asking you what do i do.i think that seeing it was double demerits this police officer was trying to make a big man out of him self.or that he didnt get his facts right.i dont have anything against this officer,but i am a sole pensioner and worried about reprisals from the police.what can i do now

Jim

hurt wrote: “i am a sole pensioner and worried about reprisals from the police.”

what a wonderful country we are becoming.

marilyn cassidy

Last wednesday 29th Jan I was driving on a winding narrow road between Cressie and Camperdown in Victoria when I came upon a police car coming in opposite direct. I automatically checked my speedo (as did my partner who enjoys pointing out my shortfalls as much as the next guy) I was doing just over 100 on the speedo which in my car when checked at highway speed check points reads at just under 100. The police stopped turned and followed me for a few klilomotres and then pulled me over. They asked was there any reason i was driving at 114 ks and i replied that i did not believe i had been – this response was treated with disdain intimating i was lying and was breath tested. I have today in the mail received a fine alleging i was driving at 115 marked down to 113ks. I have no idea what their radar actually read and they dont seem to know either. I am very angry that firstly could not one of them have ‘observed’ with some degree of acuracy whether a car is doing 100 or substantially more rather that telling me the radar is correct. Wondering if heat effects readings as it was 45 degrees at the time and very windy when i asked about this they would not countenance that their could possibly be anything wrong with their equipment. I am not a lier and i try to observe speed restrictions. This particular road is very narrow and dusty and is not the sort of road where speed gets away from you – it requires full on concentration. I find it very frustrating that i dont see any recourse…i have no idea what the radar read i am relying on police ethics (and past years have shown this to be somewhat questionable if we are to believe findings of our law courts) to go to court would mean travel and time off work all very frustrating when i know i was not speeding.
http://here Mark

I am also a traffic police officer. Number 1 there is no such thing as a quota as the media would like you to believe. Example I completed a spped camera shift on a busy QLD motorway and had in excess of 6,000 cars pass me and only 3 were detected speeding. I don’t think this is revenue raising. Oh by the way your Mr COOPER is currently facing court on fraud matters in relation to his alleged knowledge of radar procedures, so his credibility should be questioned. As was clearly stated earlier by the time any motorist realises a police vehicle is coming towards them, or that a Laser has targeted their car the speed of your vehicle may have been checked anything up to 500 meters further down the road, hence “I wasn’t speeding, are you sure you got the right car”. I myself never ask why you have exceeded a speed zone as it is the campaign in QLD, “Speeding, there is no excuse,” you may think this is obnoxious, but if you pay attention to what speed you are travelling we will never stop you and infringe on your civil rights, spare me.
Thommo

Mark,
Having visited Qld for the last 4 years, can you clarify what the situation is regarding road work speed limits “after hours”.
As a South Australian I followed the rules that apply here, ie road work speed limits apply 24/7, however I was subjected to enormous amounts af abuse from the locals.

What are the rules in Qld?
http://here Mark

Roadworks can be enforced 24/7 however I do not do this. I only enforce it when there are actual roadworks in progress at the time, thus i can’t speak for all police. You still need to slow down as it is enforcible regardless of the time. Yes you will find QLD drivers like to sit right up your tailpipe, especially utes and young ladies they are always in a hurry. Hope that helps.
Troy

I am a NSW Police Officer (not attached to the highway patrol) and i pose a question to those of you who believe that police issuing speeding fines is simply a revenue raising process….At the present time, the NSW government is offering its Police a 2.5% payrise, which is a full 1.5% less than the current rate of inflation. With that in mind, why do you people think that Police have any incentive/desire to raise money for them??
Troy

to qualify the above statement, the payrise the government has offered us is absolute, ie, not negotiable depending on the money raised from fines..
allan

where do you go when its the police vechiles clearly marked speeding past you (no lights or sirens)you are doing correct speed 110kmh on hume highway dual lanes and police pass you at such a speed enough to rock your car,is their a law for civillian drivers none for police,even in built up areas exceeding 50 zones town centre ,picton rd 130kmh in 100kmh zone especially when some of their own coppers have been killed on this road not so long ago. they have the hide to say i have gone over the speed limit by 14kmh ,you ask me it is them that need photos taken and reported but to who my impression of nsw police force is they are all currupt one bad apple spoiles the lot/glorifid revenue raising and paid well for it take a pay cut instead of a bribe for speed
Tom

