Speeding tickets. Why the angst?

[Jack Miller]

Most of the Highway patrol officers I've spoken to ... say tickets given for speed are by far outnumbered by tickets for stupid stuff

So even HP officers admit exceeding the speed limit isn't stupid, like the other stuff people do, which is.

[Berg]

to be honest with you I don't see those cars posing too much of a threat, they don't look like they could get very far

Would you want to follow that on your bike?

[Jack Miller]

It's all about perspective.

If I add up all the kms I have done over the speed limit then divide the bill by that number, it aint that expensive.

I speed alot more than any other member of my family. Yet, in the last year

Mother: $200+
Father: $100+
Brother: $400+
Me: $0

Why? cos I do not speed in places that I would expect to see the popo! Like motorways!

Pity the "safest" (ticket avoidance) places to speed are not the safest places to speed.

[Jack Miller]

They stopped using "the faster you go the bigger the mess" because one of those old people with nothing better to do than complain, did just that & as it was blatant false advertising it was upheld & thus they cannot use it. Now if only the would complain about the "speed kills" message too as, as you say that too if false advertising, jet pilots alone prove this... unless they're talking about the drug then they might be right but their ads might be misleading.

"The faster you go the sooner you get there" is considerably more truthful and accurate.

[skippa1]

is this not really about the application of the law as opposed to issuing speeding tickets? Whilst I speed, I like speeding in some circumstances and I dont want a ticket, I accept that there has to be a limit and that in some circumstances a cop will apply discretion and some not. Last year on the cantubury plains I followed a cop (Highway Patrol) at a constant 125kmh. When we got to a passing lane, he waved me on, as I passed him I was doing 135, I pulled in in front of him and slowed back to 125ish. He didnt do anything except disappear in my mirrors as I slowly pulled away from him. Same when leaving Hokitika for Greymouth, cop accelerated out of the 70kmh zone straight up to 130 then settled to 120-125 all the way to Greymouth. I gassed up, pulled back onto the road and he was sitting in a 50kmh zone issuing a ticket.
The issue for me is that they set a standard that I measure all other cops by. So when I get pulled over doing 108, Im going to get a bit pissed about it.
I think this kind of behaviour sends mixed messages and confuses us poor ol bikers.

[Zedder]

to be honest with you I don't see those cars posing too much of a threat, they don't look like they could get very far

This thread started out on the subject of speeding but has covered a wide range of driving issues which has been interesting and enlightening. It's been good to have a different perspective from Rtc.

Speeding appears to be the uppermost in drivers/riders minds.

Until the practice of fining speedsters is changed to something that works better I think we're always going to have the angst because no one likes to get caught and pay out money. The same could be probably said for any traffic offence though.

I freely admit to driving/riding better than I used to, but I'd say it's also a combination of a number of factors (experience, age, having a family etc) and not only about being fined as such although it does play a part.

[Parlane]

"The faster you go the sooner you get there" is considerably more truthful and accurate.

Unless you are later than usual for work, so you think it's a great idea to go "109" in a 70k zone..

And.. bang! Cop around the corner

Lets me know that I was 1k off losing my licence on the spot.
$400 fine later, and I'm late for work. Goodbye 3 weeks of work pay.

What you actually want to hear:

I'm slower than I use to be. I use to have a starlet, and that thing was a tiny 2 door hatchback. Zoomed between cars on the highway etc. Once I hit 90 demerits I slowed right down. It was the fear of losing my licence that chnaged my behaviour. And I believe I am a better driver because of it.

Money meant nothing to me, as I don't value life on wealth :\ I spend all the money I earn, and it's normally on junk food (tastes so good) and fun things like Bowling, Rock Climbing, etc.

But DEMERITS, FUCK! I need to get to work, I needwant to get to friends houses etc. So 90 demerits works. But I would be annoyed with getting demerits for 105, or even 109 on a 100k stretch when I'm perfectly safe to me and others when doing so.

[DEATH_INC.]

I think this kind of behaviour sends mixed messages and confuses us poor ol bikers.

Yeh, I've been passed by a carload of 'em when I've been doing 120+ down the s/w motorway.....

[oneofsix]

This thread started out on the subject of speeding but has covered a wide range of driving issues which has been interesting and enlightening. It's been good to have a different perspective from Rtc.

Speeding appears to be the uppermost in drivers/riders minds.

Until the practice of fining speedsters is changed to something that works better I think we're always going to have the angst because no one likes to get caught and pay out money. The same could be probably said for any traffic offence though.

