Sneaky cop's ...

[mojo]

Driving past the Gabba this morning, we noticed a guy standing in the middle of a pedestrian island on Vulture St/Wellington Rd intersection.. He was dressed casually, carrying a backpack, looking like a he was maybe on his way to work.

But when he got the green light to walk across, he just stayed there. Then we noticed every now and then he would raise his hand and talk into a CB microphone.

Alarm bells! Sure enough, after we got the green light to go through the intersection, a couple of hundred meters down the road there's half a dozen cops hiding around a corner, pulling cars over that have been radioed through by the "pedestrian" back at the intersection. I assume they were after people using mobile phones or not wearing seat belts.

Sneaky buggas!

[NavyDiver]

If you don't break the rules the police are doing us a favour. If you break the rules cop it sweet:)

You noticed and observed! It Always amazes me watching a fixed red light speed camera near here. Every 20 seconds or so some idiot gets there photo taken and pays a entirely voluntary tax to the state government. The camera has been there for 10 years! :) :) :)

[UncleHo]

Yeah,that's like the camera vans/canopied utes on the BruceHighway,that place the "speed camera" signs resting by the front bumper or facing the scrub,while the cameras faces the rear of the vehicle towards the oncoming traffic,with the permanent signs spaced at 30 klm intervals.

[bee utey]

One sunny Sunday recently I was cycling towards a rail crossing with a stop sign as well as lights, and a new blue-and-white sign saying "police actively patrol this area". I looked over my left shoulder, sure enough a police car was parked off to the side. As I stopped and put my foot down I looked again to show I had noticed him. Immediately afterwards a distracted woman drove straight through the crossing and was pursued by said police car.

Some people just don't get road rules and paying attention.

[Rohan]

On my way home yesterday, saw an un-marked police car. He (or she) had pulled a ute over. What was a little surprising was this police car was a black La***ruiser with all the off-road type stuff on it, big steel bull bar, snorkel and IIRC a roof rack too :eek:
The poor revenue donaters don't stand a chance :wasntme:

[incisor]

was a black number on the bribie road this morning parked down one of the side roads with a hand held money generator hanging out the window..

bet he gets a few

[gofish]

So if it is not revenue raising & a radar detector will make me slow down why can't I have one? Don't get me wrong, I am generally a good driver but never quite understood this.

[THE BOOGER]

A radar detector will only make you slow down when the alarm goes off, they want you slow down at all times not just when you think a radar is near:)

[isuzurover]

So if it is not revenue raising & a radar detector will make me slow down why can't I have one? Don't get me wrong, I am generally a good driver but never quite understood this.

??? WTF ??? :D

Move to WA if you want a radar detector.

(Edit - booger beat me to it).

[Chops]

I'd like to see more of them doing stuff like this,, I'm over people who use phones and aren't paying attention to the road.
One thing that really annoys me, is at 6AM in the morning, you never see any cops around. So many bad drivers are strutting their stuff in the morning, its just not funny. The ignorance and arrogance is astonishing.
We obviously need more people to be trained as cop's, and then maybe they can get in there and do the job that's required.

[THE BOOGER]

Strange when watching hwy patrol etc on telly the first thing some of these people texting or speeding "just a little bit" say is why are you not out catching murders or something but to relatives of people killed in road accidents they may be murders:(

[digger]

"why are you not out catching murders or something

My reply to this is always the same.

Got my quota of those , now Im trying to get my quota of irresponsible
fools, thanks for your help.

Some actually get my point!

[Disco Muppet]

The whole point of them being sneaky is so you don't only do the right thing when they're watching ;)

[THE BOOGER]

Question would you paranoid or a conspiracy theorist if you thought there was a copper hiding behind every tree with a radar gun:o



sorry couldn't help myself:angel:

[Disco Muppet]

Question would you paranoid or a conspiracy theorist if you thought there was a copper hiding behind every tree with a radar gun:o



sorry couldn't help myself:angel:

Perhaps you should be vaccinated for speeding :D

[sheerluck]

Perhaps you should be vaccinated for speeding :D

You can be. It's called a Defender. ;)

[Tombie]

Can't be paranoid if you aren't doing the wrong thing ;)

[Sprint]

Move to WA if you want a radar detector.

