135kph speeding ticket - cop guesstimate?

[Robhj]

I was on my Buell Ullysses approaching a dawdling car on the road to Coromandel yesterday, and overtook with a quick burst of acceleration. i reckon it took all 0f 3 seconds to overtake. I spotted a marked police car approaching about 400-500 metres ahead, and thought "Good job he's in the opposite direction".

5 minutes later he pulled me over and asked me the speed limit. "100 kph but I overtook a car" I admitted. I nearly fell over when he claimed I was doing 135, with the car doing 95, and that I had then slowed to 127. Is their equipment that accurate that it can clock 2 cars doing widely different speeds in parallel 1 km ahead?

As we all do when about to overtake, I had slowed down to near the car's speed, then overtook him briskly. I reckon I was doing 110-115 maximum when I overtook, and then slowed to 105. So I accelerated from 100 to 135 in 2 seconds? Even an R1 isn't that fast.

I'm told that cops have stated on TV that they rarely find 'serious' speeding offences now that drivers are cowed by 'Zero Tolerance'. Is this why the cop was so enthusiastic about nicking me for overtaking a car as he approached from 1k distance? I spotted very few bikes on the Coromandel loop. Had he had a poor crop of tickets? Given the alleged speed and 40 demerit points, plus $300 fine, should he have offered to show me the evidence on screen, as friends have suggested? I should have asked for this, but as a recent Pom immigrant I didn't know, and early experience in the UK taught me that the Plod gets very shirty if you dispute their figures.

Is it worth me writing a letter disputing the figures and asking for evidence, or asking a lawyer? Any advice welcome, especially from off-duty Traffic Officers....

[Gwinch]

So I accelerated from 100 to 135 in 2 seconds? Even an R1 isn't that fast.

Ooh, you're most certainly wrong on that one m'lad.

[mattian]

well. If they have recorded your speed on a device then, thats the evidence they will use in a court of law if you decide to contest it. You will have to argue that their gear is either faulty or, was the speed of the other vehicle next you you.

Ask yourself this question honestly. Is it possible you may have been doing this speed while overtaking the car? If your answer is "Yes" or even "more than likely" then just suck it up and pay it.

[steve_t]

Unfortunately, overtaking at the time isn't a valid reason. I got pinged for 111km/h basically overtaking a few years ago. I wrote in but my appeal was declined. You definitely should have asked to see the speed reading, not that it would have made any difference if there was 127km/h on the readout. I think you're gonna have to wear this one, but if you have nothing but time to write a letter, it's not gonna do any harm. I saw a cop on the coast road and he had his radar on the whole time so I picked him up a good 20 seconds before I saw him. The cops around Hamilton are using a lot of instant on. Maybe you should look at a RD. I don't regularly speed but still find it a good bit of kit to have

[SMOKEU]

Buy a radar detector.

[Robhj]

Thanks for quick replies. I am 52 and riding since 12, with a ban for reckless driving when I was 18, so I'm very wary of opening a bike up without serious thought. I am still running the bike in, and have seen 135kph only once, on a long straight in the hills near Clevedon, so I'd know for sure from the engine note if I'd been doing more than 120.

[Maha]

If you dont write in, you will end up having to pay right?
The ticket issuer is only the only the starting point, he/she has a job to do and thats fine, but a ticket issued by a cop should (at times) be questioned.
If you feel you have a better than even chance of getting off, put your side of what happened in an email and send it in.
I did, just after easter and they wiped the charge.
And I got caught on radar!

[Virago]

...Given the alleged speed and 40 demerit points, plus $300 fine, should he have offered to show me the evidence on screen, as friends have suggested?...

No. He doesn't have to offer, but you're quite entitled to ask.

You got caught. Suck it up - move on.

[MSTRS:Me]

I was on my Buell Ullysses approaching a dawdling car on the road to Coromandel yesterday, and overtook with a quick burst of acceleration. i reckon it took all 0f 3 seconds to overtake. I spotted a marked police car approaching about 400-500 metres ahead, and thought "Good job he's in the opposite direction".

