Radar gun accuracy

[spudchucka]

At present, you only need to be caught doing 21 k's over the limit three times within 2 years and you lose your license. That would be easily achievable and a major hassle I'd like very much to avoid.

Any prudent motorist who valued their licence and the priviledge to use the public roads that their licence gives them would ensure that they don't put themselves in that position.

Take some responsibility for your own actions, if you lose your licence on demerit points you only have yourself to blame.

[Lou Girardin]

Any prudent motorist who valued their licence and the priviledge to use the public roads that their licence gives them would ensure that they don't put themselves in that position.

Take some responsibility for your own actions, if you lose your licence on demerit points you only have yourself to blame.

Last year these stupid people numbered in the thousands. But it only takes 5 pissant speeding tickets to do it.

[spudchucka]

Last year these stupid people numbered in the thousands. But it only takes 5 pissant speeding tickets to do it.

To bad, they knew that was a likely consequence. They either don't value their licence or they are too stupid to learn from their mistakes. Either way they only have themselves to blame.

Apparently you speed all the time but I don't hear you bitching that you lost your licence to demerits (one of the few things you haven't bitched about in the 27 months that I've been visiting KB).

So whats the difference between you and the fools that have lost their licences? Have you somehow developed an ability to form strategies for maintaing a legitimate drivers licence? Can the thousands of other that have lost their licences not do the same thing? Or are they some form of neanderthal motorist that gets by solely on instinct and is bereft of any ability to learn once the get behind the wheel?

[marty]

So I have every right to complain about a ticket and seek advice on it if I want to; part of being a member here. You also have the right not to bother reading this thread, why not exercise it?

just like i have every right to read it, and post what i think.

[ManDownUnder]

The only problem with cops posting what they think is that this is a public forum, and some things said can come back to bite them in the arse...

As for the original problem... if there IS an issue surrounding the accuracy of the radar gun, then persue it to the bitter end. Of course if you did do the crime... then (how do I put this)...

WTF?

[Lou Girardin]

Apparently you speed all the time but I don't hear you bitching that you lost your licence to demerits (one of the few things you haven't bitched about in the 27 months that I've been visiting KB).

Quite right. Never had a speeding ticket over $120 or more than 30 demerits.
But I was well trained. And use effective counter-measures.
I just sympathise with the not so fortunate.

[spudchucka]

I just sympathise with the not so fortunate.

They have all the same choices available to them that you and I have. They simply make bad choices and pay the consequences for them.

[pritch]

and if you win, you win, if you lose, you lose.

I think actually that once the lawyer gets involved it's more a case of if you if you lose you lose and if you win you still lose.
The only winner being the lawyer.

In this country since the 1960s the academics, criminoligists, psychologists etc, have created a climate where nobody takes responsibility for their own actions. If you did the crime, pay the bloody fine. Don't whinge.

Were there some genuine reason to feel outrage, you could fight the ticket but it would almost certainly cost more than it's worth. Sometimes though a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do. Besides which it's good therapy.

If I get a ticket I'm pissed off too. I use denial as a coping mechanism, I throw the ticket away and wait for the reminder.

On one glorious never-to-be-forgotten occasion the reminder never came. Oh joy :-)

[Jonty]

So whats the difference between you and the fools that have lost their licences? Have you somehow developed an ability to form strategies for maintaing a legitimate drivers licence? Can the thousands of other that have lost their licences not do the same thing? Or are they some form of neanderthal motorist that gets by solely on instinct and is bereft of any ability to learn once the get behind the wheel?

Spud, I respect the police as my friends are officers, however, I feel I have to respond (apologies from the slight divergence from the topic). Leaving morality and the law aside, the difference between Lou and those that have lost their licences is 99% LUCK. Let's face it, all of us have broken the speed limit in the last 2 years. Had we been caught each time we broke the speed limit (even for doing 5kmh over the limit), none of us would have our licences.

Getting a speeding ticket is not like committing a crime. If you commit a burlary for example and you are not caught at the scene, chances are high that the police will catch up with you. You are always liable for the offence. With a speeding ticket, if you are not caught in the act (by camera or police patrol), you will never be liable.

In my view, I would not find myself thinking "hard done by thoughts" if I knew that everytime someone sped they would receive a ticket (in the same way I am confident that everyone who burgles the local dairy will be caught). An example of this would be a chip in each vehicle that report every incidence of speeding (and no discretion).