Am I to take it that with detectors outlawed in the rest of Australia, WA has a disproportionally high number of road fatalities that can be directly attributed to speed?


The whole point of them being sneaky is so you don't only do the right thing when they're watching ;)

So much for prevention being better than the cure.... People still think what they cant see wont hurt them untill the fine arrives in the mail weeks after the event....

[Tombie]

There's a big difference between:

Flash for cash Vs A guy with a handheld pulling you over.

I have no issue with the latter.

[Disco Muppet]

You can be. It's called a Defender. ;)


That's a biiiiig needle :p


There's a big difference between:

Flash for cash Vs A guy with a handheld pulling you over.

I have no issue with the latter.

I couldn't agree more.

[isuzurover]

Am I to take it that with detectors outlawed in the rest of Australia, WA has a disproportionally high number of road fatalities that can be directly attributed to speed?

WA (and NT) have a disproportionately high number of road fatalities. Whether they can be attributed to speed is debatable. The extra fatalities occur on rural highways and are due either to fatigue or speed.

Either way I can see no argument for detectors. However I am in favour of the German system where you need to do >20 km/h over the limit in rural areas before fines apply.

[superquag]

WA (and NT) have a disproportionately high number of road fatalities. Whether they can be attributed to speed is debatable. The extra fatalities occur on rural highways and are due either to fatigue or speed.

Either way I can see no argument for detectors. However I am in favour of the German system where you need to do >20 km/h over the limit in rural areas before fines apply.

... No doubt their accident rate in rural areas is just SO much higher than ours... :angel:

WA's driving record is also a product of 'average' roads, (especially compared to SA) driving aptitude and attitude. - Mainly the latter.
Be warned, WA drivers can't merge...and won't even try. Using indicators to signal a lane-change is often interpreted as a challenge...

We used to have a sneaky copper in the bush, (late last century...) who had the delightful trick of following cars at night, - without lights on. Naturally, the unsuspecting victim could see 'no-one around', nice straight road, late at night... why not open it up a bit...??? When suitably over the limit, the rear-view mirror would be filled with the nasty blue light on top of headlights out of 'nowhere'...
Said victim was usually too surprised to argue the finer points of entrapment.:o

This bloke had a dream run for around a year or three, before he got his come-uppence. - Potential 'victim' did a 180 degree handbrake spin at 150+ km/h and tail-lights suddenly became headlights/spotlights...... :twisted::twisted:

[THE BOOGER]

No entrapment laws in Australia even in the US the police or law enforcement have to actively entice you into a crime:)

[Reads90]

The latest thing on the Bruce where it diverts to the gateway. They sit in the bushes in the Center. But no car just a bloke hiding in the bushes with no hi vis. Just there blue gear.

[Albert]

A radar detector will only make you slow down when the alarm goes off, they want you slow down at all times not just when you think a radar is near:)

Then wouldnt it be better to drop battery/solar powered radar emmiters at black spots. Should be cheap enough to set off a false alarm on your detector.
It seems the cops just want to ban things instead of thinking outside the box. I saw a article a few years ago saying in the US people with detectors were less likely to have a crash. I know I had one I was very conscious of my speed and actauly sped less especialy coming into towns.
They say drive to the conditions, but pulled me over on open roads in perfect conditions:confused:

[THE BOOGER]

For the majority of people yes that would work but for a small group they would still drive at what they think they and the car are capable of if the detector was not in alarm. Its that small group that all these rules are for and that the cops are trying to catch:) Sometimes the effort does seem to outweigh the result :(

[BMKal]

... No doubt their accident rate in rural areas is just SO much higher than ours... :angel:

WA's driving record is also a product of 'average' roads, (especially compared to SA) driving aptitude and attitude. - Mainly the latter.
Be warned, WA drivers can't merge...and won't even try. Using indicators to signal a lane-change is often interpreted as a challenge...

AND ........... seems like Perth drivers in particular have never heard of "KEEP LEFT". If you want to overtake anyone on the freeways here (or on Great Eastern Hwy between Perth and The Lakes) - it's more often than not you will be moving into the left lanes to "undertake" the muppets plodding along in the right lane.