5 minutes later he pulled me over and asked me the speed limit. "100 kph but I overtook a car" I admitted. I nearly fell over when he claimed I was doing 135, with the car doing 95, and that I had then slowed to 127. Is their equipment that accurate that it can clock 2 cars doing widely different speeds in parallel 1 km ahead?

So I accelerated from 100 to 135 in 2 seconds? Even an R1 isn't that fast.

I'm told that cops have stated on TV that they rarely find 'serious' speeding offences now that drivers are cowed by 'Zero Tolerance'. Is this why the cop was so enthusiastic about nicking me for overtaking a car as he approached from 1k distance?

Any advice welcome, especially from off-duty Traffic Officers....

Seems to me that you are not quite sure of your facts...Was the cop 400m ahead or 1km? Big difference.
I doubt that their radar equipment will show that sensitivity - at least not at that distance. The return off a bike is probably not strong enough to be seperated from that of a car immediately beside.
There are a heap of bikes that can gain 35kph in 2 secs or less, your Buell included.
Today's newspaper carries 2 reports of motorists being pinged at 170+kph speeds in the last 2 days. There are plenty still out there willing to risk it.
I guess you can dispute your speed, but he got you over the limit. You didn't pass that car in the space of 3 seconds, if you were only doing 5kph more (assuming the car was doing 95).
I'd say you'll need to suck it up. This time.

[BMWST?]

IMHO you did the right thing "speeding" to overtake it is the right way to do it,but unfortunaetly you got caught.There is no excuse you can make to get off the ticket even tho you did the safest overtaking manouvre you could.All you can do now is dispute the speed?Did he say HOW he recorded your speed? or did he just guess?

[marty]

it's likely that his radar tracked you in 'fastest' mode, but as you were a smaller target, your speed will not be lockable until it became the strongest return.

a spirious tone from a 'fastest' signal but backed by a visual on you would be more than enough to hang you, especially if the car was already doing 100km/h, and you overtook it. the argument will not be 'did you do 135?' but 'how much over 100km/h were you?' you have already admitted to 110-115, and in the absence of some other proof, it's advantage five-o

[onearmedbandit]

So I accelerated from 100 to 135 in 2 seconds? Even an R1 isn't that fast.

It's already been said, but an R1 would do 100-135 in less than one second.

[Robhj]

I wouldn't expect the case to be thrown out - I would be happy with a points reduction. I need a license for my job, and if I get too many points it's goodbye Godzone and hello again to the Septic Isle (UK).

It's all guesswork, but I think the police car was 1k away when I started to overtake, and 400-500 metres by the time I pulled back in, given closing speeds, acceleration/deceleration etc. That's the point - I suspect it is all guesswork, including by the cop. He just chose the top range, but it's bullshit. Yes, I should move on, but if cops can't be trusted to be objective, and use 'sharp practice', it's a serious issue for every biker.

[FJRider]

I wouldn't expect the case to be thrown out - I would be happy with a points reduction. I need a license for my job, and if I get too many points it's goodbye Godzone and hello again to the Septic Isle (UK).

It's all guesswork, but I think the police car was 1k away when I started to overtake, and 400-500 metres by the time I pulled back in, given closing speeds, acceleration/deceleration etc. That's the point - I suspect it is all guesswork, including by the cop. He just chose the top range, but it's bullshit. Yes, I should move on, but if cops can't be trusted to be objective, and use 'sharp practice', it's a serious issue for every biker.

It does not quite work that way ... You appeal-you get off or it's upheld.

If you wish to argue the case ... don't pay the fine and see (the cop) in court ...

If the cop(s) thinks the chances of him/her proving their case are dodgy ... the charges "may" be withdrawn.

Go for it ... what have you got to lose ... ???

oh yes ... more money (I dont think court convictions carry demerit points)

[Kickaha]

It's all guesswork

Which means you're fucked

You're only guessing what speed you were doing yourself