Radar Detectors <merged Topic>

[xr6]

There is only one issue that needs be addressed here and that is the fact that radar detectors are absolutely useless against Lidar and Fixed/mobile digital speed cameras. Lidar is instant on, and some radar detectors claim to be abale to detect lidar and they actually can, but when they detetect it, is when its been fired at your car and your speed is captured. Radar is switched on and off for longer periods of time and you have a chance against it by slowing down before a lock is gained on you, but with Lidar the lock is by a laser and instantly captures your speed.

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Detectors aren't illegal in NZ...

My RX65 Pro WILL give me warning of laser if it's used to check the cars ahead of me. But if I'm the only car on the road, then no warning. It will also give me a few seconds warning of mobile speed cameras. Obviously won't work for fixed cameras with sensors in the road.

Most highway patrol cops in NZ leave their radar on all of the time, and I usually get warnings well before I see the car. But there is at least one guy who keeps his completely off, then flicks it on to get your speed. I was still doing 111 when he got a lock, but the fine and demerit points were much lower than they would have been if the detector hadn't gone off when I was still doing 120+.

[nang3]

I travelled interstate this morning to visit a customer. He said he'd lost his license for 3 months for an infringement back in May. I asked what speed he was doing and said he wasnt speeding, he got done for having a radar detector. Apparently he was approaching the back of a police car which was stationary at a set of traffic lights even though they were green. He went passed the police car and it took off after him.  They serveyed his car for a little while, and my customer was thinking, whats he gonna get me for. He didnt actually realise that he had his detector on at this point. It was in the centre console.  Then the penny dropped.  As soon as he turned the detector off, the highway car got him.

Apparently the coppa came to the window and firstly advised him he was being recorded, and said we have detected your law evaiding device which carries an $1175.00 fine and 9 demerits.  He asked for the device to be produced and if he didnt, it would be another $1175.00 fine, plus the car would be placed on a tow truck and impounded until the device was found at $7.00 a day.

After the coppa had calmed down, he said there were 4 brand new RDD's purchased by the police and they arrived in April of this year. One is up near Dubbo and another is on the Pacific Hwy around the Ballina area.

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farks sake - a "law evading device" hahaha.. what will the fuzz think of next !!!

almost everyone I know who has an RD has found that instead of speeding recklessly without fear of getting caught as the cockheaded pollies and other proponents of banning them would lead you to believe, the opposite is true and we are much more aware of our speed at any given time.

I know for a fact that I drive a lot closer to the roads limit and generally take a lot more notice of the limits on the roads I drive on.. when it does go off I never slam on the brakes hard but apply gentle braking to slow 5-10kph so I am always guaranteed under the limit... much better than the old days when I'd almost lock it up everytime I saw a kodak cop or other revenue raising device..

[micksta]

Hi guys

Some of you may have read a post of mine about back in October last year, about getting booked twice by the cops when I wasn’t speeding on the way to the snow. After a very frustrating and expensive fight I had to give up. I would have got more satisfaction with banging my head against the wall!!!

Unfortunately it’s a one-way system, set up to protect the cops and keep the money rolling in!

So in my endeavor to find away to protect my self, I found a device called Track stick pro, it’s a GPS device that’s tracks and logs you every 5 sec, showing speed, point to point location, time, date, etc.

You can down load the info to Google earth and its show all the details with a time line format. Its no bigger then a mobile phone and is powered through the cigarette lighter.

It’s a cheap device around $260.00 Australian and may be the edge you need when fighting these speeding fines in court.

It’s highly used by law enforcement, emergency services and fleets in the states and has been used in court with wining results.

It’s a shame we need to do this, but while we have cowboys for cops and equipment that fails, we have to keep them honest.

So for those of you that want some type of proof of your speed, you can check out the web site.

Trackstickpro.com

Cheers

Micksta

Edited 02/07/07 08:07 AM by micksta

[Paranormal]

I'd be interested if it was live trackable on the web, incase the car is stolen etc but looks like this one stores info internally you then need to plug it into your pc to download the data. Still a cheap alternative to the live ones no mobile phone etc nessesary, might also be good to see if your service centre flogs the car during test drives.