We used to have a sneaky copper in the bush, (late last century...) who had the delightful trick of following cars at night, - without lights on. Naturally, the unsuspecting victim could see 'no-one around', nice straight road, late at night... why not open it up a bit...??? When suitably over the limit, the rear-view mirror would be filled with the nasty blue light on top of headlights out of 'nowhere'...
Said victim was usually too surprised to argue the finer points of entrapment.:o

This bloke had a dream run for around a year or three, before he got his come-uppence. - Potential 'victim' did a 180 degree handbrake spin at 150+ km/h and tail-lights suddenly became headlights/spotlights...... :twisted::twisted:

Back when I was a teenager, there used to be a cop based in Grong Grong NSW (just out of Narranderah) who drove a Highway Patrol Torana GTR who had the same habit. He used to sneak up behind trucks on the Newell Hwy with no lights on and then sit there until the truckie did something wrong. One night while he was sitting behind a semi, the driver "thought he saw a child running out of the bushes onto the road in front of him". He stood on the brakes, hard - not a nice outcome, but I suppose it was inevitable.

[PhilipA]

Lots of motorcycle cops have been killed like that , including a nice bloke that I knew.
IMHO this makes the truckies involved a homicidal maniac.

Regards Philip A

[d2dave]

The rules in Vic are about to be changed. Currently they are not allowed to disguise a camera by putting the jack and spare tyre at rear to look like some one sitting there with a flat, or hide behind trees etc. They are also not supposed to set up at the bottom of hills.

This is about to change so they can get more coin. If this was about road safety and not revenue raising they would put a lot more marked cars out there. I am guilty of using my mobile(talk only NEVER text) as I know the risk of being caught is small.

If they quadripled the amount of police on the roads I might think twice. If they did this it would definitely reduce the amount of people misbehaving, but then revenue would drop.

[BigJon]

One sunny Sunday recently I was cycling towards a rail crossing with a stop sign as well as lights, and a new blue-and-white sign saying "police actively patrol this area". I looked over my left shoulder, sure enough a police car was parked off to the side. As I stopped and put my foot down I looked again to show I had noticed him. Immediately afterwards a distracted woman drove straight through the crossing and was pursued by said police car.

Some people just don't get road rules and paying attention.

Grange Road, Lower Mitcham?

[BigJon]

Can't be paranoid if you aren't doing the wrong thing ;)

Given that I was recently pulled over and booked for not stopping at a stop sign, when I had actually stopped, I would say you can be.

[Blknight.aus]

Why would you want a radar detector....

1. they only work when the gun is transmitting, the newer narrow beam guns means if the detector is going off then its usually too late.
2. they dont work against the Laser speed detectors and the ones with the high zoom feature if placed correctly can potentilly get you from up to 2 Km away.
3. they dont work against the point to point system
4. they dont work against the elapsed time/distance camera speed detectors (similar to the double flash speed detection for redlight cameras)
5. they dont (all) work if you;re getting scoped from behind

[bee utey]

Grange Road, Lower Mitcham?
Yup!:)

[Reads90]

Given that I was recently pulled over and booked for not stopping at a stop sign, when I had actually stopped, I would say you can be.

I had a copper once do me for not stopping at a stop sign and after a bit if a " chat" where he said I slowed down to almost nothing but did not come to a complete stop

To prove a point He said to me if I was hitting you with my stick would you want me to slow down or stop

Fair point give me the ticket and I will go.

[s7000]

If you don't break the rules the police are doing us a favour. If you break the rules cop it sweet:)


Not true! A 21 yr old girl at work has been pulled over 17 times this year! She's on her P's... Granted... However, 17 times! What a joke. No fines, no real problems... Just being annoyed.

[bobslandies]

I had a copper once do me for not stopping at a stop sign and after a bit if a " chat" where he said I slowed down to almost nothing but did not come to a complete stop

To prove a point He said to me if I was hitting you with my stick would you want me to slow down or stop

Fair point give me the ticket and I will go.

Back in the '70s one of our local Police cyclists booked a woman for exactly that - rolling through a sign. She remonstrated with him that she nearly stopped. His response was "Madam, if you were supposed to nearly stop there would be signs that had NEARLY STOP on them."
She then threatened him that she would report him to the Police Commissioner who lived locally and who had been asked by other locals to have the Stop sign policed. Never heard what the outcome was:D

Bob

[bigdog]

Not true! A 21 yr old girl at work has been pulled over 17 times this year! She's on her P's... Granted... However, 17 times! What a joke. No fines, no real problems... Just being annoyed.

