Dob in a driver news

[Beemer]

This was on Stuff today - funny, I thought ticking the box that said "are you prepared to give evidence in court" meant the police could do this anyway. It explains why, despite always ticking that box, I have never been called on to give evidence, even when mine wasn't the only complaint. I wonder how open to abuse this will be though. And as for the guy getting a ticket for overtaking on the inside when someone is waiting to turn in the middle of the road - that's pathetic.

Police will issue tickets against drivers dobbed-in by other road users, if the complainant is prepared to go to court.


Police road safety manager Superintendent John Kelly said police issue tickets based on complaints about driving made by the public via the Community Roadwatch programme.

He said fines would be issued if there was enough evidence and the complainant was prepared to go to court.

An Auckland newspaper reported today that Benjamin Turner could not believe it when he received an infringement notice in the mail for overtaking a car on the inside as it waited in the middle of the road.

The ticket for $150 arrived in the mail about three weeks ago.

"Somebody apparently complained about me and I received this ticket in the mail."

He said he paid the fine because the notice said if he did not he would incur court costs, but he could not see how a civilian could get someone issued with a ticket when there was no police officer in sight.

"I think it's unfair that they can do that without having actually caught somebody or even knowing if they had done it. A civilian doesn't have the power to give out a ticket," Mr Turner said.

Mr Kelly said the complainant would give a statement to police who then contacted the vehicle's registered owner, asking who was driving it at the time.

When this was confirmed police issued a ticket, Mr Kelly said.

"It's not done lightly. We still have to have all the ingredients of proof there that go to making up the charge."

[Stevo]

Two Words: REVENUE GATHERING! (troll)

[Mongoose]

Fallow that logic thru and no complaint about anything that did not happen right in front of a cop would ever go to court.

[stify]

Two Words: REVENUE GATHERING! (troll)

my two words: NOT REALLY, I reported a driver when i was 12 years old who failed to stop on a ped crossing, my brother and myself were damn close to being killed, the police took my complaint, and after talking to the driver issued him with a fine.Like everthing it has it's place.

[Beemer]

It will be interesting to see how this works out because I must confess I have given up reporting bad driving to *555 or filling in incident reports as nothing was ever done, even when the driving was extremely dangerous. But if they will take it seriously now and perhaps start issuing tickets for genuine instances of dangerous behaviour, it could work.

What I am worried about is people having a vendetta against someone and making false complaints. Sure, they have to go to court and repeat the accusations, but I bet some people would be prepared to do that to get back at someone they don't like.

[wendigo]

Problem I have when I read about crap like this, is that I descend into an paroxysm of rage and can't make a rational argument against aforementioned crap.

For example: What are the odds on an increase in mtorcyclists getting done for filtering through traffic at lights because some tosser in a tin can doesn't like sitting in queues?

I wonder if the cops will give you the name and address of the kahn who dobbed you in?

[DMNTD]

...What I am worried about is people having a vendetta against someone and making false complaints. Sure, they have to go to court and repeat the accusations, but I bet some people would be prepared to do that to get back at someone they don't like.

Therein lays the problem with the scheme. I do think there are drivers that need to be sorted before they kill others or themselves. If they recieved more than the one complaint about an incident it would solve the vendetta issue though.
Otherwise I see big prob's ahead

[Mongoose]

It will be interesting to see how this works out because I must confess I have given up reporting bad driving to *555 or filling in incident reports as nothing was ever done, even when the driving was extremely dangerous. But if they will take it seriously now and perhaps start issuing tickets for genuine instances of dangerous behaviour, it could work.

What I am worried about is people having a vendetta against someone and making false complaints. Sure, they have to go to court and repeat the accusations, but I bet some people would be prepared to do that to get back at someone they don't like.

Dunno about up north, but down in the south the first question asked of a *555 call to the patrol car is always "Will a formal complaint be following" because unless there is one nothing can be done anyway.
The person in that story above obviously decided paying up was the easy option and perhaps there is more to the story than we ar being told?

