Just Got Booked For Speeding

[ronburgundy]

Not to take the moral high ground (and yes I do certainly speed at times myself so it is a little hypocritical)... but you can't get booked for speeding unless you are actually speeding.

It is a VOLUNTARY tax after all!

[Craig.]

True, and no need to apologize for pointing that out.

But when the speed limit is inapropriate for the conditions, it makes it pretty easy to be on the wrong side of the law!

For example a 50 zone on an entry ramp to a freeway with a speed limit of 100/110 is probably an inappropriate speed limit for that area, don't you think?

[ronburgundy]

Probably, but now it's a matter of opinion rather than fact. And provided the speed is signed properly, the opinion is sadly irrelevant.

On my drive home for example, and if anyone knows Leakes Road in Truganina/Tarneit they'll know what I'm talking about... it goes from 70 to 60 to 40 to 70 to 60 to 70 during probably a 5km stretch. That is no exaggeration.

And a couple of those changes are, no word of a lie, less than 500m apart I'd say. Ridiculous. Just keep it 40 all the way through if you ask me, the changes are asking for disaster.

But they are clearly signed, so anyone caught speeding there has no leg to stand on.

Mind if you if there is some sort of law that I don't know about, that prescribes some sort of limit on how close together speed changes can be etc... I'd love to have it pointed out to me!

[d rangd]

but if they say you were speeding, what are you going to do? pay $2000 for a lawyer to legally tell them that a reference from a speedo is not sufficient evidence. its cheaper to cop it, and its designed that way, plus if you kick up a stink theyll defect you for whatever they want....that's what to expect these days, there are still good cops that do show you the respect you show them, but they seem to be getting diluted by the new recruits that use the power all to excessively imo. I show them the respect they deserve and mostly get it back, but the days of a policeman taking your keys off you when your walking to a car drunk and putting you in a cab as opposed to waiting till you get into it and then stinging you, are gone. the days of 'serving and protecting' and 'innocent until proven guilty' are just memories. not criticising, it just sh*ts on (most) people like us who go to the empty backstreets for a bit of 'fun' in the car (which is safe by my standards) get done just as hard as the wanker Late model camira driver driving down the freeway at top speed of 170kmh after the electric supercharger and ignition booster has been sticky taped on with his seat at 30 deg to the ground, looking through the gap in his steering wheel and dash and guages blocking his view. my mate lost his liscence speeding only lytton rd at 1am, roads like a highway (speed limit 60 is good in the day as its packed) but at night not a car for kms, no houses just parks, unmarked car hiden behind a tree....probably while some old lady is getting mugged around the corner. but what can we do. bend over and spread em

[wookie_666]

Look, to give my opinion. The speed limits are there, stick to them or get busted. Its your choice.

d rangd, if you think that having a bit of fun in a back street is safe, then you are wrong. Mate if you want to have fun like that, then go to the track and take it up there. Only for the sake of your life, becuase honestly, any kind of collision over 50km/h on impact, can severely do spinal damage and even cause death. Just because theres no other people or cars around, doesn't mean its safe to be a dickhead. Sorry if I sound a bit harsh, but Ive had my share of incidents with people like this.

Also craginmackay, it was very nice of you to go through my whole post, break it up and point out all the parts you thought were wrong, honestly. But mate give it up, the road rules are there, and personaly I agree that if the limits were raised, then the fatalities due to fatigue would drop, but the fatalaties occuring due to speed, would increase. Only for the fact that our roads are not set up for such a speed. So either way, we lose.

And you know what mate, they do save lives. Because you think, the stopping distance is greatly increased when the speed increases, thus making it harder to miss pedestrians, other motorists, animals, and other hazards.

Every one is entitled to their opinion, and this is just mine. My opinion is that speed limits do save lives and yes I would like the speed limit raised on highway/country roads, but who the hell sticks to the current speed limit, and if it was raised then no one would stick to that either.

[Dillz]

but you can't get booked for speeding unless you are actually speeding.

It is a VOLUNTARY tax after all!

Unfortunately you can mate.

Dodgy fixed camera's and roadside ones, cops getting a reading from the wrong car or past car etc.. etc..

[Iconic Bionic]

Unfortunately you can mate.

Dodgy fixed camera's and roadside ones, cops getting a reading from the wrong car or past car etc.. etc..