Always the victim eh? I think you may find that there are at least some extenuating circumstances if it is really 17 times......maybe she is a crap driver or drives a crap car?

[Disco Muppet]

Always the victim eh? I think you may find that there are at least some extenuating circumstances if it is really 17 times......maybe she is a crap driver or drives a crap car?

Or she has a great personality...

[s7000]

Always the victim eh? I think you may find that there are at least some extenuating circumstances if it is really 17 times......maybe she is a crap driver or drives a crap car?

Nope, she's also a good friend.

She's been pulled up in 4 different cars (only 2 she ownded) over the last 6 months, only her latest has been questionable (3 times now). She's not a crap driver, and has a clean record from the word go.

She's keeping a cop diary too. Haha

[TeamFA]

Lots of motorcycle cops have been killed like that , including a nice bloke that I knew.
IMHO this makes the truckies involved a homicidal maniac.

Regards Philip A

I disagree. Whilst any fatality on our roads is a shame and always a tragic loss, anybody who deliberately operates a vehicle and night without headlights (deliberately switched off), in conjunction with following too close that they couldn't stop to avoid a braking truck, is the one that is a homicidal maniac. You would have to be following extremely close to not be able to stop for most trucks, with how long they take to stop.

Police will fine any non-police person doing either of those things on their own. Why should a police officer be exempt from the rules, especially when it's dangerous?

I've been told by police that if I have an accident on my motorcycle, whilst I might be the only one killed due to my choice of transport method, other people have to clean up the mess and cope with the loss of me. Why would a police officer on a motorcycle doing something so reckless be exempt from these consequences?

I understand that police often put themselves in danger in order for the good of the public, but calling a truck driver a homicidal maniac is ignoring fault on the part of the police officer. The truck driver shouldn't have deliberately braked in order to scare/hurt/kill the police office, but what if he actually DID have to stop in an emergency for a child, a drunk person crossing the road, etc.?

[PhilipA]

Maybe I should have been more specific.
In Queensland about 30 years ago there were several fatalities of motorcycle cops , many by the semi driver braking sharply or changing lanes onto the motorcyclist. This could be in broad daylight or late at night. AFAIK they did not ride at night without headlights on.
As a result Police withdrew from patrol duties on motorcycles and only used them for ceremonial duties. I believe that this was also the case in NSW, although I have in recent years seen some motorcycle cops using hand held radar in NSW.
Regards Philip A

[Sue]

On my way home yesterday, saw an un-marked police car. He (or she) had pulled a ute over. What was a little surprising was this police car was a black La***ruiser with all the off-road type stuff on it, big steel bull bar, snorkel and IIRC a roof rack too :eek:
The poor revenue donaters don't stand a chance :wasntme:

We have a black Hummer up here (all kitted out) pulling over unsuspecting motorists.. and a couple of plain white high top delivery vans.. the other day my friend was booked by an unmarked car that was towing a jet ski!

I'm all for the cop standing on the road with the hand held radar gun.. the speed camera's I am not so keen on as I tend to see that more as revenue raising and not safety etc as locals tend to know very quickly were the normal set up spots and fixed cameras are and just slow down in those spots.

I also would am a little worried about the 'No Tolerance' policy that QLD is introducing - ie if you are doing 101 kms in a 100 km zone then you will recieve a ticket. How does that work with speedometers that are not always correct?

I am in a the middle of an awful predicament at the moment as a few weeks ago I borrowed my sons car to drive to the city (I can't fit the Defender in the car car parks lol) and then I travelled to my work. The next day he casually mentioned that when he picked the car up a couple of weeks earlier from the gent he had bought it off the guy mentioned that the speedo was 'out a little bit'.. immediately alarm bells started ringing for me as I had travelled through the airport link tunnel and I believe there are 3 speed cameras in that tunnel.. in addition to another fixed speed camera on the hwy and I also drove past a mobile speed camera on the side of the road on the way home..

I would like to point out that my son had only just bought the car a week earlier and this was the first time I had driven it. And before anyone asks why I didn't notice I was driving faster than other cars on the roads.. that day I worked night shift so left home mid afternoon so very little traffic and drove home around midnight so there was little to no traffic on the road. Besides, everything feels fast after driving as Defender!

