Unsafe passing manouver

[slopster]

This morning on the way to the Suzuki trackday I got done for an unsafe passing manouver on SH1. I went past a parked police car and he followed me then pulled me over. He said that there had been a complaint about my overtaking. A truck I had recently overtaken showed up and the policeman went and talked to the driver about it then came back and gave me an infringement notice of $150 for an unsafe passing maneouver. I am confident that my riding is safe and that I had 100m visibility etc - it was a slight left hand sweeper and not a big margin for error but adequate. I told him this but he had already written the ticket and basically pointed out the info on the back of the notice explaining how to defend it. What I cant understand is how he can issue a ticket without even seeing the incident himself based on nothing but someone elses word. I should add that I 'might' have been traveling significantly quicker than I should have been when I first saw the police car which may not have endeared him to me but he said himself that I was lucky he didn't get a speed readout. I asked if there were any demerits with my fine and was told that they were given with all safety related infringments he wasn't sure how many but I can't afford to get too many.

How should I go about sorting this out. It seems I can either write in about it or request a court hearing. I don't really want to do that over a $150 dollar fine but I'm not just going to take it lying down.

Not a great day for me I binned my gsxr at the trackday afterward!

Any advice would be much appreciated

[boomer]

you should have told him and the truck driver to get procreating!!!! and had he insisted on giving you the ticket politely refused to accept it and be on your merry way.

bad news about the bin.. was it spectacular??

[MotoGirl]

Not a great day for me I binned my gsxr at the trackday afterward!

At least you weren't the guy who went down on the first lap!

I tell ya, it was really good for that to unfold directly in front of me when I'm still shit scared about going round corners

[slopster]

Was just a lowside but the bike did a barrel roll when it hit the grass and sand and mannaged to dammage every single fairing. Still ridable with a borrowed brake lever and a lot of duct tape.

[Mom]

If it is any consolation, there is an option to ticket for "dangerous driving" for unsafe overtaking...........what a shitty day you have had mate!!

[Colapop]

Ig ot the same fine. wehn they sent me the fibne it was only $50- so ficuk them

[yod]

defend it - at the end of the day its only the truck drivers opinion vs yours - cop has no say in it

the only thing that might count against ya is that it was a left hander so it could be argued that it was 'blind' to some degree....up to you on that one....

[White trash]

You're fucked bro. Us GSXR riders've been being victimised since 1985. I just don't understand it........

[Sanx]

It's your word against the truck driver's. If asked in court, the cop will have to state under oath (provided he's honest ) that he did not see the overtaking manouver in question.

Provided you state that you manouver was safe, that you could see clear road ahead, and that you did not cause any other vehicle to take any form of evasive action, it's hard to see how the courts could convict. The prosecution case would be based upon purely heresay evidence from a truck driver.

And of course, the truck driver's unlikely to turn up in court as a witness for the prosecution...

[Morepower]

slopster , good to meet you today hope your trip home was uneventfull.
As an aside on the way back on the Napier Taupo Rd I was going to attempt an very swift overtaking manouver of 4 cars on a right hand bend that had visibility but tightish. I got past the first car and Radar detector goes nuts so into the gap I go . Bloody first car , a Silver Honda was the cop. I thought he would get me for something but he left me alone , thankfully he hit his radar or he may have seen me going a little to fast

Dave

[Karma]

Thing with taking it to court... what about costs? If you win the case do the police cover the court costs?

Also... given how a majority of truck drivers drive I'd be tempted to follow that guy around all day and then *555 him every time he runs an amber light or doesn't come to a full stop at the STOP sign

[Cr1MiNaL]

What a moron that stupid truk driver... he must be jealous tht u ride a bike n he can only plod along at retarded speeds / either that or he just hates bikes... I know 1 or 2 guys that do.... old farts thats what they r... I got pulled over in ma cage once for the same charge. when the copper told me I laughed n asked him if he was serious? I said well ill just go on calling in every other car on the road sayin oh hes drivin like a retard and is a danger on the road hows that? wheres the proof for the ticket? he advised me he could still giv me a ticket and I could dispute it if I wanted to ... I was like thats so dumb to his face... n he just let me off with a warning... (besides I had a clean record) no fines in 7 yrs... luky me, either that or I ride like a nana.

Ps: how did u bin it?

also just call up ur friendly district attourney on the ph on monday and ask for advice... court charges/ the legalities etc... ull have a better understanding of the situation ur in that way.

Cheers Raj.

[Holy Roller]

I had a truck blow his air horns as I came up alongside him of all the stupidist things to do. Completed the passing manouver with plenty of clear road ahead. Some people just don't think, what would have happened if I had got distracted and crashed because of his stupidity who would have carried the blame. Mind you sitting on 90kph all day would be total torture.

[mark247]

Write a letter in and just dont pay for as long as possible.

I just got a $400 for riding a 400cc bike on my learners. Thing is, i had an exemption to do so but it was only allocated to my old 400cc's bike number plate, and that bike shat itself so i got a new one, first day riding it i get pinged. Sad thing is i had called the LTSA about it to try get the exemption transfered over to my new bikes number plate and they said i had to write in to do that / reapply. So im in the middle of doing that right now. I explained this all to the cop.

Cop was a total pancake.

I wrote in a letter of complaint saying im not paying it etc etc the morning after it happened. But i did write it as politely as possible explaining my position.

[McJim]

What sort of bike does the Truckie ride?

Motorbikes can perform safe maneouvres in a much smaller distance that 4 wheeled vehicles (or trucks for that matter) we, as motorcyclists, know this. So what qualified the truckie do accurately decide that which is safe and that which is unsafe?