Can the Police legally estimate speed?

Tuckerbag · Post by **Tuckerbag** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:20 am

aardvark wrote:
blue12 wrote:No they can not.
At the risk of sounding childish...

"Yes, they can to."

A judge *may* throw the matter out of court based on the sum of the evidence presented, but it would not be thrown out based solely on the fact that an estimation of speed is given.

I think you should trust me on this matter.

So you mean any police officer can go out and book any kind of vehicle just because they like to base on "Estimation of Speed"

Jonno · Post by **Jonno** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:25 am

Rossi wrote:*snip* I do have to say that the anal approach to speed in Australia compared to other countries (USA and UK) has somewhat dampened my enjoyment

I agree about the speed comment somewhat, the arguement speed kills should be inapropriate speed kills IMO

Just watch these idiot young hoons driving in traffic and on the hwy confirms that

I usta be one of them, ooh hang on I still am

Strika · Post by **Strika** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 11:35 am

Jonno wrote:
Rossi wrote:*snip* I do have to say that the anal approach to speed in Australia compared to other countries (USA and UK) has somewhat dampened my enjoyment
I agree about the speed comment somewhat, the arguement speed kills should be inapropriate speed kills IMO

Just watch these idiot young hoons driving in traffic and on the hwy confirms that
I usta be one of them, ooh hang on I still am

Look we should never speed any way. Don't you guys n gals read all the shit about how speeding kills ya!!! You should all save it for the race track you know. I certainly don't condone speeding...................................................................................

I encourage it

GlennB · Post by **GlennB** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:14 pm

z900/zx9 wrote:Yes it can go to court I was pulled over when a patrol car was going the other way he chased me down chucked a u turn that i didnt see .Estimated speed 130 in a 60 Had a day in court in the end the judge said he believed i was speeding and did me for 80 in a 60 .

That shits me! If a copper really wants to get you buy estimating speeding he will just over exaggerate the speed you could be doing because he will know the judge will fine you at least the lower fine and waste a days wage in court. Even though the little old lady you past was doing only doing 40ks in a 60 zone which can exaggerate your speed. Hell, the copper says to him self, Im down on my quoter for the mth. But if I was speeding I would cop it but if I wasnt doing the speed that the copper said I was doing I wouldnt he a happy chappy

z900/zx9 · Post by **z900/zx9** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:23 pm

Well sometimes u win and sometimes not, I was probably doing 125 certainly not 130

The next one was a speed camera booked for 73k in a 60,so of i went to court and got let off no costs no fine just 1 point without conviction

So yes i should have been a lawer but never did my homework unlike when i go to court all homework completed sir yes sir

Ment · Post by **Ment** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 2:32 pm

So what if cops can estimate?
Honestly why would they bother to make it up?

Im so sick of people getting shitty when they get done for breaking the law.
and the bullshit attitude of f'ing coppers etc etc.

We ALL know the laws, we need to just accept the consequences of our actions and not blame the people who catch us out.

rant over...

Stereo · Post by **Stereo** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:23 pm

What a load of rubbish....

If they CAN "estimate" your speed and you get a fine that really sucks...

Just because Aardvark is good at estimating it doesnt mean that the foot police are good at it...

Take it to court...

Take some videos of some bikers riding past... show it in court and ask them to estimate the speed...

If they get them all within 5km an hour pay the fine and apologise....

If they cant.... The judge should let you off...

He wont.... But he SHOULD....

Post by **MadKaw** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 3:28 pm

If non calibrated speed cameras can be challenged surely a non calibrated police officer can.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/spe ... 49610.html

GlennB · Post by **GlennB** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 5:32 pm

Ment wrote:So what if cops can estimate?
Honestly why would they bother to make it up?

Im so sick of people getting shitty when they get done for breaking the law.
and the bullshit attitude of f'ing coppers etc etc.

We ALL know the laws, we need to just accept the consequences of our actions and not blame the people who catch us out.

rant over...