Still being unsure and not wanting to panic I took the car and my GPS for a short spin this afternoon with the intention of finding out just how 'out' the speedo is.. and it turns out the speedo is out by about.. ohhhh... 17kms!! What the! If the speedo in the car say's 100kms the GPS say's 117kms.. if the car say's 80kms the GPS says 93kms.. I feel sick. I may have in one day accrued enough points to lose my licence (which would mean my job also).. not to mention the fines I am expecting to receive.

I took the car to RACQ for a 'proper' speedometer check and it seems that my GPS is correct the speedometer of the car is out by a long way! According to RACQ I have no chance of fighting it. I may very well lose my licence as a consequence my job over this and I find it very unfair that there is no leeway or any chance to explain the situation. I am a good driver and this was an honest mistake, yet I will most likely be punished severely. :(

[frantic]

Just an interesting fact , fatalities increased in the NT when speed limits where introduced. That means more dead as a result of fatigue not speed.
The last time I was booked was dec 2011 going down heathcote rd east, just past the Lucas heights lights, I was a bit slow dropping the van back to 4th to engine brake down to the turn, two cop cars opposite direction, one chucks a u turn below the crest of the hill(70kph zone) across unbroken double lines just short of the lights, he overtakes 2 cars behind me in the single lanes on bends again over unbroken double lines and by this stage I'm doing 60 along with 3 other cars behind a truck. I get pulled over near the bridge, and explain that I have been driving this road daily for the last 2 months and used to work in bankstown and drove it for 5 years ,20 years ago,when the limit was 90 not 70 so had to remember. I get booked for 15 over but whose driving was most dangerous?
Not 100% sure sue but you should be able to appeal if you go to a mechanic who can fix the speedo/check with dynamometer and put it in writing that the speedo was out by 17-20 kph, as I have heard of it working in NSW by direct appeal to the fines office.

[UncleHo]

G'day Sue

I would get that speedo test by RACQ as a print out if possible,then if you receive a fine/fines,I would then appeal them,using the printout as proof,also make note that the vehicle was not to a correct roadworthy condition,just make sure it has the correct size tyres fitted for it.


Worth a try.


My 85 Rangie is 9klm slow @ 100 kph, on standard size wheels 31 inch,GPS reading.


My 98 Disco1 300TDI reads 105 @ 98 GPS indicating.


So go figure.




cheers

[DeeJay]

I just stumbled on this & thought of this thread.
Cheaper than most fines. Think I'll get one for my daughter when she turns 18....

Polaris GPS Speedometer HUD (http://www.ja-gps.com.au/Polaris/gps-speedometer-hud/)

[Chucaro]

SOURCE RACQ (http://www.racq.com.au/motoring/cars/car_advice/car_fact_sheets/speedo_accuracy)

The accuracy of vehicle speedos is covered by Australian Design Rule 18. Until July 2006 this rule specified an accuracy of +/- 10 percent of the vehicle’s true speed when the vehicle was travelling above 40km/h.
That is, at a true vehicle speed of 100km/h the speedo was allowed to indicate between 90km/h and 110km/h.
An odometer accuracy of +/- 4 percent was also a requirement.
From 1 July 2006 newly introduced models of a vehicle available on the market must comply with ADR 18/03. Also, from 1 July 2007 any newly manufactured vehicle (excluding mopeds) must comply with this rule.
This new rule requires that the speedo must not indicate a speed less than the vehicle’s true speed or a speed greater than the vehicle’s true speed by an amount more than 10 percent plus 4 km/h. Significantly, this change means that speedos must always read 'safe', meaning that the vehicle's true speed must not be higher than the speed indicated by the speedo.
That is, at a true vehicle speed of 100km/h the speedo must read between 100km/h and 114km/h. An alternative way to look at it is; at an indicated speed of 100km/h, the vehicle's true speed must be between 87.3 km/h and 100km/h.
Significantly, this change means that speedos must always read ‘safe’, meaning that they are not permitted to read lower than the actual speed of the vehicle.
Additionally, there is now no requirement to have an odometer, and therefore there is no accuracy requirement.
This change was made to align Australian vehicle rules with those already in place in Europe.
Note that some vehicle manufacturers chose to comply with the new rule before 1 July 2006. This is acceptable. END OF QUOTE

My questions are:
If the car does not comply with the Australian Design Rule 18, is the car road worthy?
If not and passed the yearly inspection who is the responsible for having a car on the road that does not comply with the rules, the owner or the mechanic that passed the vehicle inspection?

