$ 290,000 speeding fine

Thanks for the info - 130 sounds sensible and realistic.. I should be safe from adding to state revenue then!

 

Yep. Same pbs. They dont teach us anything about emergency braking or weather conditions ( how hard is it to set up wet skid pads ? ). Some of my friends even got their license without ever merging on the highway.

People are so scared of the speed traps that they keep their eyes on their speedo and not on the road.

and the fines and consequences of speeding are ridiculous.If you are unlucky, it wouldnt surprise me that you would get Jail time for doing 120 mph an hour on an empty stretch...

 

A tragic irony that the prime attention, and outcome from official policy, is now *not* the road and surrounding traffic but your speedo.. second by second.. for a needle width variation.

I read from one accident account a lady who had lifted foot *from* the brake in an emergency because felt (unfamiliar) ABS pulsing.. this was the first time ever experienced and affected the outcome.

One simple braking test in the wet when got the licence would show her, and others, what happens in that.. doesn't need to be performance scenario, just a simple 60 km/h straight line thing.. if they fail that then they deservedly don't get a licence.

Such a test here has long been denied by the licencing authorities as they feel "driver training" smacks of encouraging aggressive driving characteristics.

I remember from my teens as a guy I would risk silly stuff *anyway* to push the envelope on both 2 and 4 wheels.. their stance will not change what young guys DNA will make them do anyway.. but does have huge ramifications for the vast majority of the population and is borderline negligent to have such a low standard of testing.

Our "costs" on the other side of the ledger, human and medical, are never taken into account unfortunately.

 

My plates are mysteriously "stolen" when I enter CH. If a real police officer pulls me over because of no plates, I have a good, plausible story (no, not going to share it).

Thankfully, I have never been pulled over because of speed by a real officer. My plates trace back to a corporation in the Azores, not to a person, in case a camera ever does get them.

I am sure they have lots of speed camera footage of a land missile though. I don't invite trouble and I speed in CH only when the coast is VERY clear, but really, screw those car-hating nazis.

Italy, real officers... very successful with a few $100 bills.

Belgium, no problem. Despite racing across the entire country a few times.

Holland, la few tickets in the mail which I take great pleasure in ignoring.

England, tons of tickets, which I take great pleasure in ignoring. Hate them the worst, complete car-hating Nazis.

France, real officers and most I have had to pay was $500 or so. Price of entertainment.

Monaco, they clap and give you a thumbs up.

I hear they are complete Nazis in Australia as well, except in one state where everyone goes to speed. When I was there, I saw numerous traps, and cameras everywhere. I only sped in rental cars and nothing ever came of it, though I was a little worried.

 

I think it would be an equitable system if it actually worked, but the law of unintended consequences makes a mockery of the intent. Wealthy people have a great many resources they can exploit to hide their true incomes, and the very poor have far less consequences for the same crime. The middle class takes the hit, and for them the income part of the fine hits the hardest, unless they resort to tricks they can ill-afford.

You don't want people to speed? Well, then, sell cars that can't go that fast, design roads and traffic systems that preclude the forbidden levels of speeding, and invest in good driver education and awareness, as well as viable public transport alternatives. Watch the "crime" vanish.

 

The Northern Territory was where everyone *used* to go for flat out runs, its 1,600 km top to bottom and handful of towns and 99% empty space.

They then introduced max speed year or so ago with veiled threat of Federal funding "issues" if they didn't bring themselves into line with the rest of the country.

Trouble is, and everyone seems to play the "statistics game" to bolster their side, is that most casualties are drunk pedestrians in towns.. so actual speed limit on open road pretty much irrelevant.

Most people just stick to whatever combination of speed suits their vehicle and etc.. 4WD and caravan towers are not major speed freaks lol.

I think time has shown the limit change made no measurable or other difference to anything apart from to make sensible drive suddenly now an "offense" and talk is to remove the limit again.. or perhaps raise it so higher level in recognition of the practicalities as well as raising drivers to better level from drowsed mind numbed state they are (technically) forced to endure now.

Victoria is the true nazi state though.. cameras on main freeways set to very low threshholds.. big $ earner for them ticketing steady stream of traffic all going in same direction and smoothly..

 

Even some police officers here were caught out by that unfamiliar pulsing and died from the consequences back in the mid-80s.

 

It works as long as you are up against the cameras. If the real police stop you, you better be a doctor on your way to an emergency. Or a cop.

 

Very rapid acceleration or deceleration is the only thing you need to worry about, either for your whole body (impact) or for a part of it (impalement).

 

I know. I lived there a long time. Young and stupid, is my only excuse.

 

Seriously?! Over here, the driving tests includes an emergency braking from 50km/h IIRC. You must brake so hard that the ABS engages, otherwise you're out...

 

I SO wish it were the same here..