My point is that the thousands of kiwis out there who have lost their licences are not all "bad people" who we can comfortably sit back on our high horse and say you are not unlucky you are unfit to hold a licence and should not be driving. In reality, they are the unlucky few who got caught. Adding to this, they are also the unlucky few who did not have the benefit of getting let off (by use of discretion). When Lou or anyone else here replys to these threads for people who have lost their licences (granted some people who get caught at ridiclous speeds deserve it) I feel they are within their rights to say "hard luck" because in reality, until either:

1. everytime we speed we are automatically caught; or
2. everyone here can stand up and say "I have never broken the speed limit",

that is exactly what it is!

[madboy]

Ultrapix, it's not that we as motorcyclists don't support your concern at being ticketed for something that most, if not all, of us engage in. It's just that many of us have differing views on the way forward.

Personally I'm not a great big fan of the 5-0 (I know I know, some of you might be shocked by that revelation) but if one of these days I do get ticketed on the bike, I'm pretty sure I'll be paying up (on day 56 by the way). Reason is not that I agree with the ticket, but that I can't be arsed fighting something so trivial. Charge me with assault or fraud or something like that, and I'll be in your face with a grossly overpriced barrister screaming blue murder about every damn technicality there is (regardless of guilt or innocence). But a speeding ticket? I wouldn't waste my time writing the letter, instructing the solicitor, taking time off work to attend court, and running the very real risk that it will all go pear shaped. Best case scenario, as someone else pointed out, is that you'll spend $1000 in legal fees to get off a $200 ticket. Worst case scenario - $5k legals, $120(?) court costs... and you still have to pay the ticket.

I agree with you, but I value my time more highly. One ticket for countless occasions of speeding? I consider it the price you pay for fun.

[Sniper]

OK, I have a good way of dealing with this. How about you leave the country and never come back? Police won't get ya then.

[Lou Girardin]

Jonty, it appears that burglary is now a viable career choice. The apprehension rate is low enough to make the risk worthwhile.
I think there's a greater chance of being caught speeding.
And, while luck plays a part, I am careful about where and how much I speed. When luck runs low, I rely on my detector and jammer. Where they fail, about once every 5 years, I'll dispute the ticket if I think I have grounds to.
Whatever, I certainly don't lose sleep over it.

[Patrick]

[QUOTE=Ultrapix At present, you only need to be caught doing 21 k's over the limit three times within 2 years and you lose your license. That would be easily achievable and a major hassle I'd like very much to avoid.[/QUOTE]

3 times over 2 years...so the two reminders/warnings/tickets before the third one wasn't enough?

Heard someone got off after the daily calibration book wasn't shown when requested. (Shows the device was tested by that operator prior to commencement of snaking...)

You talk about the calibration certificate which is different. Although not a pre requisite, the fact you asked and were not given any real reason not to see it there and then "could" be enough for you? Worth an ask...

[scumdog]

I heard that the cop got an instant $150 fine (could have been more but cannot remember) from the OSH inspector who was off duty but still got the speeding fine himself from the officer.

The true story:

OSH man writes to Sgt, says he got a ticket from an officer who crossed the road to issue it and was not wearing flouro vest, why was he not and did he know it was dangerous NOT to wear it?

Sgt sends out a "please explain" to cop.

Cop says "fair enough, but I have been crossing roads now for about 35 years or more quite safely, I feel I was less of a danger to myself than the OSh inspector was to the public by speeding through town, pass it on"

The explosion from OSH on reading that comment? - STILL echoing throughout the land!!!!

[Skyryder]

I'd like to see somebody try that.

If they detained me would they have the foresight to advise me of my rights pursuant to the NZ Bill of Rights Act?

Can I sue them civily if they don't? (Unlawful / Arbitrary detention)

Perhaps detain was the wrong word. Perhaps I should have said asked the officer to wait while seeking legal advice. I personally had my doubts about the whole thing, fluro vest etc, but I was NZ safety the other day and they had brochure on fluro vests and what type should be worn and in what conditions. Each vest had a LTNZ compliance code to say when vest is sutable i.e. night and day, Highway etc. Well it appears that this guy was right about that. So my question is. Do the public have a right in anyway whatsoever to prevent the officer from leaving from his own volition??


Skyryder