[shadow]

It will be interesting to see how this works out because I must confess I have given up reporting bad driving to *555 or filling in incident reports as nothing was ever done, even when the driving was extremely dangerous. But if they will take it seriously now and perhaps start issuing tickets for genuine instances of dangerous behaviour, it could work.

What I am worried about is people having a vendetta against someone and making false complaints. Sure, they have to go to court and repeat the accusations, but I bet some people would be prepared to do that to get back at someone they don't like.


yeah get on the cell phone while driving im sure thats safer than what they are doing or even better chase them down while on phone so police know where to go. maybe people should worry about there own driving or defensive driving(as a motorcyclist you are responsible for your own life and if someone pulls out or what ever its your job to save your own arse its all about defensive driving dont trust some other prick) (hey im sure there are times you dont get this chance but thats the risk we take) and let the police do there job.ffs*555

[Beemer]

yeah get on the cell phone while driving im sure thats safer than what they are doing or even better chase them down while on phone so police know where to go. maybe people should worry about there own driving or defensive driving(as a motorcyclist you are responsible for your own life and if someone pulls out or what ever its your job to save your own arse its all about defensive driving dont trust some other prick) (hey im sure there are times you dont get this chance but thats the risk we take) and let the police do there job.ffs*555

Every time I have used *555 I have been a passenger in a car - on the bike I just try and avoid idiots and would never put myself or other road users at risk by doing anything dangerous myself. I have always followed the call up with an incident report. As for letting the police do their job, I'm sorry, but like Santa Claus, it's not feasible to expect them to be everywhere at once. What are we meant to do - just ignore the dangerous behaviour?

As for the vendetta side of things, I really hope there will be some mechanism in place to prevent malicious complaints. Can you imagine some woman reporting her ex for dangerous driving because he dumped her, or some guy getting miffed at a work mate or former friend? After all, how many times have you heard someone going on about dangerous driving and realised your perception of dangerous and that of the person complaining are two entirely different things? Patricia Bartlett thought Playboy was pornography - how many people agree with her today?

[DMNTD]

... After all, how many times have you heard someone going on about dangerous driving and realised your perception of dangerous and that of the person complaining are two entirely different things? Patricia Bartlett thought Playboy was pornography - how many people agree with her today?

It's all about one's perception as you mentioned and also what is safe for one type or style of vehicle is different to anothers.
Playboy certainly isn't porn too btw! Lame-airbrushed-plastic :dodge:

[Beemer]

It's all about one's perception as you mentioned and also what is safe for one type or style of vehicle is different to anothers.
Playboy certainly isn't porn too btw! Lame-airbrushed-plastic :dodge:

Bartlett even tried to prevent Playboy registering the "bunny device" logo in NZ because she felt it was pornographic and likely to debase morals!

Some people think motorcycles are dangerous because they go fast - in their opinion. I worry that if I overtake an old couple doing 70kph in a 100kph zone they may lay a complaint about my "dangerous riding" and stand up in court and say I was riding too fast and overtaking in a dangerous spot. The word of two elderly, upstanding citizens over the word of a motorcycling journalist - mmn, now who would YOU believe? :argh:

[Monsterbishi]

The scheme is entirely open to abuse by both sides, people can make false reports, and if you receive a ticket you can just say "Nope, wasn't my vehicle" Either way it casts enough doubt to foul up the whole process in court.

I wouldn't call it revenue gathering though, since by the time it went through the food chain of the Roadwatch program, it will cost the value of the ticket just to cover the cost of issueing it, I'd more file it in the area of "Undermanned and/or Lazy" dept.

[Stevo]

The only time I should ever have called *555 I didn't. Kicked myself often for it too. Mrs and I were on our bikes and this Dork in a very nice Lexus was over taking coming into blind left handers and dumb shit like that. If it was one error of judgement then it would not have been so bad, but he repeatedly made dangerous passing moves.
I know think that if he could afford the Lexus he could afford the fines. Still pissed off he didn't pay for it too. Least none of you guys were comin round the corner from the opposite direction.