[Blknight.aus]

unless it can be reasonably proven that the assesor (they dont have to be mechanics) was lapse in his duties at the time of the assement it is the owners repsonability to ensure the vehicle is compliant with the roadworthy standards.

A roadworhty is just a snapshot to say that at this point in time this vehicle is road worthy.

[V8Ian]

ADRs are not retrospective.

[THE BOOGER]

The onus of proof would be on the owner or driver as speedo accuracy is not part of a road worthy just that it is there:)

[Davo]

I just stumbled on this & thought of this thread.
Cheaper than most fines. Think I'll get one for my daughter when she turns 18....

Polaris GPS Speedometer HUD (http://www.ja-gps.com.au/Polaris/gps-speedometer-hud/)

If it's as good as they say and accurate, that would be great. My Rangie is getting a new speedo head and cable soon but they were never that accurate in the first place so I was thinking of a GPS as well.

I suppose the way of the future is to have very accurate speedometers and driving just below the limit if enforcement becomes stricter. I actually don't mnd doing that, except I'm not allowed to blow up tailgaters, which is a shame. :p

[juddy]

Regardless of what you think, speeding is against the law.

But speed camera vans serve no,purpose in reducing the number of car accidents, infact most are caused due to bad driving than the speed, over a certain speed it hardly matters you will probably be killed any way.

I was caught a few years ago, steep hill, so I was in increasing speed, going down, braking like you do speed van gets me ten k over the limit, I was fully in control of the car, road conditions were perfect, not in a built up area, it was a easy place for the police to earn money from respectable drivers.

What they should crack down on is the fools who drive a inch behind the car in front. And if they really want to raise revenue have a yearly roadworthy in Qld , it's a no brainer. Money in the bank and safer cars on the roads.

Oh and why not sit at all the box junctions in brisbane on one of those chairs they have at tennis matches, every person who deliberately blocks the road snap a picture, send them a ticket, worked in the uk.

[Gary S11]

They should come up with a reverse speed camera, I.e set up opposite stop signs. So that when the vehicle stops the camera cancels, but if motion doesn't stop and the vehicle crosses the solid line the camera fires ...I'm so sick of cars in this town treating stop signs like give way, this was why I brought my " black vue " camera after nearly getting cleaned up two days in a row .

[PeterM]

Unfortunately, next to BAC speed is about the only measurable thing in the 'road safety' hit list. Hence it will be continuously policed and used as an income stream.

We all spend time on the roads, seeing all manner of things each day that have us shaking our heads. The two things that will have the greatest reduction in collisions on the road are people re-learning risk and hazard perception as well as treating others with respect.

A respectful driver signals intent, has their vehicle safe and working properly, gives others space and thinks about others. They don't sit in the right lane, under or dead on the limit and sit there are a self-appointed pace car, they plan their journey so they don't cut across multiple lanes of traffic to take their exit etc.

A driver who appreciates hazard perception drives to the conditions and within the abilities of their vehicle and themselves. Unfortunately this falls down due to people being molly-coddled from childhood and the powers that be continually trumpeting that if you go over the posted limit you'll die and those who don't speed are automatically considered good drivers.

[ugu80]

For all those that posted on this subject that are also hunters; now you know what it feels like to be the prey.

[JamesB71]

Lots of motorcycle cops have been killed like that , including a nice bloke that I knew.
IMHO this makes the truckies involved a homicidal maniac.

Regards Philip A

Anyone who doesn't leave enough room in front to stop in the distance they can see deserves what they get. No excuse for tailgating, especially at night with no lights on. Disgraceful conduct hardly conducive to road safety.

[Ralph1Malph]

I often ask why posted speeds haven't risen in line with car safety, driver training and road improvements.
I can remember driving around my country town as a young un with posted speeds of 60 in a HQ holden, three on the tree. Recently went back to show my kids where I lived and the street is now 50! WTF, it's got slower!
That's my main gripe these days, many roads are just too slow. Every new section of the Bruce for example should be built for 110 or even 120. Why not? We have the technology.