Yeah this desperate defence has popped up a few times. It did get a real good flogging in a recent retained readings thread.

I.B.

[Iconic Bionic]

Regarding law enforcement on our roads, the Australian public have been duped! The majority have been brainwashed into thinking that speed is the main contributing factor to our road toll. The cops genuinely believe it too as they have also had the propaganda fed to them. That and attending fatalaties (which re-inforce the message that that speed kills regardless of the actual cause of a particular accident)have made the average copper hyper sensitive to the issue of speed, which is why they have no problems booking you for doing 80 in a 50 zone, even though in all likely hood, the 50 zone you were booked in is almost certainly as safe to do 100 in as the 100 zone just a few metres up the road.

No just insensitive. The ambos see it just as much and do you really think they get all hyper-sensitive.

I.B.

[Dillz]

Yeah this desperate defence has popped up a few times. It did get a real good flogging in a recent retained readings thread.

I.B.

IB not having a crack but it just seems these are the only threads I see you in now days.

Why bother, we all know there are good cops and bad cops as much as we all know these threads will continue popping up.

In case you missed it.

Nobody's perfect and even police make mistakes.

I don't wanna get in a argument so I will leave it at that.

[pharkit]

Regarding law enforcement on our roads, the Australian public have been duped! The majority have been brainwashed into thinking that speed is the main contributing factor to our road toll. The cops genuinely believe it too as they have also had the propaganda fed to them. That and attending fatalaties (which re-inforce the message that that speed kills regardless of the actual cause of a particular accident)have made the average copper hyper sensitive to the issue of speed, which is why they have no problems booking you for doing 80 in a 50 zone, even though in all likely hood, the 50 zone you were booked in is almost certainly as safe to do 100 in as the 100 zone just a few metres up the road.

This plays right into the politicians hands as they reap millions a year from speeding fines, many of which, in reality, do nothing for road safety but much for the bank accounts of said governments. What they should be doing instead is bringing our highways/freeways and driver licencing/education system up to scratch with the rest of the western world and then raising speed limits to suit the 'worlds best' road conditions and skill level of the now highly trained drivers! This would save more lives than the speed enforcement culture that we have at the moment, and they know it! Unfortunately this would mean less revenue from our roads, so governments see no advantage in spending the time and money on getting this right!

The fact is that we are stuck with some down right draconian laws relating to our licencing system, road making/maintenance and law enforcement on our roads. Unfortunately, I believe that we have left it too late to do anything about. The gate has been left opened for far too long.

PS for those of you who are in the police force, this is not aimed at you. The whole system is topsy turvey. You are just doing your job. It is the law makers that are at fault here.

This is so true. In 2000 when Howard was in power he initiated the National Road Safety Strategy. The goal was to reduce Australia's road toll by 40% over 10 years (2010 is the deadline). This the main reason why the L plater and P plater scheme was revised in NSW.

Government link that explains it: The National Road Safety Strategy

The road toll is around 1600-1700 per year. To reduce this by 40% the Strategy looks at saving around 700 lives a year (it has always been behind target).

Basically driver behaviour is a factor in 158 out of 700 annual deaths. Safer vehicles is a factor in 175 out of 700 annual deaths. And the condition of the roads is a factor in 332 of 700 deaths!

The main reason they've always been behind target is due to insufficient funding to improve the roads.

Got the numbers from Australia Automobile Association: Road Safety - Australian Automobile Association

And from Australian Road Assessment Program site this link: How to Save Lives

" By comparison with driver behaviour and vehicle safety, which are well understood, motorists’ concept of a safe road is barely developed. Motorists tend to think in terms of surface condition, pot holes and upkeep, and certainly not in terms of other features of a road, such as duplication (where opposing traffic flows are separated), sealed shoulders (as distinct from gravel shoulders) or trees too close to the road, all of which are shown by research to affect the safety of a road.

Research underpinning Australia’s National Road Safety Strategy shows that nearly half of Australia's targeted improvement in road trauma can be achieved by upgrading Australia’s roads.

Roads are more important in road safety than most people think."

So your post is right.. We all think the main reason for road deaths is driving behaviour (it is a big factor) but the bigger issue is the roads.

Sorry for massive post, but I was blown away when I first heard about this on the radio earlier in the year.

I feel like I just wrote an essay for uni lol.