Wrongly booked for speeding - please help!

[Bill_G]

Are there any members here who are familiar with the guidelines in force for the correct operation of mobile police radar units in Qld? Or even better, any members of the Qld Police Service who can give me the right information.

The reason I ask is that early last Saturday morning, on the Burnett Hwy at Goomeri, I was booked for allegedly exceeding the 100km/h speed limit by 14km/h, yet I know for a fact that there's no way I could have been travelling any faster than the speed at which my cruise control was set, which was 105km/h (flat, straight road with no hills).

Although my wife and I both mentioned this to the police officer concerned, he wasn't the least bit interested, and gave me a speeding ticket anyway. However, as the driver was getting back into the police car, he momentarily stopped and removed a thick plastic bag or cover from the Falcon radar unit on the side of his car. When I saw this, I tried asking him why it had been covered, but he ignored me and simply got in his car and drove off!

As it had been raining intermittently, I presume it to have been a protective cover of some sort, but I'm of the opinion that the radar transceiver should never be used when covered because any readings taken in that state would be wildly inaccurate (as has clearly happened in this case).

The problem is, in the absence of specific information which proves this, there's no point contesting the charge in court because I'd still be found guilty, and would end up paying twice as much as the original fine (if not even more).

If anybody reading this is able to offer any information which may help me to contest this charge in court, I'd be extremely grateful, and I would appreciate hearing from you ASAP (PM is OK if preferred).

[EL BURITO]

do u want the Australian standard ?

[mr corsa]

just pay the fine

[low astra]

yea pay the fine you might clear your name but it will probably cost you more in court fee's than the fine could have,

[DirtyHarry]

if i were you, check that the booking was recorded on the police cars video camera if it has one. then if it does ask for a copy of that footage as the conversation would have been recorded.
bring it to court and hopefully walk away smiling.

[jsantos]

This site might help?
http://www.aussiespeedingfines.com/content/view/20/38/
I haven't seen their e-book before so i don't know if it has anything that applies specifically to your case. Might be worth a read though.

[Bill_G]

do u want the Australian standard ?If you have a link to same, that would help a great deal. Cheers.

[Bill_G]

This site might help?
http://www.aussiespeedingfines.com/content/view/20/38/
I haven't seen their e-book before so i don't know if it has anything that applies specifically to your case. Might be worth a read though.Thanks for that. I'll have a read through it and see if there's anything that may apply to my case.

[nicecar]

try a post on the forum of this good site, it also has standards on there:-

www.policespeedcameras.info

The site is down at the moment, but should be up again soon...

[skulless]

police are all the same in the world, they just wanna catch ppl speeding to raise their pocket monies

[low astra]

police are all the same in the world, they just wanna catch ppl speeding to raise their pocket monies

honestly if you had to tell peoples faimlies there loved ones were killed due to speed, or drink driving, or whatever you would be wanting to book everyone you saw in the wrong, i dont always support or like there methods and reasoning but i can see it from there point of view.

[Bill_G]

honestly if you had to tell peoples faimlies there loved ones were killed due to speed, or drink driving, or whatever you would be wanting to book everyone you saw in the wrong, i dont always support or like there methods and reasoning but i can see it from there point of view.For the most part I actually agree with you, and have lost count of the number of times I've come across idiots on the road and wished I'd been a copper, but I don't agree with their use of unfair or improper methods of catching motorists, especially those who've done nothing wrong.

Had I been guilty of speeding, then as much as I mightn't like being caught, I'd still cop it sweet and wear the fine, but when there's been an obvious error made, it really pisses me off when people simply say pay up because there's nothing you can do about it.

The unnecessary embarrassment is bad enough, as are the demerit points off my once-clean licence, and I can well do without losing $150 when I'm not currently working, but what really gets up my nose is the knowledge that although I've done nothing wrong, there's bugger all I can do to prove it, and it's made me feel that all coppers are scumbags, arseholes and pigs.

[bornwild]

If the government wanted you to be safe and not kill yourself they would install electronic devices which prevent you from travelling above the speed limit by tracking you via gps. This would cut the cost of speed detection equipment and everyone would be 'safe'.

BUT the point is to raise revenue, not make you a safer driver...unfortunately. Just write a complaint and if you get negative feedback pay the fine and continue with life.

That's just the way life is sometimes.

[rjastra]

You have buckley's chance of contesting this fine without a lawyer and probably an "expert" witness.

Best to pay up and move on.

OR! if you have a clean driving record (ie no previous speeding fines etc) write to the infringement agency and state that you have a clean record and the situation that occurred. You may be lucky enough to have the ticket quashed or reduced to a caution.

I did this once (you only get to use it once) for 70 in a 50 zone. This was just when 50 zones were introduced.

[Bill_G]

You have buckley's chance of contesting this fine without a lawyer and probably an "expert" witness.Yeah, you're absolutely right, and they're well aware of the fact. Still pisses me off that unlike criminal law, the traffic act works on the presumption that you're guilty unless you can prove otherwise. But then traffic fines have never been about justice anyway. :(


Best to pay up and move on.True, although there's not a lot that ruins your day more than being legally burgled and to not be able to do a bloody thing about it. And they wonder why most people don't like to get involved...

[MatsHolden]

I had a chat with a cop who used to patrol the Hume in Victoria and he was saying they played 'snooker' with cars to decide which ones to pull over. Something like Red, Yellow, Red, Green, Red, Brown and so on... That's what we're up against.

[luvpsi]

I had a chat with a cop who used to patrol the Hume in Victoria and he was saying they played 'snooker' with cars to decide which ones to pull over. Something like Red, Yellow, Red, Green, Red, Brown and so on... That's what we're up against.

silver seems like a good colour now:)

[jerrypufflewell]

If the government wanted you to be safe and not kill yourself they would install electronic devices which prevent you from travelling above the speed limit by tracking you via gps. This would cut the cost of speed detection equipment and everyone would be 'safe'.


Good luck getting that through parliament and the courts ;)

[bornwild]

Good luck getting that through parliament and the courts ;)

Exactly what I mean....they don't give two shits about decreasing the deaths on our roads.