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| Speeding
Tickets - Delaying Tactics. Top |
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| The following is not Legal Advice... it is just an anecdote based on personal experience which
some readers might find of interest if they ever find themselves in
similar circumstances... i.e. needing to delay the consequences of a
Speeding Ticket [or any kind of Ticket] for as long as possible. |
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I've held a British driver's licence for more than 30 years and never had any
points on it... and no accidents apart from one very minor rear-end shunt when I was
19. |
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| I've done a fair bit of travelling in my time, including to
Australia. In the early 1990's I was in Sydney and got a job driving
a Taxi with [TCS] "Taxis Combined Services" [this is where the basic idea
for " Road Supervisors" came from.] While I'd never had a
Speeding Ticket in Britain... in the first 12 months of driving a Taxi
around Sydney... I got four! [3 points each time... on a 12 point
licence.] |
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| [The NSW Police were in the process of a
absolute blitz on speeding motorists at this time... far worse than in
Britain, 2007... and using mainly hand-held portable units rather than
fixed site cameras... like Gatsos.] Two of these tickets came in the early hours of
the morning... [circa 4:30 a.m.] when there was no other traffic about... and two during the
morning rush hour when they set up their cameras in the bushes... about 20 metres after you passed
from an 80kph zone in to a 60kph zone. These two tickets were picked
up in bumper to bumper traffic... so they
must have booked just about everyone who was unfortunate enough to pass
down the road at that moment. |
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| In Australia [NSW] you are
given an option when you hit the 12 point mark: [or at least you were back
then!] serve a 3 month driving ban immediately... and then start again
with a clean licence... or
go onto a Probationary licence for 12 months... but, if you got a further 2 points
within that year... you would be facing a 6 months ban. |
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consensus among other drivers was to take the 3 months: [the perception
was that if you were a high mileage driver you would inevitably pick up
points... no matter how carefully you drove.] They said... in the
present circumstances, driving about 50,000klms around Sydney without
picking up even 2 points [equal to a very minor speeding offence] was going to be virtually impossible.
The fact is... if you spend a lot of time on routes you don't really
know... you are watching out for other vehicles... looking for road
signs... street names... you will not know, absolutely 100% of the time...
your exact speed... and the ever changing speed limit along a stretch of
road. If you only get it right 99% of the time... you will lose your
licence! |
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wasn't financially prepared for a 3 month ban so I opted for the
Probationary licence and started saving like mad. I did my absolute
best to stick to all speed limits all the time... but doing that while
driving a Taxi is not easy. Passengers are often late
and in a hurry, so driving around the city rigidly sticking to every speed
limit, rather than just going with the flow proved to be a very stressful
experience... [for me... for my passengers... and for other road users]
certainly far more difficult than just normal driving. [So, I do have
some practical experience in what it is like to drive around obsessively
looking at speed limit signs and watching your speedo... the current
situation for anyone with 9 points on their licence... not recommended!] |
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| [When you are driving a Taxi
you are always being put under pressure to 'get a move on'... not only by
passengers who are very often 'running late'... but also by the company
you work for. They routinely used to give you 7 minute to pick up a
'radio job'... with the threat of being taken off the airwaves for 7
shifts if you failed... they put a lot of pressure on drivers but accept
no responsibility if their pressure contributes to a higher accident rate
for their drivers. A situation that is also common with couriers and
general delivery drivers.] |
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| Despite my best efforts...
about 4 month in I picked up another 3 points... and consequently, was facing a 6 month
ban. So my tactics were to string it out as long as possible... keep
driving and
keep saving. |
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| Your basic
Rights if you get stopped by the Police. This gives you a basic
outline of how to behave if you get stopped by the Police... what to do...
what to say... and just as importantly... what not to do and what not to
say. Your basic Rights. Keep a
copy in your car in case you get stopped. |
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I actually got stopped by a Police car in the morning rush-hour... using a hand held
radar gun... so I had some
notice that a Fine was on its way... [for those who know the area... this
was in Newcastle St. Rose Bay, Sydney, NSW... a wide, straight road with very little
traffic... but the Police knew that a very high proportion of vehicles
coming down this road would exceed the speed limit.] |
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When the infringement notice arrives it says pay the Fine or elect to go
to Court, within 30 days. |
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I waited the 30 days and then wrote them a letter saying,
"Neither" that I had appealed to the Minister for Police by
letter so it was now in his hands, [they seemed to accept this explanation
even though it was not one of the official options.] |
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After another month I got a letter, [which basically just acknowledged my
letter] saying the Minister would consider my request to have the offence
discharged in due course. |
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Another month went by... I got a letter saying, "No, you cannot have
the offence discharged"... and they were passing this back to the relevant
authority. |
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Another month went by... then I was back to square one... pay the Fine or
elect to go to Court within 30 days. |
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I waited the 30 days and then elected to go to Court. |
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Another month and you hear from the Court with a date... which might be
another month off. |
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Wait a few weeks and then send them a letter explaining why you can't make
it and request another date. |
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When that day is near you can always send another letter saying that you
are going to be away and can you have another delay... failing that... [if
you really don't have any defence and don't want to appear in Court]... can they hear it in your absence. They probably will...
