Pulled over, no fine. However cop said he was going to review video

[dazamaz]

Hey all,

Just wanted to see other peoples views on what happened last night.

Got pulled over by a cop saying I was speeding and driving recklessly.

What happened was a cabby was in the middle lane doing 50k's and the left lane was ending a good 300-400 meters up ahead. I pulled into the left lane and overtook the cabby (I'm almost certain I didn't exceed 60, and if I did it wasn't by much) then the lights up ahead turned red so I slowed to a stop (according to the cop I slammed my brakes on, but was no where near that).

Then kept going for about a K and a bit on the pacific hwy in Pymble, not exceeding the speed limit. Not too far up ahead I turned into a side street that leads through the back streets of Turramurra. I took this corner at 60K's without slowing down, noting that I didn't loose traction once!

Afterwards I was driving quite normal, making sure I was a few K's below the speed limit slowing for corners etc. Had this guy right up my ass and was thinking whats this ******** doing, didn't speed up either. Turned a corner then the undercover cop flashed his lights.
I pulled over and he gave me the usual spill about trying to kill myself etc and said that they were observing my driving and had recorded it. He informed me that they were going to take the video back to the station to review it and decide on what they will give me;
either a speeding fine (for which I'm almost certain I didn't speed but didn't argue with the cop) or reckless/dangerous driving for which I would have to go see a magistrate and could cop a 12month suspension and a $2,200 fine.

Now I didn't get a fine last night, I wasn't issued with anything. A few people I have spoken to said that if I was going to get booked I would have gotten something last night. So just wanted to see what peoples thoughts/ideas were on this. Can they take the video back and review it then issue me a fine etc, or do they have to issue me with something then and there?

Either way, if it was just a scare tactic it damned well worked!!! For the rest of the night (was going to castle hill, then back home to hornsby later that night) I made sure I was driving almost 5K's under, I had people passing me!! lol.

Cheers,
Daz

[vlv8vic]

Mate simply from the way you talk about your driving style i reckon he was right! 60 around corners "afterwards i was driving normally"... your description has dug you a hole that's for sure.

I'm glad mr plod doing his job made you a more careful driver, but you should have been careful in the first place - no need for scare tactics.

As for the fine, they can do what they like. Many here are posted out later on. I wouldn't be shocked if you get nothing, and i would be shocked if you were hauled up in front of the judge. If he was going down that path i suspect he'd have smacked you around the head with his black book there and then.

I don't think you have a whole lot to worry about to be honest, but as i said, the way you talk about your driving doesn't make you look too flash.
Go easy!!!

[acarmody]

60 around corners? Are you talking bend in the road corner or a 90 degree corner. If the latter I wouldn't have be shocked if he had given you a fine then and there.

Well at least you were smart enough not to argue with the cop, you would've had tickets if you had. And just because you didn't get a ticket sent to you the same night doesn't mean you won't get one. Police have a crap load of paperwork to do when they get back to station so he may not have reviewed the video yet. Also have you heard of AusPost delivering mail the same day? I'm not saying you will recieve a ticket, but just because you havn't gotten one yet doesn't mean you won't.

[Victimiza]

I think the only reason he would of said he was going to review the video was because he was probably not sure your driving was really that reckless to begin with, and rewatching it from a different perspective (not in pursuit) would confirm that doubt in his mind.

btw 60 around a corner? Were the roads wet, were you accelerating at the same time?

[dazamaz]

My driving last night was a one off, I don't normally drive like that. That's why I stated "afterwards i was driving normally".
I drive my car on track so that I don't do stupid shite on the road, last night was just a lapse on my behalf... A very stupid one at that!!

In regards to the 60 around the corner, I just didn't apply the brakes that's all. It was a side road off the pacific hwy that I turned into and didn't apply the brakes before/during the corner and didn't accelerate to well after the corner. The car didn't loose traction/get out of control. Road was also dry.

And I'm not saying that because I haven't received anything in the mail, I was asking about the officer not giving me a ticket last night when he was questioning me.


I'm not condoning my actions last night or trying to make excuses. It was bloody stupid and idiotic. I normally shake my head at drivers I see doing stupid crap like that and think when they crash they'll learn the hard way not to be a ******** on the roads.
I was just simply asking peoples opinions on the officer not giving me a ticket then and there.

Thanks for the input so far
Daz

[Victimiza]

I think you should be right, I think you'd find most of the users on the forum will leave the corner doing 60 ... sideways

[dazamaz]

I think you should be right, I think you'd find most of the users on the forum will leave the corner doing 60 ... sideways

lol, yeah I've had my young stupid days. But am usually quite a responsible driver. Am so pissed at myself for acting like an idiot

[maldotcom2]

Sounds like he just wanted to put the wind up you. I doubt they even recorded anything.

[Piper]

your chances of being done is low, and he was probably only after a reaction from you, he's certainly succeeded, you were back to being responsible.
However a police officer in NSW has many choices as to what discipline is appropriate. A police officer has about 28 days to issue you a ticket for the offence. If they pass this time they can charge you instead of writing a ticket. They normally have within about 6 months to do that.
If you are charged it's also put on your "criminal record" not just your driving record. This will involve you going to court infront of a magistrate.

[vlv8vic]

I think you should be right, I think you'd find most of the users on the forum will leave the corner doing 60 ... sideways

You really think so? i reckon you'd be very surprised. Not everyone is a born ********.