Quoter's mate. Coppers on patrol for speeding, etc have to make their quoter for the month (have to fine a certain amount of people per month for various crimes) They may not loose their job over it but they get their arses kicked by their seniors if they dont get them. Im not saying they would make it up, but if you were doing 70 in a 60 zone and a copper pulls you up on an estimated speed he MAY over exaggerate to get the fine passed through the court. Cops know the court system very well so he will have a better chance of at least getting a fine saying he was doing 120 in a 60 zone than saying he was doing 70-80 in a 60 zone. A 120kph may get reduced to 80 in a 60 zone were as 70-80kph may get thrown out of court. And then would this be fair that you get done for 80kph when you were only doing 70kph.In VIC thats more points and more money between fines lossed

But the copper would have to be a real ass to do this, but they are out there.

aardvark, would it be fair to say that watching cars constantly in one area doing their speed, be different to seeing a one off car/bike speeding in the other direction. I can see your point that the police can predict speed to 2-3kph but that is in one area watching cars continuously but they could not do it in random areas on patrol. Estimating a car/bike speeding in the 100kph area ,I THINK would be more a 10-20kph estimate, faster you are going harder to predict.

rocketrod · Post by **rocketrod** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 6:23 pm

I remember quite a few years ago now getting pulled over on the kew boulivard by this cop who had estimated my speed.I said,what dont you guys even need a radar anymore?His response,i have been a traffic officer for 20 odd years and my guestimation of your speed would be good enough to stand up in a court of law.However there is a moral to this story,he never booked me because when he first pulled me over and asked my reason for speeding,my reply was,i didnt think i was.
Once you have admitted guilt you are fucked.
And heres another one to think about.I got caught same road,only this time in a car.The cop had the radar on me,pulled me over and said i was doing 78 in a 60 zone.At this stage i was on a 12 month good behavior bond as i had racked up my 12 points and went for the double or nuthin option.I was speeding and thought im a goner here,although again,never admitted to it.The cop asked me if i wanted to see the reading and i said ok.Anyway when we get to his car the radar shows nuthing,blank,ziltch.
He then tells me he must of reset it and its only a courtesy to show you the reading and the charge will still stand.
So i call my wife to come over and verify that there is no reading on the radar.Then he starts backpeddling and lets me go with a stern warning.
My wife and i had a good chuckle as we got back into the car.

Neka79 · Post by **Neka79** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:45 pm

rocketrod wrote:So i call my wife to come over and verify that there is no reading on the radar.Then he starts backpeddling and lets me go with a stern warning.
My wife and i had a good chuckle as we got back into the car.

sure sure..u was gunna get wifey to "persuade" mr polie not to fine u, but she forgot to bring her knee pads right??

thats how id do it neway...

Strika · Post by **Strika** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 7:51 pm

Neka79 wrote:
rocketrod wrote:So i call my wife to come over and verify that there is no reading on the radar.Then he starts backpeddling and lets me go with a stern warning.
My wife and i had a good chuckle as we got back into the car.
sure sure..u was gunna get wifey to "persuade" mr polie not to fine u, but she forgot to bring her knee pads right??

thats how id do it neway...

If you marry a cutie, can I book ya for speeding????

aardvark · Post by **aardvark** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:06 pm

Rossi wrote:?
Some hairy arsed biker or a fine upstanding member of the force.

You could always wax before court?

GlennB wrote:Quoter's mate. Coppers on patrol for speeding, etc have to make their quoter for the month

I can't speak for other areas, but we DO NOT have a quota. If a quota was ever enforced by Police management, it would lead to corruption. You'd end up with coppers making shit up just to keep their jobs. Hardly the way the law is supposed to be.

I'm not suggesting for a minute that there aren't coppers out there who don't make stuff up, but there are corrupt people in every profession!

GlennB wrote:aardvark, would it be fair to say that watching cars constantly in one area doing their speed, be different to seeing a one off car/bike speeding in the other direction.

Err, nope. Either way, even the average Joe Blow off the street could tell if someone was doing say 70 in a 50 zone. Or 130 in a 100 zone.

I'm not saying that there aren't flaws in the system. It IS your legal right to contest any ticket given to you. Take it to court regardless of your guilt or innocence. But shit, if you are guilty and the magistrate still hands you a fine, don't come bitching about it.

z900/zx9 · Post by **z900/zx9** » Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:15 pm

Yep thats my thery if you did it or not go to court and a lot of options open up,but before that write to procecuting officer,gps speedo,do a stat dec,get whitnesses.Faced with that it may not even get to court or if it does some deal is done with the prosicutor before hearing,judge chucks it out,reduces it or you get done. But hey give it a go and u might be surprised

Stereo · Post by **Stereo** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 8:50 am

next year government accountants will be estimating your tax return... hehe