Police know what they are doing, they are also normal people like you and me, they have friends who arent cops and families who arent cops…they are not out to get anyone and make their life hell, they are just doing theyre job stopping people from speeding…sure some cops may act arrogant when you tell them you werent speeding, but wouldnt you if you heard that story a hundred times?..

hopefully cops can tell the genuine from the not genuine, my only concern is for the person not speeding getting a ticket or losing their license when they were genuienly not speeding…for example the sole pensioner above ‘Hurt’, there needs to be a better system in place if someone gets a ticket and they werent speeding, then it just isnt fair..
dr00py

In fairness to the police, most will let me drive away with just a warning after speaking with me. But you can’t negotiate with a camera and I feel that this zero tollerance approach to doing even a handfull of keys over the limit is training a generation of zombie robots who are inclined to believe that watching the speedo is more important than watching the road.
My neighbour has had three minor collisions already this year but since she has never recieved a speeding fine in her life she is considered to be a ‘perfect driver’ in the eyes of the law. Someone something is wrong with that picture!
dr00py

*quick apology for the typo’s above but this issue infuriates me as I’m sick of losing my licence for watching the road instead of my speedo.*
Tony O’Connor

Do any cars have cruise control that will maintain your set speed while traveling down a hill?
Carlos

Very interesting discussion so far, it’s good to hear from people from both sides of the argument.

@Tony – As far as I am aware, and certainly in the few cruise control equipped cars I’ve used, cars with cruise control both speed up the car to meet the ‘target speed’ as WELL as slow it down.
So yes when you’re going down a hill the cruise control device detects the vehicle is exceeding the target speed and slows the car down to correct.
This is not an exact science though, I’ve noticed down steep hills in my area that the car can exceed by 5-8 km/h, so if you’re particularly unlucky you could get flashed/gunned even when you’re using cruise control. This only happens for short periods until it stabilises though, maybe 10 seconds at most, and of course you’re always free to use the brake to slow down manually (this disengages the cruise control too).

P.S. Cars i’ve used with cruise control are Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Toyota Land Cruiser if that helps anyone.
Troy

“allan Says:
March 13th, 2009 at 2:42 am
where do you go when its the police vechiles clearly marked speeding past you (no lights or sirens)you are doing correct speed 110kmh on hume highway dual lanes and police pass you at such a speed enough to rock your car,is their a law for civillian drivers none for police,even in built up areas exceeding 50 zones town centre ,picton rd 130kmh in 100kmh zone especially when some of their own coppers have been killed on this road not so long ago. they have the hide to say i have gone over the speed limit by 14kmh ,you ask me it is them that need photos taken and reported but to who my impression of nsw police force is they are all currupt one bad apple spoiles the lot/glorifid revenue raising and paid well for it take a pay cut instead of a bribe for speed”

Before you go shooting your uneducated mouth off Allan, have you considered the fact that sometimes Police need to get to a job (break/enter occurring..robbery etc…) as fast as possible WITHOUT wanting to warn the offenders of their approach??
And as far as all NSW Police being currupt (sic), Im assuming you have had personal dealings with each and every one of the 15000 odd Police in this State to qualify you to make such a ridiculous blanket claim? I have served for ten years in the NSW Police and have never once acted corruptly, and i take your offensive allegations as a personal insult.
Clearly you are an armchair critic who would be the first person to call the Police when something happened to you. If you can do a better job, feel free to head to the Police recruitment office and have a go yourself. Until then, give us some proof of what you allege or shut the hell up.
gaf