[SV62NV]

i can honestly say ive never done skids/slides w/e you want to call it in my car. Honestly whats the point? you **** your tires, you **** your car and most important reason you could be heading straight for a person/car/house and cant do anything about it. Im a p plater yes but ive seen others doing stupid shit and i call the cops on them

[VPplayer]

Personaly it sounds like you where speeding but i wasnt there so i cant say.
But dont worry about it, if they were going to give you a fine then they would have, how can they prove how fast you where doing from a video?

[Torquative]

how can they prove how fast you where doing from a video?

I dont think thats the real issue here ... this is what I'd be worried about

reckless/dangerous driving for which I would have to go see a magistrate and could cop a 12month suspension and a $2,200 fine.

The rules are very technical these days, especially "anti hooning laws" and if its on video there is cause to be concerned. Sounds like you were pulled over by Highway Patrol too which wont help your cause.

Will be interesting to see the outcome.

[crazyspoon05]

Personaly it sounds like you where speeding but i wasnt there so i cant say.
But dont worry about it, if they were going to give you a fine then they would have, how can they prove how fast you where doing from a video?

IIRC the video systems in all NSW police cars show time, date, speed of vehicle, etc

[TVR-190]

shows the speed of the police car, not the target car i believe

[crazyspoon05]

That's what I meant but obviously if the police car is going above the speed limit to keep up with the car in front then car in front is speeding.....

[dazamaz]

When the cop car was riding my ass I wasn't speeding. There was no car directly behind me when I was on the pacific hwy. It was only when I turned off then rounded the corner was the cop car tail gating me.

[TMM]

He probably said he was going to review the video to scare you (which obviously worked because you posted this thread ). If he gave you a fine, you'd pay it and continue driving like a ****stick.

[alien]

They CAN still issue fines later. Trust me! I was pulled over for speeding (with another car on the freeway), got the fine there and then, other guy got the fine sent in the mail. I then got my fine re-sent out too because he stuffed it up.

Someone on this forum also posted he only got pulled over and spoken to by the police and didn't fine him instantly, but soon after that his infringement arrived in the mail. Depending on the severity of what they charge you with they will either deliver it personally or put it in the mail. So dont think your out of it yet.

Seems to me that they will be trying to get you for dangerous driving. In which case they want to make sure the video would show to a magistrate that beyond a doubt you were driving dangerously. They may have you got speeding from their radar and then came after you.

[Venom_SS]

I had a VT V6 mocked up like a clubby, late one night on a main road (maroondah hwy) i come to a red light (3 lanes wide) i was in the far right, there was a VY in the middle lane and some other car in the left lane, there were a few cars behind us (not heaps tho) the car next to me (the VY) was full of blokes who were putting on there hoods and acting like idiots, one opened the window and went to spit on my car just as the lights turned green, i booted off from the lights and stuck my finger up at him.
it was an 80km road and i hit about 80/85 km MAX!, i looked in my rear view mirror and i sore everyone going really slow so immediately bells went off in my head and i realized there was probably a cop about, i took my foot of the accelerator and slowed down to 75 km ish.

Sure enough i noticed a cop car come up from the left hand lane, merge into the middle lane, then merge into my lane and sat right up my ass... about 200 meter's down the road they flashed there lights and pulled me over into a side street.

He got out of the car, came over to me and told me he got me doing 100km.... when i asked him to see any evidence that supported it, he said he had me on the time and distance meter... (funny cause id assume because he was merging lanes and speeding up to follow me that would be inaccurate)

he was a rude bastard to me, i was a rude bastard back... didn't get me anywhere, he didn't give me a fine on the spot as i said i would like to take it to court to see if the judge would actually see my side of the events. i ended up in court 8 months later and because there were 2 senior officers in the divvy van i had no chance, i lost and lost 3 points + a fine.

Moral of the story you ask?

No point even bothering trying to fight for your case, if the cop wants he can do ANYTHING he likes as ridiculous as he wants.

From then on im just extremely polite and what do you know some cops have actully let me off fines because im so nice to them haha.

I just find it funny that we live in a system that is meant to uphold the law and so forth blah blah blah, yet they can blatantly lie in a court of law (the cop took the stand and said there was no one else on the road, he also said i was doing 110km not 100km LOL) its quiet sad, cops are nothing but a revenue raiser for the government (road cops)...

Anyways that my story.

[Milky2106]

Lucky u, im on my red p's.
11 months into em, i got done once for speeding.. 3 MONTH SUSPENSION!!

15 k's over on freeway!!!

[alien]

Venom_SS, i believe that is still betable. Even if there were two senior officers in the vehicle. Sounds like you had a crappy barrister. The law system isn't based on emotitions, it is more on figures. So if they couldn't prove accuratly that you were speeding you could've won. Two senior cops doesn't mean anything. I had to get the police prosecutor to edit the police mans statement right before the court case as he had stated false information in his report. Could've won on that, but it was easier to plead guilty.

[Venom_SS]

Alien - i went to court cause i elected to fight it, they couldent prove it, but at the end the judge just said he belives that i was speeding and that was that, end of case... GG NO RE haha.

Spewing, it was a while back now so im over it

[daron]

next time he says are you trying to kill yourself say yes

[S.T.K.E]

then merge into my lane and sat right up my ass... about 200 meter's down the road they flashed there lights and pulled me over into a side street.
Anyways that my story.

and for a side note the reason why they sit up your arse. Or anyone that is about to be pulled over even for a RBT is because they are plate checking you