Speeding fine

[bitingmidge]

I have to disagree with one thing midge sitting in roadworks zones is not a revenue raiser, the amount of complaints we receive from road workers is phenomonal. Stand close to the road when a car gos past, even at 40 is intimidating let alone having them go past you in excess of 60.

Let me clarify the "revenue raiser" comment:

I was specifically referring to areas on highways (and the Bruce Highway between Brisbane and Caboolture has a beauty at the moment) where the speed limit has been reduced permanently for five or six kilometres, despite the fact that work only happens eight hours per day, five days per week.

How hard would it be to stick a bag over the signs? Easier than to set up a speed camera!

Last week we encountered three on the highway further north that were posted as "Roadworks" and 80 k, but had no works and no end speed limit sign. On Thursday afternoon, there were five areas between Gympie and Miriamvale slowing traffic to as little as 40kph, unmanned and no work. Currently there are sections of that road with a completed extra lane that could be used, but it's easier to keep it as a construction area it would seem (with those big radar warning signs and the shady parking for the van!)

No speed camera, so no revenue, but also the guys behind me who had all been travelling at ninety-something when I passed them, got mighty grumpy at me for slowing to almost the limit!

This may not happen in other states, but it's a regular thing in Qld, hence the only bit of sympathy for Rossluck!

Cheers,

P

[Dan_574]

well said exador I agree totally there are some useful coppers and I work with a few, they do set up in easy spots, but there arguement is that the person driving sets the outcome, like I said the brake does wonders.

I sit at the bottom of hills but like alot of traffic coppers I give people 20ks leeway, its amazing how many people I let off at the 18 or 19 over mark. Alot of hills if you start at the top and dont accelerate you will not go over the speed limit by more than 10 or 15 ks. Some spots I only take loss of licence speeds which is 25ks or more over.

[echnidna]

On a side note, Ive just finished 2 nights of an operation where we got to use the new vehicle impoundment laws, I must admit a very good law. 14 cars seized for 48hours, most for speeding by 45 or more, 130 in a 60, 172 in a 100. Lets see if it changes these young kids behaviour so they dont wrap themselves round a pole, I suppose time will tell.

That sounds like a good policy except what is the situation if the offending driver is using someone else's car. Does the good samaritan lose their wheels?

[Dan_574]

I agree midge I wasnt having a go, there are some that shouldnt be worked but alot have the low speed limit signs all the time because of a number of reasons no emegency lane, no lines, gravely surface, litigation.

What annoys me is when people put us and cameras in the same boat, we use lasers where the cameras are radars, big difference, I agree that our cameras down here should be used better and we should have ones like in NSW where they are sign posted and are set up permanently at black spots.

We are there trying to catch people who are doing big speeds like the 30 or 40 over, the ones that will you or your wife and kids, but people still flash their headlights to warn others that a police car is there, I just hope it not there loved one I have to go and see splattered inside a car.

[dazzler]

just had to jump back in.

Firstly I dont like speed cameras, person to person policing is much better and affords the ability to catch cancelled drivers, caution those with good records and even boost the QUOTA with mutliple tickets. Plus it generally serves a better outcome to wheel around behind said speedster and follow for a few k's while SWMBO berates the driver with "I told you so's" and then stopping them and doing a licence check and a caution.

But, the philosophy of speed cameras is sound. That being to decrease the incidence of speeding and compliance with speed restrictions. The idea being that you will never know where one is so wont take the chance. The anticipated outcome being that the median speed of all traffic on that section of road being within guidelines.

This also is to take away the drivers own initiative, good or bad, of setting a limit they are comfortable with that may be outside what the road engineers consider safe.

Thus when bitingmidge sees the camera in a roadworks when no roadworks are currently being undertaken has nothing to do with that fact but the fact that there was a sign dictating the speed cars should be travelling at. Unfair at a personal level, reasonable when viewed within the initiative, that being that if I exceed the posted limit then I may get caught, even when I think the odds are in my favour.

Exceeding the speed limit is generally not unsafe within itself and its here that people personalise the issue of getting caught. You have not been charged with 'dangerous driving', a completely different charge, but non compliance with a prescribed limit. You might not agree with the limit but have no power to change it so you choose to risk being caught.