I am a law abiding motorbike enthusist who has a perfect insurance record and had 1 major speed fine several yrs ago after a very distressing night.i knew i was in the wrong and admitted it, having done that the kind officer dropped my speed from 58k over to 40 k over so i wouldn t loose my right to drive. I was gracious and paid the large fine. However a month ago i was pinged with the laser doing 14k over when i know for damn sure i was not speeding i have photos of where he was standing and you can barely even see where i would have been traveling. Not to mention the fact i was going round a bit of a bend down into a gully( yes i was keeping an eye on speed) he was a Sergent and yet still put incorrect info on the ticket(num nut). Im pretty sure his position was not a legal spot there where trees in the was a power pole and centre islands blocking his view between him and the spot he claimed i was, im sure there is requirements for certain amount of clear view in order for a correct reading. In the past i have had a strong view against speeding since i saw my cousin slam into an embankment at 160klms (no i wasnt doing the same speed he overtook me for going the speed limit) it was a sickening crash which left him with huge injuries including 4 smashed vertibre. Can you imagine how that effected me? I almost never sped back then and since then i never speed yet i got booked anyways. My confidence in the police is gone. Im disgusted with the arrogance of police when they claim their laser is flawless so i must have been speeding. And when you take them to court they spare absolutely no expense in bsing their way into your wallet for thousands in court costs. And def dont bs me in saying that “if you’re innocent then thats how the court will find” we all know a judge is not there to decide innocents or guilt its his/her job to decide who made the better argument which is a load of crap for those who cant afford a lawyer. Im really disappointed i thought if i dont speed i wont get booked like the dickheads on tv claim but no that was a load of you know what also. Any comments from the officers reading???

Save it for the track

Yep, sounds like you were speeding. A LIDAR (if that is what was used) are EXTREMELY accurate despite any protestations or alleged ‘evidence’ offered by alleged ‘speeding experts’. The laser of the LIDAR can easily be directed between stationary objects such as poles etc., and still be able to get a valid check. If you truly believe you weren’t speeding you need to go to court, and then your oprions would be to request the records as relates to the device used. Personally I have yet to lose a ticket matter at court, but I always ensure I am well within guidelines, my equipment is working correctly, and most of the time the offence and conversation is all on video.

Ramo

Save it….
Can you explain in further your comment “and most of the time the offence and conversation is all on video”
I have a matter before the courts were its alleged I was speeding and conveniently the voice recording were I disagree with the officer and he makes a rather rude statement has disappeared / was not recorded properly and his written recount of the event is different to what occurred in his favour and his recolection is perfect in 1 point and sums up most of my disagreeing with the speed as simply “conversation” in another part of the doc.
Also why would he write something on the fine and hold it up to the camera if he found out later the recorder wasnt working or had he simply chosen not to record the audio from some point?
This if found against me this will cost my job and I am not disputing i was speeding at all but not to the extreme limit he claimed and not using lies to rearrange where vehicles were on the road to solidify my point.

Shak

Gaf and Ramo are right. I work in the Legal profession, and most of what they have said, i have found is common practice. Officers know they cannot use their LIDAR in between trees and on downhill runs as the reading will be skewed 5%+-. Also for the recording. My father had a similar case against an officer on the Hume Highway near liverpool. The officer booked hi going 100 in a 70 zone, while at first i was inclined to believe the officer as my Dad does have a lead foot, i looked into the evidence and the reading and tapes of any form did not exist. The officer later said in court they had been lost while being digitalised.

Grumpy

I got fined $250 and 3 demerits today for talking on my mobile phone in the car. Funny thing is that I wasn’t. I was talking to my 10mth old daughter in the rear seat. The policeman assumed I was talking into my hand (which he in turn thought was a phone)

I’m gonna fight this. Anyone got any advice/experience?
K7

I come from a family of police officers. My sister, her husband and my grandfather are all cops. With this in mind I have never had a pleasant incident with a member of the Police. I have been accused and threatened several times one officer even threatened to give my sister a ticket simply because he didn’t like my attitude (my sister was driving and I asked the officer what we had done wrong. We had noticed the Police car following us for several blocks and even stopping outside our house when I ran in to grab something). Recently I was told by an officer “we can do whatever we want”. Often I get pulled over just to be asked how my night has been (this is done by male officers only). A few weeks ago I went through a booze bus on my way to work and was told by the officer who breath tested me “a smile would be nice”! The nerve! I understand where people are coming from when they say they are intimidated when pulled over, of course they are intimidated, and no amount of counselling as suggested by one wanker on this site will fix that.
I think that people simply pay speeding fines without disputing them as it is the easier avenue to take. Court dates and disputes with police seem a lot more intimidating than a couple of hundred dollars and quite frankly most people don’t have the time for these lengthy processes. In my oppinion, speed cameras and parking fines are revenue raising. And I don’t see how suspending someones drivers licence could possibly make them a better driver. Perhaps the revenue raised from speeding and parking fines would be better used putting speeders through another driving course or something. I don’t know and I’m not claiming to have all the answers but there has to be a better way to deal with these issues. It is getting to the stage that the sight of a Police vehicle or officer does not make me feel safe but rather scared. I saw an interesting bumper sticker the other day which made me giggle: Victorian Police- To serve and collect.
gaf