The licencing authorities have actively and consistently rebuffed representations from driver instructors and motoring bodies alike to include any such "training" as they feel it will encourage people to think they can drive "fast" and such.

Not even a simple straight line, low speed, in the dry, skill test is included.. only the speed limit, how many metres from the corner you can park, how much to drink etc.

They have flirted with the whole concept of GPS controlled speed even.. and systems that deaden the pedal when doing past speed set via digital map lookup.. they are besotted with all the wrong concepts sadly.

 

time for robon hood types to start spray painting the camaras

 

No, what you need is the need K40 radar blocker - it makes you absolutely invisible to radar no matter what kind including laser - it is expensive ( about $2500 US) but you can speed to all you want - it is also totally out of sight

 

The Highway Patrol here are (from what I have heard and read) equipped with "detector detectors" and getting found out is huge fine and confiscation.

The irony is in terms of real numbers on the road since driving in the 80's there has been a slow, but noticeable, decline in marked cars on the road, the best "deterrent" and reminder for all.

Now they are happy to spend millions on automated technology and invoicing later.

Nothing beats a cop on the road to find someone tailgating, weaving, being erratic or inconsiderate etc.. all the real dangers that a camera system will *never* pick up, how ironic the "Safety cameras" are anything but capable of that.

 

Those laws for speeding are ridiculous.

Say you are going the speed limit, but the speedometer in your car is off 4-5 mph. I've used a GPS with a speed gauge in my car, and I know, up until around 60, the numbers on the speedo and GPS match, but any faster than that and they start not to. Now say you have an old car, don't have a GPS, and nothing on the car works right. The speedo is probably going to be off 4-5 at lower speeds...you would get tickets all the time, and not know why. You could follow every speed limit, and still get hammered.

 

+1!!

That fine is RIDICULOUS!!!

 

What if he lost a few M past year, not unlikely if he is in real estate, I don't suppose he gets a negative fine.

 

+1! Got a mate that got pulled over in his car with a radar dector (dector was hidden behind the seats inside/behind the carpet, in his Ford ute)

He denied it, but they said he was lying as his radar dector scrambled their signal. Thats why the pulled him over.

They searched his car, the usual places like under the dash, glovebox, centre console etc..etc. but didnt find it.

My mate played dumb and they said take it out or they will sieze the car and have a more thorough search for it. My friend drove home and disconnected it straight away.

 

He was lucky then!

In place like your town chances are he'd come across them again and be toast.. smart move to disconnect and avoid BIG problems!

 

I agree with that, the middle class gets hit the hardest, its also true in areas likme healthinsurance etc.. The bottom line is that organisations like gorvenments are increasingly expensive to run and taxes especially in europe are maxed out, which means the government has to exploit every means of income, tickets are great for them. Computer controlled cars will be reality soon but it is amazing how carmanufacturers keep making stronger and faster cars when speeding becomes increasingly impossible. If they were truly so worried about the safety of motorists as they claim to be then why not implement a law that enforces the car manufacturers to install a speedlimit switch in the car and then issue a tax rebate for people who are using such limits set to their cars.

Helmut

 

Speed cameras and "check points" of any kind are a direct affront to liberty and should not be tolerated in any form. It is the duty of the citizens to oppose and disable them by any means necessary. If those cameras were being shot out every couple days they'd be removed. My blood boils at the thought of being stopped at a "check point."

 

In the UK they seem to have got to epidemic proportions.. and the result has been a reaction as you describe.

http://www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2.htm

I believe(?) in Canada even the pollies have come to their senses and realised the whole counter-productive aspect and have begun to remove them.

We can only hope for the rest of the civilised motoring world that enlightened thought spreads.

 

In some European countries you will see a sign for a camera about 100-200 yards before. This has worked quite well, because you'll almost always brake. And literally every GPS navigation unit sold by Garmin/TomTom etc. is preinstalled with the camera locations so you get a warning. There is no law forbidding use of camera warning gps systems. Sucks to be brit in Great Britain though, heard they have mobile cameras - now that's nasty and mean...

The problem now is that they are experimenting with average speed cameras. Enter zone, a pic will be taken of your plates. Leave zone, same thing. If your average speed is above the speed limit, you'll get a fine.

Btw doing 134 kmh in 100 kmh zone (83 in 60 mph) will set you back 1800 $ in Norway... The a**hats turned up the fine levels many notches hoping the speeders would surrender, but no way in hell, if you're in the mood or need for speeding you will do it. There is no less speeding now with the sick fine level compared to before...

God, I hate politicians........... Thank God they haven't banned the tracks yet!! All these restrictions is why I don't lust for supercars anymore. You can't use them on the streets and I don't dare trash 200.000 $ around on a track! Therefore my plan is to just get a good handling gt car (550 Maranello style) for the road trips and keep the speeding on track with a dedicated track car...