In my time in traffic enforcement only about 10% perhaps would claim they did not see a sign or were not aware of the speed change. Every time I would suggest they retrace that part of the journey and if they honestly couldnt see the signs to come back and we will do it together and if they were right I would withdraw it. Only taken up once and I was at fault (limit had been raised while i was on holidays )

happy driving

[Iain]

One positive with a speed camera is that large breasted, short skirted pouting blondes get tickets too

[martrix]

Just heard some debate on 3AW regarding speed cameras and road safety.
I think it was 1970 or 1980, cannot remember, but there were 1074 people killed on Victorian roads alone in one year:eek: !

Those were the days people were driving steel tanks like HQ's and XY's, and when you would drive home blind drunk
from the pub without the blink of an eye....tsk, tsk.


...............................................................................

[Sturdee]

Just heard some debate on 3AW regarding speed cameras and road safety.
I think it was 1970 or 1980, cannot remember, but there were 1074 people killed on Victorian roads alone in one year:eek: !.

It think that was 1974 and the road toll was 1066. The Herald Sun started the campaign to reduce the road toll with the slogan " Drive to stay alive in 1975 ". That was so succesfull that it became the fore runner of the TAC road safety campaigns.

For a number of years prior to that it was the norm that over a thousand Victorians got killed on the roads and there were about half the drivers that are on the roads now.

It was the period that seat belts use was not compulsory (most cars didn't have them), there were no speed cameras (the cops had to follow you for a while to clock you), no .05 law (the cops had to pull you over and make you walk a line to see if you were drunk) and the roads were badly designed and built.

That were the alledged "good old days" where a driver could do what they liked and get away with it but the death toll mounted up every year.

I prefer the current system and have an even chance of staying alive.


Peter.

[Auld Bassoon]

Only taken up once and I was at fault (limit had been raised while i was on holidays )

happy driving

Hi Dazzler,

A couple of years ago in Canberra I had a similar experience wherein I was stopped by a Traffic cop and informed that I was travelling at 75 or so in a 60 zone. I politely disputed that I was speeding as the limit had been raised a week or so earlier to 80 (one of the many dual carriageways there in PoliCity).

The officer didn't believe me, so I invited him to walk back a couple of hundred meters to an intersection where the '80' sign was. When we got there, he looked at it, and then muttered something about "well, they could have told us". Anyway, he was quite amused by it and scrapped the ticket.

Cheers!

[Clinton1]

Ross,
If its your first ticket in a few years, why not ask them to let you off, or at least let you pay the fine and retain your points?
This is an option, conditions vary between the states, but usually it is available for drivers with a good record.
Victoria has a "Penalty Review Board", I'm sure that QLD has something similiar.

[silentC]

I know that every day I gamble with the law

Of everything that has been said, this is the bit that worries me the most. Kinda sums up my impression of most 'professional drivers'. I used to drive up and down the Hume/Federal highway a lot. Used to see lots of 'gambling'.

My old man is always on about speed traps and revenue raising. Fact is you are supposed to be doing 60 when you get to the sign, not 100 metres after it. Good on 'em for pinging you, should happen more often.

My favourite here is the tourists who drive around at 70km everywhere, in the 100km zones, in the 80km zones and through town! I'd love to see some of them get pinged too.

[Iain]

On the multi lane highways and freeways it is an offence to travel at under 80kph in a 100kph zone, in any other than the left lane unless overtaking (Vic).
Problem is I have never seen it enforced and there is always someone willing to hold everyone up.

[bitingmidge]

One positive with a speed camera is that large breasted, short skirted pouting blondes get tickets too

I haven't yet!

P

[Daddles]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iain
One positive with a speed camera is that large breasted, short skirted pouting blondes get tickets too

I haven't yet!

P

Midge, the 'breast' he's talking about is about a foot ABOVE your belly button, not that bulge containing your belly button. And as for the short skirt, well, a lady your age should know better, but if you've got the legs to carry it off ...

Richard

[HappyHammer]

Wow I had no idea there were so many members of this board that never speed, such angels, they must be the ones who drive in the middle lane on three lane highways with no-one on their left.:eek:

HH.