grumpy…i would suggest getting a report from your phone company showing calls made AND received and compare the time on the ticket to the report… If calls were made minutes before or after the alledged call dont bother but if there is a good time gap it should stand up in court…The only other thing you should need to do is prove the report is of your ONLY mobile or they could argue you were using another phone… if you have more than 1 phone get reports for all of them, good luck.
Andrew

I just got done the day I got on my Green P’s. 25Km/h over apparently…… He was approaching me the opposite way, Had another car under 10m infront of him. Spoke to a speed ticked expert and he said that they cant have another car infront of them for 200m. Which makes sense as it was a mobile radar and its very easy to get bad reflections/incorrect ones with this system if there is multiple large objects.

I want to debate it but unfortunately I cant remember exactly what I said to the officer. I was too busy shacking to remember i think.

Thing that really is BS is that if you look at the QLD police website (PLEASE SEE FOR YOURSELF http://www.police.qld.gov.au/rti/published/policies/traffic-manual/06/ ) and try find some policies, guess what, The pages you want to read come up with 404 error (PAGE NOT FOUND) Funny how chapter 6.0.0 to 6.5.7 works. All the chapters after (Which is what you need to know about positions and usage) wont work. Seams pretty dogey if you ask me.
So i called Police HQ, NOONE could find out why, ended up saying hold on, then transfered me to “traffic fines” without notice, they had no idea either, noone knew how to contact IT either……

What is with THAT, They wont give us access to the policies that we want and are entitled to know.

I wasn’t doing 85 and whats probably happened is that he hasn’t cleared the screen from his last catch. (Apparently it happens more than you think)

Just remember, If they pull you over,
1. DONT ADMIT TO SPEEDING
2. Ask to see your speed, If they cant show you, tell them to piss off. DO not let them bully you into a ticket, I was scared, DONT BE, there is really nothing to be afraid of.

Good luck

Andrew
Grumpy

Thanks gaf
Zac

Stupid question so I expectto get stupid replies, but in honestly if anyone can provide a sensible reply that would rock.

Well I was running late to work this morning so I took the M4
( Freeway in NSW ) the speed limit was 100km/h.

I was doing approx 10km/h – 15km/h over the limit at most when there was a cop car in the middle of the freeway parked on the grassy island.

I saw him and put the brakes on but not sure if it was in time though, didn’t want to slam the brakes any harder since it would look obvious.

I drove on as usual, noticed he pulled out in a rapid hurry, so I expected to be flagged down but nothing happend, you would still think he’d chase me if that was the case

Will I get booked in the mail?
Don’t they need photgraphic evidence?

PS> I know I am stupid for speeding, but cast the 1st stone if you arn’t gulity of speeding at least once Smile
nige

i live on the great ocean road, and during the summer the road gets quite hectic between torquay and apollo bay. im a local in wye river, and on a recent trip returning from apollo bay, i was booked for doing 82 in a 60 zone. the only thing i question is this,
why did the officer follow me with no lights out of the 60 zone, (about a three minute drive) and pull me over with lights in a 80 zone when i know, i was doing 60 in the 60 zone? a road i drive a nearly dayly bases. you would think if i was doing 20 kms over a speed limit, that i would be pulled over pretty quickly, not tailed without lights, then pulled over a few minutes later.

Seo

ITS THE LAW

SIMPLE

PAY FINE, MOVE ON

Andrew

The law says you can’t take speed readings within a certain range of speed restriction changes. Idiot.
Hung Low

It is moronic gits like you that let these power tripping public servants get away with anything they wish!
Take it to court, present all evidence and clog up the system. The more the judicial system gets over burdened with petty cases, chances are the Cops will have no choice but to show more leniency over petty infringements!