[Flukey]

I was just reading an article in the Herald Sun about a guy who was booked for 112, took a reading from his GPS into the Police Station to dispute the fine, and the fine was withdrawn.

However, senior Police have said that Police were wrong to withdraw the fine and that the motorist should have been prosecuted.

It look like Vic Police do not recognise GPS devices as a defence against speedinmg fines.

[Iconic Bionic]

I was just reading an article in the Herald Sun about a guy who was booked for 112, took a reading from his GPS into the Police Station to dispute the fine, and the fine was withdrawn.

However, senior Police have said that Police were wrong to withdraw the fine and that the motorist should have been prosecuted.

It look like Vic Police do not recognise GPS devices as a defence against speedinmg fines.

Either will the courts in the absence of expert testimony.

[Iconic Bionic]

Hi guys

Some of you may have read a post of mine about back in October last year, about getting booked twice by the cops when I wasn’t speeding on the way to the snow. After a very frustrating and expensive fight I had to give up. I would have got more satisfaction with banging my head against the wall!!!

Unfortunately it’s a one-way system, set up to protect the cops and keep the money rolling in!

It’s a shame we need to do this, but while we have cowboys for cops and equipment that fails, we have to keep them honest.

Cheers

Micksta

Its really is just one big conspiracy, regulalry claimed by drivers with abominable driving records.

[Slymeat]

Its really is just one big conspiracy, regulalry claimed by drivers with abominable driving records.

All you have to do is bring the device, it's official callibration certificate show how you were trained to calibrate the device as well as what it was callibrated against showing daily checks against a known distance and how this distance was acheived as well as it's monthly recallibration in the form of a certificate which is listed as an official method under the act. Oh and permission from google earth to use there protected information for financial gain which is a breach of their copyright. After you have done that bring it all into court get tested before a magistrate under cross examination and you should be able to get off 50% of the time. Should only cost a couple of grand at a time, oh and I forgot to mention to even be able to expertly tender the calculations you will have to show by recognised qualifications how you are an expert and how this has been tested. Good luck, keep the bastards honest.

[Buf-Phoon]

All you have to do is bring the device, it's official callibration certificate show how you were trained to calibrate the device as well as what it was callibrated against showing daily checks against a known distance and how this distance was acheived as well as it's monthly recallibration in the form of a certificate which is listed as an official method under the act. Oh and permission from google earth to use there protected information for financial gain which is a breach of their copyright. After you have done that bring it all into court get tested before a magistrate under cross examination and you should be able to get off 50% of the time. Should only cost a couple of grand at a time, oh and I forgot to mention to even be able to expertly tender the calculations you will have to show by recognised qualifications how you are an expert and how this has been tested. Good luck, keep the bastards honest.

[bcl]

A close mate of my son beat the police in court using data dowloaded from a GPS unit.

However, a huge cost to prove a case. I have been to court where the police have blatantly lied, so it's understandable that in some cases it's a matter of principle rather than time & money.

Ref March 2007

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/father...3548023012.html

"Last week his son Michael, 25, went one better; overturning a speeding conviction and fine by downloading the information from his car's GPS unit to show that he was travelling at or below the speed limit and not at 85 kmh in a 60 kmh zone as alleged by two police officers, who admitted in court they had incorrectly used a hand-held radar unit.

...

The officers had clocked him with a hand-held radar allegedly doing 85 kmh in a 60 kmh zone, but conceded in court they had not taken the reading for the required length of time. Instead they relied on their own experience and visual estimate.

The evidence Michael Simotas presented that was downloaded from his GPS unit showed that between Eastwood and Carlingford the car once briefly touched 61 kmh but was mostly at 57 kmh. An expert in GPS systems provided corroborative evidence in court.

Despite this, the magistrate convicted him on the evidence of the visual estimate of the most senior officer and fined Mr Simotas $203. Last week the conviction and fine were overturned on appeal in the District Court after the police again backed down.

...

Michael Simotas's lawyer, Dennis Miralis, went further. The first case in NSW where GPS has been admissible in evidence to contest the accuracy of police radar would not be the last, he said.

"There is an enormous amount of conservatism in the legal fraternity about acceptance of new technology. Magistrates seem to prefer to accept whatever police say in defence of their own equipment, but there are growing doubts."