72 replies to this topic

[yel327]

I did it the late 80's / early 90's. Got booked for doing 79 in a 60 zone in my LX hatch, going up Lake Road, Wallsend. Copper was sitting up towards the nursery for those who know the area.

Police were supposed to estimate your speed and use handheld radar to check their estimate. This copper was sitting in the car facing the same direction as me with the K band radar facing backwards (on a VK Commodore from memory). Probably reading the paper.

What happened was I was in the RH line closest to the median strip. His line of vision from the front seat of the LH lane was obscured by power poles. Car sped up the inside of me, set off his radar and he got out, saw me in the RH lane and pulled me over.

In court he testified that he was standing on the kerb side of the road in front of the car pointing the radar, doing what he was supposed to do.

I testified how it really happened, which the Prosecutor and copper denied. Then I showed photos of how it was from where the car was reported to be and how the inside lane was obscured.

He also testified that it was Lake Street (not road), 11:15am (it was 8:15am) and that I was in the LH lane. Also that there was no other cars on the road at the same time.

I argued that he THOUGHT I was in the LH lane because he couldn't see it from inside the car via the rear vision mirror or if he'd been standing where he was supposed to be, although the gutter mounted radar could "see" both lanes.

I also asked them to pull up the booking records for the brown VC Commodore with licence plate xxx-xxx that shows it was pulled over at the same time as me (about 5 seconds after me) to refute the statement that there were no other cars on the road at the time.

Magistrate said that there was no need to pull up the records as given the amount of discrepency in the Police record the case was dismissed.

When I left the court the copper came up to me. I expected him to say "see you on the road", but he shook my hand, said well done. Good to see someone with the guts to defend themselves (I had no Barrister). I told him sorry for making him look bad, and he said no worries.

[bullitA9X]

i was followed along a side street i knew they were following me 4 kms up the road they pull me over and say we estimate you were doing 80 in a 60 zone!! i said no way why would i be speeding when i know you have been following me for 4-5kmhs the cop says to me well take it to court who do you think the judge is going to believe you or me!! i payed the fine but if i had my time again i would have fought it!! good luck kaz if your going to fight it your going to need it!!

[FastEHHolden]

I would have laughed when he said estimate. I had a couple of young cops follow me in a Rodeo...the stop me and say "why so fast?"...I said its a 60 and thats what I was doing...its a Rodeo..no radar..they are fishing for an admission.

[Tiny]

I've got a long story, but i wont bore you with the details...

Suffice it to say My brother got stopped for doing 147 in a 60 zone, Copper lied his ass off on the side of the road.
they took it to court, got a good lawyer.. and the cop eventually had to eat his hat because he DID lie and as above - too many discrepancies in the story.

The moral of the story is.. get a good lawyer. theyre trained liers and will be able to bullshit the bullshitters on the other team!

Good luck with it Kaz!

[wot179]

A good tip on parking fines in Sydney is to challenge them all in court.

While most councils have permanent parking cops,many regular coppers work a second job as a casual parking cop.

If your fine is issued by a regular cop,and they are rostered on duty(as a real cop) when the court date rolls around,then they have to stay at work.

If they dont front court,the case is dismissed.

It wont work eveytime,but it might just get you off.

[FastEHHolden]

Suffice it to say

Well done on the English skills Tiny I'm a fan.



I assume you have shelled out the $13? for the picture? I agree with Woodsy....red light camera would be hard to disprove.

[eyepeeler]

Going down Sth Rd and got done at the Cormack Rd Lights, Red light fine only. Got the picture and there is a huge truck up my bum going along for the ride as well. I remember thinking at the time in the small car that I was driving at the time, "He wins, keep driving, he ain't gonna stop!!!" Anyway took the photo into the cop shop and they said to write into a disputes section I think from memory, I did, explaining that I valued my life and I helped the police by not giving them a mess to clean up and heaps of paper work. They let me off...............
Good luck

[originalglenn]

if your plates are covered in shit ,it makes them immpossible to read.now theres a money saving idea for ya girl! you wont find that one in the womans weekly!

untill you get pulled over for obscured number plates as i did
then they did a rbt
then a car search

then a road side roadworthy check

[TempesT]

*In victoria you can get off a speeding fine issued if:*
- The speed you were doing was less than 10km over the posted limit
- you have had a clean record for 3years

All you have to do is write a letter to them saying, I was in the wrong and wont do it again..yad yad yad. Yes I have used this method, old man did too. Might be a little loop hole worth checking for other states.

jim

[Ruts]

Obscured number plate by memory $400 and three points so yeah you cover your number plate with crap. We can give out an obscured plate blister if your tow ball covers your plate, just drive around and see how many plates are non readable due to tow balls. In regards to speeding fines its a bit more difficult to contest since the introduction of In Car Video (ICV). The magistrate we deal with has increased the fine in court if an ICV is produced clearly showing the offence. I've only been to court twice this year and never been in the box as when accused viewed the ICV they changed their plea. Saying that don't get me wrong the copper still has to use the equipment as per the guidelines.

Ruts

[FastEHHolden]

I assume you wou8ld have to pay the fine and if you were real lucky get a defect...since you went to all that trouble to prove it.

[Potta]

I know that in WA it is your responsibility to make sure your speedo reads the correct speed. There was a guy on Today Tonight of Current Affair about 10 years ago who tried to get off a speeding fine cause he didn't know it was reading wrong. The judge said stiff bikkies, its your responsibility.

For a while the cops set up radars here and there with an LED output to tell you your speed so you could check which was quite handy. I haven't seen one for a LOOOOOONG time now...you usually find out when you see the flash followed by the ticket in the mail....

[enderwigginau]

They have a number of these types of things set out in the roadworks between Brisvegas and Toowoomba (bloody lot of roadworks!!).

The police announced that some 800 vehicles had tripped the advisory signs in excess of the limit - they only light up with a Slow Down - XX Zone when you are over the limit.

I went up and back in a government car, cruise-control locked on the limit ( I know this speedo reads correct) and every second sign lit up!!!
Good to see the plod up here know how to cook the books
I can almost guarantee most radar vans do the same......

Not to mention the Lidar jockey (in training) who got me at 78 in a 60 zone a yr or two ago -
Just took off from the lights, hit a crest after twenty metres (where they reckon they got me),
at 600+ range......................the accuracy of these things decreases significantly after 200m.....
If an 02 Rodeo can get up to 78 in twenty metres, i should have taken it to Willowbank!!

Grant..