[shadow]

Every time I have used *555 I have been a passenger in a car - on the bike I just try and avoid idiots and would never put myself or other road users at risk by doing anything dangerous myself. I have always followed the call up with an incident report. As for letting the police do their job, I'm sorry, but like Santa Claus, it's not feasible to expect them to be everywhere at once. What are we meant to do - just ignore the dangerous behaviour?

i think you have answered your own question (I JUST TRY TO AVOID IDIOTS)sorry but i just cant agree with dobbing someone in unless there has been an accident or someone is hurt(111 not*555). hey thats just me the systems there to be used i just dont agree with it and think more effort should be on like you say avoiding idiots. or defensive driving. i dont need police looking out for me think ill stick to saving my own arse. no offence meant just dont trust others to judge what is dangerous i think that should be left to the police. if you are stupid on the rd the odds are against you, you will get caught sometime.

[XP@]

And as for the guy getting a ticket for overtaking on the inside when someone is waiting to turn in the middle of the road - that's pathetic.


You may only do this if it is safe and the vihicle is at the junction.
I am currently taking a driver through the system because someone did this to me, the result was a really close call with my son and a car coming the other way. She hit my bike and being 2 up, there was noway i could stay vertical.
Her excuse is she didn't expect me to move to the left whilst indicating right. I was going down hill at about 1 - 2 kph 2 up in the wet approaching a traffic island and a bloody huge white arrow whilst preparing for an up hill 120 degree junction. yes, I am persuing her for this.

[The Stranger]

This is of course the type of system that the Nazi's and many a communist regime has relied upon to great effect.

Personally I think that it is quite wrong for the Police to issue a ticket unless either the errant driver confesses or there are at least 2 or more vehicles to corroborate the alleged offence.

The same self righteous prick whom will report you is just as likely to be the old bastard whom pulled out into the fast lane doing 50kmh and didn't indicate the lane change. You indicate, move left and overtake him and get potted for "speeding" past him.

But why not embrace this new found motorcycle safety tool and use it to the max. On any given day we should be able to keep the entire police force busy ticketing cagers. And with a bit of luck the system will collapse under it's own weight, but hopefully not before we have raised the consciousness of some of the stupid cage drivers.

[Lou Girardin]

I would think that the case mentioned is quite rare. Most often the Police just don't bother with public complaints. They hardly seem to act on offences committed right in front of them unless it's speeding.
The easy solution is to defend tickets of this nature, a few dismissals and complaints about unneccesary prosecutions from the courts and it'll be knocked on the head.

[heavenly.talker]

I have given up reporting bad driving to *555 or filling in incident reports as nothing was ever done, even when the driving was extremely dangerous.


Us too! By the time someone actually answers the *555 phone number the car and the incident are normally 5-10 mins down the road.

[warewolf]

I must admit to having filed a few Community Roadwatch reports. Takes a lot to get me to actually do something about the multitudinous d!ckheads that get behind the wheel, but some desparately need some encouragement to think about what they are doing.

To me, it is (hopefully) a useful tool. I doubt the cops are going to issue any tickets on my say so. But if a single driver gets mutliple complaints, you would hope the cops would take notice. Chances of that are pretty remote, but you never know...

[Beemer]

After saying I had given up on *555, I actually pulled over and made a call this morning on my way to Palmerston North! As I was driving north of Shannon I noticed an oncoming vehicle veering into my lane - the driver seemed incapable of keeping in his own lane. As I got closer I found out why - at first I thought it was a convertible, but the car was a wreck, and I don't use that term lightly - it had no front windscreen and the roof was completely caved in on the passenger side! It had obviously been in a pretty bad accident and I was amazed it was still driveable. The guy in the driver's seat had a tiny triangle to look through, which is probably why he had trouble keeping to his own lane. Took more than five minutes for the *555 call to be answered though, so if it was only heading as far as Shannon, it would have been long gone by the time they went looking for it.

[shadow]

mental note go past bmw and suzuki goose 350 on back wheel so they dont see number plate :niceone: lol