Save it for the track

Zac. In NSW if you see a marked Police car and they don’t pull you over, 99.999999% of teh time you won’t be getting anys ort of ticket. Also in nSW, odds are you WILL NOT get a ticket for 105 in a 100 issued by an officer or other similar fictional stories. Victoria however is a different matter.
jrg200

I was booked for 57km in what has turned out to be a 60km zone, even though he wrote on the fine that it is 50??
also he wrote TUPMED 57-81. What does this mean, and what should I do?

they tried to tell me they clocked me at 81km, and that’s not possible considering the short distance from the street entry to where they pulled me over!

any suggestions?
luke

hey guys… similar to zac’s question (18/9/09)…

i was driving around town today and saw a marked car parked on a side street with his gun out the window. are victorian marked cars likely to issue fines in the mail? eg. 5k’s over, etc.
Not a f*wit

If you don’t speed you won’t get a fine. Could all the nut job conspiracy theorits please wake up to yourselves? It’s idiots like you that ruin the justice system.

Yonny

Very much an f*wit, I’m afraid. It’s idiots like you that ruin Australia’s chances of being admitted to Mensa.

The issue isn’t one of wanting to be able to drive anywhere at any speed you desire, it’s more one of not being ripped off by a greedy government that values revenue more than road safety.

Why don’t you wake up to yourself – or do you really believe driving at 120 in a 110 zone is dangerous? If so, I’m glad I don’t live on your planet.

http://www.caradvice.com.au Safe driver

OK, I got pulled over today on the Hume highway, alleged to be doing 130 in a 110 zone.

The officer was polite, as I was to him. He informed me he clocked me doing 130 and showed me his LIDAR. He stated he initially saw me doing a “visually estimated” 126 km/h, and that I was in front of a black van that was also speeding. I asked how he got the 130 reading and he stated that he locked onto me initially at 126 and I increased speed to 130 km/h over a 3 second lock downhill!

I was on cruise control set on 120 (actual speedo reading) and had my GPS on (which I confirmed as reading 113 which is why I set cruise at 120. Have been doing that for 12 years.)

I stated I was not speading right from the start, and he informed me I was being recorded which I’m fine with. I then went on to ask about the GPS and he informed me he did not wan’t to hear it and that “those things are very inaccurate as they need to get info from the satellites which takes too long to be reliable.”

He then wrote the ticket.

Now I am a professional driver, I live on the road and clock up 100,000 km a year and have not been booked AT ALL or had an accident for nearly 20 years. Last time I was booked I was 20 with a Monaro! I do NOT speed! Period.

I don’t believe this hype about speeding is safe, cameras are dangerous etc. I agree with catching speeders and drink drivers. Get tough with them! But it hurts when I KNOW I was not speeding! So what can I do? Should I go to court and defend myself?
Officer Care – WA

Hello,
I am a serving officer and I must say I am amazed at some of the information I have read. I am pleased to see the majority of the responses as sensible, but the people that appear anti-police I question. May I suggest that police rarely just stop a vehicle without some attention being first drawn to it. I myself have stopped many vehicles, usually because the vehicle or the driver has drawn my attention to it. Attitude is the key here. If you start being a smarty at the officer, it will just inflame the situation. I imagine I have stopped well over 5000 vehicles in my 13 year career. Of that… I have most likely issued 100 infringements. Most people are pleasant and I am more than willing to issue a caution. My stopping the vehicle and speaking to the driver has achieved my result, preventing them from speeding, drink driving or whatever they were doing that could have ended in a fatality.
So, in saying all that, most coppers are decent hard working people, family orientated just like you. Yes we have some clowns in our job, just like any other industry. If I may say, any of you are more than welcome to step up to the mark and assist me in doing my job. We will see how you go, informing parents there 19 year old son is dead as a result of alcohol, speed and the other aspect we don’t tell them – stupidity. Let us see how you go pulling bits of flesh from vehicles wrapped around poles and walls and then there are the drug effected violent drivers we stop… hmmm. I too want to go home after work and see my wife and kids. Best of all you drivers that speed, just slow down and you will be fine. To the original clown that wrote the article… I think I have stopped you and your kind before. You fall within that 100 that I previously mentioned.
Officer Care
Jon

i got a speeding fine the other day, in a 80 zone, i was going down a hill and saw police driving pass going the opposite direct, he put pulled me over up the road, i told the officer that he got me coming down the hill and that your not aloud to do that, i’ve seen it on tv,he didn’t like that and tried to make out he got me on top of the hill but i know he didn’t cause i wasn’t speeding he got me doing 95km on a hilly road that haven’t driven on before he tried to trick me into agreeing that i ment when he puts his lights on to pull me over.

