In this report: Unofficial pointers from a prosecutor in Redneckistan (which I think some people still refer to as ‘Queensland’).
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This report is inspired by the following unsolicited advice from a Queensland police prosecutor. (Name withheld to protect identity.)
“I prosecute Traffic offences in Queensland. The roadside conversations can help people if they’re dealing with your general duties police, not likely if you are dealing with our road policing guys.
“Queensland has the Penalties and Sentences Act, section 9 speaks about the sentencing guidelines and section 18, No conviction with no further punishment. No matter what the fine is, there is also the offender levy. The demerit points always flow no matter what the penalty, unless you receive the wonderful words of Not Guilty.
“The traffic penalties for traffic tickets in Queensland are set by Queensland Transport. We also have case law where the District Court makes reference to the amount of fine ordered by the court should be higher than the ticket amount to discourage people from contesting a ticket to get a discount.
“Hypothetically, if the ticket amount is $400, you contest it, go to court and decide to plead guilty, you wear the fine plus the offender levy. I say fine because once the ticket becomes a charge, you are open to the maximum penalty which for some offences is 20 penalty units or about $2800.
“One other thing, the prosecutor’s office is somewhat independent of the police who issue tickets. We factor in a range of considerations when deciding if we will continue with an infringement. An example of this, we have a road in Brisbane where there is a Bus jump zone. The lane is a left turn only lane, except for buses which can drive straight ahead, other vehicles must turn left. We recently had a case where a guy got a ticket for disobeying the left turn only sign. AT the time of the offence, every single lane on that road was bumper to bumper so no real gain to be in that lane, so in this instance we discontinued the proceeding.
“Hope this makes sense.”
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Pretty sure you can’t change lanes whilst crossing/in an intersection. In South Asshole anyhow.
Trawl through some of the comments, there’s some gold in here…. 👊💥
A yellow light means stop but it's not sensible to do a screaming emergency stop to not go through on yellow. Surely that's why a yellow light is used? Maybe the emphasis is different in different countries? I'm in UK.
All I know is that there are are a lot of shit drivers around and a few dodgy cops.
Of course this is relating to Queensland the State that asked its people in 1917 whether the Parliament of Queensland could dissolve the upper house. The result is there for all to see an overwhelming NO. So in 1922 under a LABOR criminal government the crims dissolved the upper house. So to all who read this, legal minds and all ,how can any law of Queensland be valid?
Fit a dash cam moron !
I got pulled over for speeding down the motorway. Mid morning, light traffic, dry conditions, sunny day. I was doing 90-95mph. Our motorways are 70mph.
I knew i was speeding. I was late for an appointment. My head was on permanent swivel alert for other traffic and police cars.
Sadly, it wasn't possible for me to see the police car sat on the far side of a junction roundabout above the motorway. He spotted me flying along overtaking other cars doing 70. Apparantly from above speeding cars stick out like a sore thumb!
He took off in his Vauxhall Senator 3.0L…
Just after this junction the motorway gently bends to the left. I happened to look in the rear vew mirror as his car seemed to fly around this bend. I was a couple hundred yards from a couple of cars in lane two. I kept watching this fast car behind and it wasn't long before i could make out something on the roof.
Ahhh…
It was approaching from behind a HIGH rate of knots.
I decided to overtake the first car in front and then pull in behind the one in front of him. If the cop car pulls in behind me, i'm nicked!
I pulled in, so did he, so i indicated left and pulled over onto the hard shoulder and stopped with the Senator pulling up behind me.
I switched off the engine and waited. A big copper climbs out of the passenger side and walks over to my door. I'd pulled right over to the left so he didn't lose his arse from passing traffic.
He politely asked if i'd mind having a word with his colleague? I answered of course and got out. I went to get into the back of his car and plod said to get into the front.
As i shut the door i looked at the VASCAR box on the dashboard displaying 95.95
I was kinda upset at this as for various reasons i thought the speedo in the company car was under reading. Turned out it was accurate.
We suspected this because a couple of weeks previously someone else from work driving the car overtook a police car doing 30mph in what he thought was a 40mph limit. As both door mirrors would only adjust from the outside, the driver's door window wouldn't open and the machine he had in the back both weighed down the back of the car which meant the door mirrors now showed the back wheels and obstructed the rear view mirror inside, he couldn't see the police car put on his blue lights. The first thing he knew was when it suddenly appeared alongside, gave a quick parp on the horn and pointed for him to pull over!
When he got out and approached the now half open driver's door, the first words out of his mouth were "ARE YOU TRYING TO GET FUCKING NICKED?" He apologised to the officer explaining he thought that HE was driving at the speed limit and the copper was driving slowly. Plod suggested that he got the speedo checked and let him off.
Well I got it checked 🙂
The plod#2 then asked "good morning, do you know why i have stopped you today?"
I replied, "you didn't. I saw you pull in behind me so i pulled over."
I had to smile at his expression… A WTF? sort of look.
We then had a bit of kind hearted banter. Him accusing me of driving at, and he could do me for, driving well over the ton and me declaring no, i've had my foot burried in the carpet since joining the motorway and the needle has been going between 90 and 95 all the way. I figured i'm gonna get done so may as well be honest.
The banter ended with him saying "ok then, i'll write out your speeding ticket for 95mph, ok?"
I agreed 95 was fair as the car wouldn't go any faster lol.
We all laughed, he wrote out the ticket, i signed it and went back to my car.
"officer, with all due respect, you are the one started this engagement so why don't you enlighten me on why should I participate in this conversation?"
I work with several ex-police officers, and they all say the same thing. If you go to court to contest a speeding fine from a radar or laser device, the first thing the police officer will say is something like "I saw the vehicle approaching and estimated it's speed at 75kph in a 60 zone. I confirmed with the radar gun that the vehicle as doing 72kph".
This means that you are not questioning a soulless piece of fallible technology, but rather the word and judgement of a fine upstanding experienced police road command officer.
Clever….
I was stopped for using blue led as my parking lights(which lights up alongwith the low beam light. The police officer had to ask me to turn off my low beam so that he could take pictures of my 'blue light') and fined me for driving a damaged car. I was also charged a demerit point for the same. I had no idea it was illegal which I told him.. A $2 light bulb caused me $133 + 1 point. I saw the point loss later and called up the station. It seemed like the OIC was not bother whether I changed the bulb or not, I need to pay. If they really wanted me to change the bulb they could have asked me to present the car before a certain date with the 'damage' rectified. I told the OIC – looks like you are only interested in your revenue collection.
This was not causing any danger to anyone to charge me so much. I see so many cars with the illegal white lights(without projector lens) which just floods the whole area. I wonder if they are being fined too