Speed Check Signs Lead To Unfair Tickets
May 17, 2007 by Alborz Fallah
Its one thing to deliberately speed, but its a whole different game when electronic speed signs are fooling motorists into believing they are going under the speed limit, only to be hit up with a Speeding ticket down the road.
Thats exactly whats happening to drivers in Geelong, Victoria. Three fed up motorists took their case to court yesterday arguing they had looked at electronic signs above the Princes Freeway on the Avalon Road overpass, and adjusted their speed accordingly, before being issued a speeding ticket a few hundred meters down the highway.
The electronic speed signs reported they were driving significantly under the speed limit.
“When the speed check sign said 93km/h and my car said 100km/h (62 MPH) I felt I could speed up,” Colleen Stephens, the recipient of three tickets in the same location, told the court,
State authorities dropped one of the tickets issued to Stephens without giving any explanation. Furthermore, the part which caught our attention was the refusal of authorities with the state Department of Justice to disclose the results of any tests or calibration of the speed check sign on the overpass.
Andrew Giftakopoulos is another victims of the revenue raising agenda, he received six tickets in the mail, all from the Avalon Road overpass and all on the same day. Three of the tickets were for some reason or another canceled.
“I tried to find out why three were withdrawn but no one would tell me,” Giftakopoulos said. “Today I found out that the demerit points had already been added to my license even though the matter hadn’t been heard.“
Its a sad day when authorities are more concerned about convicting innocent drivers as oppose to finding a real solution to the increasing road toll.
Source : Geelong Advertiser
Print it: 
Wouldn’t be the first time police have used immoral tactics to cash in on unsuspecting motorists.
The road I travel down daily had its speed decreased of which I was not aware. The local police then decided to hide a mobile speed camera along this road in the middle of the night during double demerits to cash-in on unsuspecting motorists. If my appeal isn’t approved, I am going to lose my license for traveling the speed I have always been allowed to do along that stretch of road.
Sorry just a quick question on this article but what do the police have to do with this ?? Do you see any cops holding those signs ? Just need to clarify this Alborz before you have half the police force down your throat… Good article though as it does highlight issues with these speed signs..
Cheers
Since the police continue to brand speeding as a cause of our road toll, I think its appropriate that a picture of the great Victorian police force is adequate.
Furthermore, there is no use of the word Police in the above article. Just a picture,
Just how when Police talk about Speeding they use a picture of a modified car, which prob has nothing todo with the article, revenge is sweet.
Haa no worries ! Oh and George QUOTE= ” If my appeal isn’t approved, I am going to lose my license for traveling the speed I have always been allowed to do along that stretch of road” How fast were you going to lose your license??
Double Demerits – a basic under 20km/hr over makes u lose half ur license! Its insane!,
Bloody hell thats a fair cop (pardon the pun) ! doesnt matter nowadays people drive to court drunk to answer drink driving charges! you cant stop people being people, take away the car they find another one the best solution is the education of the young and i mean from primary school i reckon.
I couldn’t have said it better myself
Fear campaigns don’t work,
if u scare people into slowing down to stop fatalities, it wont work
u need to educate them to drive better and learn to control their cars.
But hey,
speeding tickets make LOTS of money besides, educating drivers is costly! Short term solutions by opportunistic politicians.
280ZX: I was doing 69 in what had always been a 70 zone. Unfortunately I was unaware they had decreased the speed limit by 20km/h and drove through at the same speed. They hid a mobile speed camera amongst cars parked on the side of the road in the middle of the night during double demerits. If that isn’t revenue raising at its most blatant I don’t know what is.
…oh and to answer your questions, double demerits so its a 6 point fine, with a P2 license and a previous fine, thats my license gone.
hi every one i think i was done for being some where over a 80km speed limit up to 100km i never speed and in the 5 years ive been driving ive never had a fine , i slowed as quickly as possible, but there was a tinted car with a man holding a camera. im soo upset i have 3 young kids and live in a tiny town can someone please tell me, how much the fine will cost me and how many points i will loose?? so i can prepare myself :(
thankyou
How often are the equipment calibrated? Explanation needs to be given any for violation. Can’t just dropped without explanation, if they are dropping that means they are only bullying those who don’t have the time to confront them nor question them and just pay the fee. If camera/equipment is wrongly calibrated, what the heck do they do about remedying the drivers?
What i do is when i receive a speeding fine.. I go out at night and smash government cars and slash the tires .. Thats my way of balancing out this injustice ! Everybody should go out and cause $1000’s of dollars damage to the government property !
Smashng gov’s cars may release your inside pressure, but it will not change anything. That’s why I do not approve it.
If I was in position to be your judge, I’d let you go free only if you prove that you at least sent one message, or phone call to authorities about your position in the matter of unfair fines. Otherwise I’d fine you.
And this only because too many people see unfairness but nobody does anything.