i’m just wondering is this worth taking to court, i mean its unfair going down a hill.

what do you guys think?
Buster

I was pulled over today in Horsham Victoria today by two overweight,rude,aggressive police officers.
I love cars and whilst I speed occassionally have been driving for close to 40 years without an accident.
I said ” How are you going”,this was met with “How old are you?”,I could tell from the hands on hips posture that they were annoyed,but I honestly did not know why?,
First they claimed that I had been changing lanes too rapidly(to my knowledge this is not an offence in Victoria),then they started to call me insulting names like “hoon,idiot,and told me me driving skills were non existant and they wanted to take my licence off me.
Their main bone of contention was because I had passed a truck on a bridge on the inside(lanes are clearly marked and thus perfectly legal).The interviewing Police officer did,nt deny this and attempted to change the subject this time saying the line was solid not unbroken(he begrudgingly accepted it is legal to overtake on marked lanes,on the inside,in Victoria).I actually had waited until the lines were broken and it was legal to overtake.I asked my wife (in case my memory was failing)and she confirmed that I had indeed waited until the lines became broken.
But what happened next was an unbelievably stupid statement by the same officer who claimed he had seen the truck driver flash his headlights at me, even though the Police car was behind the truck???.
These officers then on knowing I had done nothing wrong
decided to do a roadworthy.I stopped this quickly by offering to produce the roadworthy certificate issued less than a month prior.
The car was customised by its previous owner and does stand out,and I suspect they thought I was a young driver who would agree with whatever accusation was made.I did,nt however,and police don’t like that.
I think fixed video cameras in the police car(like the US) would prevent outright lying and fabrication by police officers wanting to look efficient to their superiors.The police officer said this prior to leaving,
“I’ve just come back from a road safety lecture in Ballarat and have to kick some butts or my job will be on the line”.
He also kept threatening me (I have my wife as witness)with ‘taking my licence off me’.I could see he was out to get me. “Next time I see you”,he repeatedly stated(probably when I’m alone).
And to all those police officers reading this and thinking that this has a familiar ring remember you are paid to serve us not invent stories to get promoted or generally harrass us.
Funny because I used to live in Geelong, had police officer mates there, and they told me some amazing stories of police corruption.Two of them left the force because they were pressured into taking bribes by other police so they could,nt inform on other officers for doing likewise.The’Brotherhood’ demands one officer never to rat on a ‘brother’.
I know that an unknown percentage of Officers are honest,but the trouble is that they serve a corrupt,self serving police force who are basically henchmen for laws passed in the heat of the moment by polititians who want to get re-elected and want to be seen as doing something for the community.These new so called anti ‘hoon’ and speed laws give the police way to much power to inappropriately apply at their discretion,which usually is never challenged.
I was today bullied for a confession which I refused to give and was let off with a threat(some here call it a warning) but I have no doubt if I drive my custom car into town right now I would instantly be pulled over on another fabrication.Lucky I’ve got another really boring car that they never notice.A person should be free to drive what they want in a free society,but this is not so,especially in rural areas where police have next to nothing to do and have to pay their way by collecting revenue.And police obviously know full well that this leads to community hatred and distrust in police generally as evidenced in their behaviour(‘us and them’).
I also would put writers on notice that their IP address’s are available to police through internet service providers,especially some that are fixed and can bring police straight to you.In fact many charges are brought about(by police) through tracking IP address,s of alledged offenders who like to big-note themselves on various web sites,especially with videos and boasts about illegal driving.
And in this day of high tech gadgetry don’t forget constant surveillance.This can work two ways however,a lot of mobile phones record audio and video.When you get pulled over, record the meeting if possible.It is useful evidence if needed.No one will do anything if they just sit back and accept corruption(of any type).Paul Keating fought his traffic infringment and won.Who wants to live
in an a country that prides itself as ‘free’ but is anything but.In the seventies you could drive as fast as you liked until the litigation toward high power cars (by polititians scoring browny points)curtailed that freedom.
If you see corruption,record it and put it in the hands of those who represent you,your local member of Parliament,Action groups,Chief Commissioner of Police.Sign petitions,be bold not afraid or your rights will all vanish.
By the way speed camera’s of any variety are already
obsolete and will soon be discontinued in favour of the new police weapon against speed, and that is GPS, it is absolutely accurate(contrary to a police officer claiming otherwise).why do you think it is now manditory to have GPS fitted to new cars,it is not for convenience(driver’s) or for safety.It will be the way you will be fined you very soon,only now they will be able to track your movements 24/7/365 days a year and
every time you speed you will be charged and fined,probably automatically by direct debit from your bank account.Hard to believe???….wait and see!!,I’ll be keeping my non gps car/s for as long as possible,eventually they won’t let you not have one(GPS).
If you have a new mobile phone you already have one.
Remember people we are all being watched even those with a badge and gun.
Bob