Ralph

[Eevo]

Regardless of what you think, speeding is against the law.

people will ignore the law if the law is stupid.
speed limits are too slow.

over speed is a factor in about 5% of fatalities, and in those cases, their speed was too high for the conditions, not for the speed limit.

[Chucaro]

people will ignore the law if the law is stupid.
speed limits are too slow.

over speed is a factor in about 5% of fatalities, and in those cases, their speed was too high for the conditions, not for the speed limit.

IMO there are to many drivers out there that do not have the skills to drive over 80kmp.
There is another lot that do not know how to adjust the speed of the car to the conditions of the road.
A clear example is the road between the Sunshine coast and Gympie. Look how many life have been lost in that few kilometers of shocking road just because drivers did not adjusted their drive behavior to the road conditions.

[UncleHo]

That bit Chucaro, is gradually being improved,thankfully,was up that way a month ago on the way to Bundaberg,and will be back up to Gympie on the 13th for a dog trial :) (dog pleading not guilty) :D

I now use the GPS in all the vehicles as my speedo (cable speedos)

[Chucaro]

That is a good news, I just wonder how many lives took for the politicians to do something about it :(
Having living in Childers for more than 5 years and a bit over 4 in Moore Park Beach I can telling you that the Bruce hwy is a shocking road and there are heaps of more black spots to improve.

[V8Ian]

Arthur, I've driven that section of road hundreds, if not thousands of times. It has always astounded me why there are so many accidents there, I can only guess that they are head-on caused by idiots using the ostrich method of driving. The road is perfectly suitable for 100 kph in a car or B-double, just unsuitable for overtaking. In a typical boofacratic approach, the limit was reduced. The morons who overtake across double lines on bends and hills are not the type to pay much heed to speed limits, so the solution exacerbated the problem. The latest fix is divided two lane highway.

[V8Ian]

Whilst I agree the Bruce is far from perfect, I don't believe it is the cause of accidents. The cause is mostly attitudal and people simply not driving to the conditions. The entire length should flood-proofed before idiot-proofed, just get the idiots off the road.
While I'm on my soap-box, do the pedant enforcement (usually HP or Task Force) officers really believe the crap pedaled by governments, Every K Over Is a Killer, rah, rah, or are they quite happy to be used as de facto tax collectors? Surely they can't be that dim and gullible?
I don't advocate breaking the law because one doesn't agree with it, but booking motorists for such slender margins has nothing to do with safety and has more chance of creating the opposite. Drivers are going to be watching their speedometers more than the road, how on earth can that be safe? Another pedantic fund raiser in the name of safety is at Blackall. Fatigue is a genuine concern and strictly enforced on heavy drivers only. Travelling from Brisbane to NW Queensland or Darwin a heavy vehicle driver needs to legally take a long break around Blackall. Greyhound Coaches use Blackall as a staging point for that reason. In a road train Blackall is stretching a friendship by 10-20 minutes. Ten minutes south of Blackall is a big gravel pad, allegedly a rest area, where the law like to pull up truck drivers and issue $600 infringement notices. If these geniuses were fair dinkum about fatigue management they would allow the trucks as far as the BP Blackall, where the drivers can have a shower, a meal in air conditioned comfort and a sleep in the shade. The enforced alternative is to park in the sun with no facilities, not even a toilet.
End of rant (for now).

[PhilipA]

I read last week that Qld has now reduced the margin of tolerance on cameras to zero.
This is a de facto reduction of the speed limit from 100Kmh to about 92Kmh as nearly all speedos these days have an error of 5-10%.

Those drivers without GPS will stick to "100" on their speedos, and thus 95 or less for ages until a slim passing opportunity arises.

On my trip to and from Cape York last year I saw this type of driving even without the camera margin being lowered.
Regards Philip A

[Bigbjorn]

Ian, FYI I was told last month in the USA by a gear-jammer for Prime that 1/1/2014 is the start of all electronic log books. No more paper log books. As it is at present the wallopers can pull alongside electronic book trucks and see how many hours they have on the clock.

Prime use all company owned tugs and trailers, no owner drivers. After six months training and probation, much of it spent with a mentor/trainer in the co-pilots seat, the driver gets his own truck to drive and sticks with it unless it is out of service. At 62 mph a voice warning says "overspeeding, overspeeding".