[try to send a covering letter explaining your case... if you have one]...
and then... they will
almost certainly find you "Guilty". They will then pass the paperwork on to
the next department. |
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| Alternatively... have a look
at some of these template letters to the CPS... |
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| Request for
Information. Click these Links below.
Download a copy into a word processor... then fill in all your
own specific details. Write to them [use recorded
delivery] and tell them you wish to contest
it on the grounds that... it might not have been your Vehicle... you are
not sure who was driving... you do not believe you were speeding, there must have been a
fault with the equipment... or it was used incorrectly. Basically,
this just puts the ball back in their court! |
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| For... Identifying the Vehicle and the Driver. |
| For
fixed cameras... [GATSO:
TRUVELO: SPECS.] |
| For
mobile cameras... [RADAR:
LIDAR: VASCAR: Pacing.] |
| Letter
to Court entering a plea of Not Guilty.
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| Letter
to Court requesting an Adjournment.
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| Start requesting more
Information... if they're going to convict you... make them work for it! |
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In my case I managed to drag this process out for 9 months and by this
time I had my new, clean licence back... so I was wondering how they were
going to deal with it. I guess computers being what they are... the
points just went straight onto the new licence... rather than it being backdated to the
Probationary licence. 3 points on the new licence and no mention
of a 6 month ban... just the outcome I was hoping for! |
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| Coincidently... the very day
my new licence started I got another speeding ticket coming back from a
holiday in Queensland... so I ended up about one month into my new licence
and already had 6 points on it. |
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| Fortunately this practice had
become such an issue in the media... and with the general public... that
the opposition party in the NSW parliament had pledged to end it if
elected. They were elected and I never got another speeding
ticket... nor have done to this day! |
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| Personally... I don't believe
that any of my tickets were justified on the grounds of safety...
technically, the speed limits were being exceeded... but almost everyone
does that! [Don't believe me? Next time you're a passenger keep a
close eye on the driver's speed and the limits... particularly as they pass
into a section with a lower speed limit. Pretend you're an
invisible policeman that just wants to catch them out on any
technicality... there's a good chance they'll exceed enough limits
to lose their licence on one journey... and for some... almost every time
they get behind the wheel.] |
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| Anyway... if you find
yourself in this kind of situation... you think you will probably lose
your licence... but you need a bit of time to save up... you've got points
on your licence which will be running out soon... you're heading off on
your 'gap year' and so prefer to serve your ban while you're out of the
country anyway... etc. etc... try some delaying tactics! |
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| And finally... there is
always the possibility that the Police officer who stopped you will not be
able to turn up for some reason... or won't remember you. If you
paint a certain scenario... he may not remember the incident or have
anything written in his notebook. If they have gone on holiday and
want to postpone... don't agree to it! If they have moved to a
different area... changed their job... retired?? and can't make it... the
case should be thrown out.
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| For more
Information... |
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| UK
Driving Secrets: [UK] Downloadable ebook
written by a Traffic Officer with years of
on-the-job experience... it gives Legal tips on all aspects of driving...
getting stopped... appealing against various tickets... and taking the fight to
Court. [The
kind of Information that an ordinary Solicitor probably wouldn't
tell you about.] |
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| Drink
Driving Facts Kit: [UK] Not that we in any condone
Drink-Driving... but if you have been breathalyser and you need some legal
advice... this is a good place to start. Why pay a Lawyer to give
you information when you can download all the essential facts for a
fraction of the price? [Also gives some
interesting facts and figures about Drink-Driving.] |
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| Beat
the Wheel Clampers.
You won't have to argue with the
clamping thugs. And you won't have to fill out lots of complex
paperwork. Just pay the fine as normal, then send off a simple
template letter. Your money will be refunded within a couple of
weeks. [You'll need this info before you get clamped.]
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| ebooks.
For more specialist Information... which cover just about every
subject imaginable... visit ClickBank
who have over 10,000 different products available. |
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| Traffic
Ticket Secrets: [USA] -
Discover the hidden Loopholes within the Traffic Court System... tells you
how to go to Court... what to say... what to ask... says it gives you the
best defence... but does not guarantee you will get off.
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| Beat
My Speeding Ticket: [USA] -
Specifically dealing with Tickets issued from Radar: Laser and pacing...
claims it can get you out of these kinds of Tickets or your money back!
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| The
DUI Process Manual: [USA] - Legal Advice for those
who have been breathalyser and are facing a trip to Court... or have
already been convicted and want to clean up their driving record.
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