I recently got a ticket for 80 in a 60 zone. After reviewing the ticket and the area, it turns out I was clocked virtually right on the change of speed zone (80 to 60). If I was confident about going through the whole legal court business, I’d fight it, but I’m hesitant because I just don’t know the process.
Me.

I would like to fight every ticket I get – ive had 5 within the last year – most of them sayhing 71 in a 60 (trunk road) area. All of them at night when the road’s empty of traffic. Anyway instead of fighting them I now try and get my moneys worth…. so I report pot holes etc etc.

my son just got a ticket… 71 in a 60 zone at 10pm – deserted industrial area.
Guess I better do a compaint and earn back his $130..
Who would want to join the police force these days? Overpaid tax collectors is all they are. I have no respect for them.
bex

I disputed the fact I was speeding to an officer about 10 years ago, I challenged him to tell me how much I was speeding by, and he could not.
He then proceeded to go over my car with a fine tooth comb and ended up giving my a fine for ‘incorrect indication’ – my blinker apparently didn’t flash enough times before I pulled over for them.

I took it to court but as an 18 year old, I felt so intimidated by the officer and the court process that I had a mild anxiety attack and was unable to put my case across confidently, and now it is permanently recorded as an offence on my otherwise blank criminal record.

I get nervous every time I see a police car to this day, even though I know I haven’t done anything wrong.

The fact that it is at their discretion leaves room for a few cowboys

bex

I would just like to add to this that I also accept that if I AM speeding, there are consequences.

Although I was angry at what I perceived to be unfair in my experience, I believe that as a society we do owe it to the police service as a whole to be courteous, even when we dispute something. What I like about this article is that it is far better to use the example replies that are given than a torrent of abuse, or a patronising bullshit excuse.

I am not trying to be a bleeding heart, but if you do make a mistake, and receive a penalty and you are a low income earner, you become further disadvantaged by the rigid fine repayment system. I think that most of the ‘revenue raising’, at least in WA, is the Fines Enforcement Agency, with their ever increasing costs added to the fines of people who couldn’t pay them in the first place.

I don’t think you can reduce the fines, as there will be a perception of a decrease in the seriousness of the issue. But wouldn’t it be better to let people elect right away to pay off their fines in instalments if necessary, rather than end up with suspensions and risk of further prosecution?

I think you should be able to ‘work off’ your points as well, maybe x amount of driver education classes per point? Give people the opportunity to keep from losing their licence while improving their awareness.

I am sure it would cost less than picking up people for non payment of fines and putting them in jail, which means they pay nothing and the taxpayer foots the bill for each night they are in jail. Additional custodial and financial penalties could then be imposed for those who don’t attend classes.

UniversityOfGoogle

Don’t be naive.

This is the same issue as paying your taxes.

Why should the rich be allowed to get away with it when those that are disadvantaged cannot?

Simple reason, because they can, because they are wealthy and have power.

If you can stomach this as “justice”, then feel free to pay. Otherwise stand up and protest, if you don’t challenge the system, nothing will change and your silence will only legitimize this injustice.

Is it really necessary for the global economies to come crashing down before people start to question where all that money has gone?