[Chucaro]

Online tachometers with gps tracking have been on the pipeline since the mid of the 90's
I was involved in the development of system based on a mobile modem with an integrated GPS to be connected to a tachometer back then.
Now in Europe (http://www.goodpri.ru/en/useful-information/6-europe-switches-over-to-online-tachometers) are planning to introduce them and once it is in place the authorities will be able to check all the fleets even the history of them.
There are systems like this now available in Australia, the only thing left it is to make them compulsory and with data available to the transport authorities.

[V8Ian]

It's already happening Chucky, HML is linked to government monitered and recorded GPS. It is only financially viable for the Tolls and Linfoxes of the industry, not owner drivers, giving the big boys yet another advantage. Funny how the two mentioned outfits publicly advocate safety within the industry yet vehemently oppose a minimum safe rate for their subbies.

http://www.tmr.qld.gov.au/business-industry/Heavy-vehicles/Higher-mass-limits.aspx

[V8Ian]

At 62 mph a voice warning says "overspeeding, overspeeding".

I usually leave the cheese and kisses at home. ;):D

[Bigbjorn]

I usually leave the cheese and kisses at home. ;):D

He said it is a loud harsh voice that keeps on until the speed drops below 62 mph. Prime control the engine management unit through GPS and lower or raise the horsepower according to geographical location. A couple of Australian fleets do this. Steep or long grades and you may get full rated hp or near and getting across the plains it gets cut back. Prime pay a fuel economy bonus if the driver achieves a weekly average fuel economy set according to the run.

[Ausfree]

He said it is a loud harsh voice that keeps on until the speed drops below 62 mph. Prime control the engine management unit through GPS and lower or raise the horsepower according to geographical location. A couple of Australian fleets do this. Steep or long grades and you may get full rated hp or near and getting across the plains it gets cut back. Prime pay a fuel economy bonus if the driver achieves a weekly average fuel economy set according to the run. Yep, that's the cheese and kisses, allright!!!:wasntme:

[Sprint]

I read last week that Qld has now reduced the margin of tolerance on cameras to zero.

Checked with a friend of mine who is a serving traffic officer, his reply for mobile cameras was "camera still triggers at 10 km/h over except in 60km/h zones where its now 9km/h over"

[Tombie]

In SA it's 10%... (Or was)

60 = 66
80 = 88
Etc

A sensible approach.

[B92 8NW]

Going back a few years, I knew of a bloke who went past a Police car parked in the centre of the Hume. He might have been about ten over the speed limit. Blues and twos went on, but it turned out the Police Commodore got/was bogged in the grass median of the freeway.

Said driver was in a 4x4, and as good of a samaritan and negotiator he was, didn't go back figuring he'd end up getting booked all the same.

[digger]

In SA it's 10%... (Or was)

60 = 66
80 = 88
Etc

A sensible approach.

It was...

unfortunately not any more, I'd be very careful once you are a few kms over now...

as said, within reason the 10% was a good/reasonable thing I believe.

[Bigbjorn]

Maybe I should have been more specific.
In Queensland about 30 years ago there were several fatalities of motorcycle cops , many by the semi driver braking sharply or changing lanes onto the motorcyclist. This could be in broad daylight or late at night. AFAIK they did not ride at night without headlights on.
As a result Police withdrew from patrol duties on motorcycles and only used them for ceremonial duties. I believe that this was also the case in NSW, although I have in recent years seen some motorcycle cops using hand held radar in NSW.
Regards Philip A

Uncle Ho will remember "The Terror of the Tweed", a motor cycle copper whose activity went far beyond pedantic law enforcement into the realm of sadistic predatory harassment of truck drivers. The Terror got his comeuppance under the wheels of a semi-trailer.

[V8Ian]

It was...

unfortunately not any more, I'd be very careful once you are a few kms over now...

as said, within reason the 10% was a good/reasonable thing I believe.In most cases just common sense, probably why the pollies changed it. I've often wondered how much better the traffic would flow if there was an offence 'To travel at a speed greater than the traffic mean', aimed at those who weave in and out of heavy traffic.

[Chucaro]

There was a bitter bastard like that one in Bundaberg but I do not know if he still there.

[worane]

In "the good old days" they used to put clearance lights on a broom stick and lash them to a roof rack. In your rear mirrors it just looked like another truck closing up behind you, that is till the blues came on.