I freely admit to driving/riding better than I used to, but I'd say it's also a combination of a number of factors (experience, age, having a family etc) and not only about being fined as such although it does play a part.

Personally I have found that advanced driving and riding courses have done more to improve my driving or riding, guess I include learning from others even some of the more sensible comments on KB .

[rastuscat]

Caught you Rastuscat you disingenuous bastard.

Not feeling the love just now Jack. Not sleep well?

[baptist]

Not read the whole thread but...

It's already been invented. It's an Isuzu Piazza. Owning one was conclusive proof of stupidity.

New area car maybe???

For me it's because speeding is unavoidable. There isn't a person on this planet who hasn't sped at some point, or in fact speeds on a regular basis... and the best that the cop can come up with is "because it's illegal", is it really surprising I'd feel a little hard done by...

OK, I'll assume this is a genuine question and not a wind up.

Almost all traffic enforcement in New Zealand is aimed at road safety...those who will lie, cheat and do everything possible to get you to not write out a ticket. Unfortunately there are a few in the force (I've named one to SD and another senior police officer) who will also lie, cheat and do everything possible to keep their ticket number up...Does that explain the grief?

Couple of good points in there guys...

Funny, have been doing this job for 23 years, and the carping has never changed. Every day or so for that period I've been told it's been revenue collecting.

Maybe so but maybe it's because the Law is wrong and people have a genuine reason for feeling peeved...

Forget about judges, it doesn't have to be that way.
Cops could do it. No fines, only heavy demerits leading to loss of licence or vehicle crushing for idiot drivers. Mind you it would probably lead to huge loss of revenue and everything else would go up.

Not sure... firstly I think there are cowboy cops (I have met some both here and in the UK) and that power should not be handed to them... in fact some of them need sacking, secondly the good cops out there then get crap thrown at them for taking licences off of "us"... I think the penalty side of tickets needs to be kept away from the Police as much as possible, then maybe they will not get so much abuse every time a ticket is issued... maybe

Whoa!

Makes me look like a right Road-Nazi with my 12%...

Facist...

[rastuscat]

facist...olice:

how come he gets all the fun ?????????? Is it true that fascists get all da spanking???????????

[oneofsix]

how come he gets all the fun ?????????? Is it true that fascists get all da spanking???????????

you keep pulling over those slow drivers and they will spank you. The rest of us will thank you and as you seem to want a spanking

[Edbear]

All said and done, it is an unarguable fact that the speed limit is by necessity an arbitrary one set by the TPTB after wide consultation as to what the best mean average speed should be that the majority of drivers may be capable of safely travelling at on NZ roads and according to the skill and ability of said drivers.

It is also plainly obvious to all that the skills and abilities of drivers in this country, as in all countries, varies very widely with some being dangerous and incompetent at any speed and others able to handle very high speeds. Since it is not feasible to have a variety of speed limits set according to individual driver's abilities, there must therfore be one speed for all road users, albeit there may be differences for set classes of vehicles.

We live in a society that has to cater and care for all equally as far as possible and the open road speed limit is set and enforced for a reason.

Therefore, unless you want to remove yourself from society and live on an island on your own somewhere you have to abide by the laws of the country you live in for the common good. Ergo, your decision to break the speed limits is a conscious one and you must be aware of and prepared to accept the consequences of doing so. The amount you are over is irrelevant save for determining the size of the punishment dished out. Every time you are pulled over for speeding or any other offence you are actually comitting it is a "fair cop" and you have no argument even if you think it's a bit unfair under the circumstances and conditions at the time. You were exceeding the speed limt and got caught doing so, very simple really.

I have never had a speeding ticket while riding a bike in the last 41years since first starting at the age of 12. Now, have I gone really, really fast on my bikes on the open road in that time or have I never exceeded the speed limit..? I've never had a radar detector and do not feel I need one.

Yes, it may not be nice to get a ticket, but you can only blame one person and that's the receiver of that ticket, no-one else.

[Jack Miller]

Unless you are later than usual for work, so you think it's a great idea to go "109" in a 70k zone..
And.. bang! Cop around the corner, ... and I'm late for work. :

Well yes, if you introduce something unnatural.

"Faster... bigger mess" and "Speed Kills" are proclaimed as fundamental, natural truths used to justify speed-limit enforcement, which is unnatural. However, "Faster... bigger mess" and "Speed Kills" are not true. Most exceders of the speed limit neither die nor have a big mess, they just get there sooner, and it is only the unnatural introduction of arbitrary speed-limit enforcement that changed this natural truth in your case.