they finally got me

[GravelBen]

finally got my first ticket.

heading from dunedin up to timaru to meet some mates for a weekends climbing, got done just near the waimate turnoff.

had just passed someone, pulled back in, started to slow down, came over a crest and......party lights, bugger!

he got me at 122kph, which means $170 fine and an utterly ridiculous 35 demerits. on the bright side, the cop was pretty good about it, didnt even pretend it was in any way related to safety, just said it was too fast to let me off with a warning. still annoying tho.

[Kiwi XTR2]

You rank amateur ! ! !

That's not how the professionals do it.

You need to rant & rave,
bitch & moan,
question the officers parentage,
kick his car . . . and get yourself arrested.

Best of luck for the next 2 years until you're back to zero points

[GravelBen]

LOL. thanks for the support there....

I do have one possibility of weaseling out of it, but need ot do some research first to see if it will work before trying.

I've heard that they cannot issue a ticket unless they have a calibration certificate less than a month old. I asked the officer if I could see it, and he said he didnt have a copy with him but I could write in and ask for a copy to be sent to me. So I just need to find out if they actually have to have it with them, and if they do i'll write a wee letter...

If anyone knows the exact wording of the law or where I can find it I'd appreciate it.

[Esprit]

Harsh luck... it's so easy to get done these days.... and so often, it's more by good luck than good judgement that people like me stay ticket-free!

[Kiwi XTR2]

I've heard of that argument being used before but don't know the detail.

I suspect that, if successful, it would more likely result in a reassessment in the 111-120kph range rather than a slam-dunk, get-out-of-jail-free card.

[kylie]

[quote=GravelBen]finally got my first ticket.
[quote]

Bugger losing that kinda cash to the hard hat people, its a knife in the back for sure!! Just be careful those points can soon add up like I found out. I am clean now though.

[gtivr4]

How do the demerit points work? I assume that with enough points your license is suspended? Can you get points via a speed camera?

[kylie]

No you don't get done on speed cameras.
I googled between a few sites and got this:

If you accumulate 100 or more demerit points as a driver in any two-year period, you will be disqualified from driving for three months.
Demerit points are added with each offence you commit. The number of points depends on the particular offence – in the case of speeding offences, the faster you were going the higher the number of points awarded against you.

Letter of warning at 50 demerit points:
Once you reach 50 demerit points you will receive a letter of warning from the Director of Land Transport Safety. This letter will warn you that you will be disqualified if you receive another 50 points within a two-year period. Note that the two years runs from the date of the most recent offence, not the first offence.
The letter is deemed to have been sent to you once it is posted, even if you never in fact receive it.

Three-month disqualification at 100 demerit points
Once you reach 100 demerit points you will be served with a notice by the Police and you will be disqualified from driving for three months.
At the end of the three-month period all the demerit points are wiped and your licence will be returned to you.

Speed Demerit points
Exceeding speed limit by up to 10 km/h 10
Exceeding speed limit by 11-20 km/h 20
Exceeding speed limit by 21-30 km/h 35
Exceeding speed limit by 31-35 km/h 40
Exceeding speed limit by 36 km/h or more 50

[Esprit]

kylie said:

Note that the two years runs from the date of the most recent offence, not the first offence.

Hmm I'm not sure how this works I always thought that your points disappear two years after you get them.... by this wording... if you keep getting a fine every 2 years then it'll keep building until you lose your licence!

[GravelBen]

Esprit said:

kylie said: Note that the two years runs from the date of the most recent offence, not the first offence. Hmm I'm not sure how this works I always thought that your points disappear two years after you get them.... by this wording... if you keep getting a fine every 2 years then it'll keep building until you lose your licence!

from what I've heard, the official story is that they only disappear after 2 years without tickets, but i know plenty of people whose points have disappeared 2 years after they got them even though they had other tickets in that time. maybe it means they only completely disappear then (ie back to zero) and they just phrase it differently to scare people?

[kylie]

Yeah read a bit odd, I dont recall getting a letter saying my points are all cleared. I havent got a ticket in the last two yrs so I can safely say I should be sweet. It dosent take much to lose the licence though. As Gravelbens pointed out 122kph and 35 points. Three of these and its all over. I mean we all put the foot down on a passing move, well I do. I cant stand being on the wrong side of the road for too long so its speed that gets you out and back into safety real quick. Depends on the situation though.

[Esprit]

kylie said:

Yeah read a bit odd, I dont recall getting a letter saying my points are all cleared. I havent got a ticket in the last two yrs so I can safely say I should be sweet. It dosent take much to lose the licence though. As Gravelbens pointed out 122kph and 35 points. Three of these and its all over. I mean we all put the foot down on a passing move, well I do. I cant stand being on the wrong side of the road for too long so its speed that gets you out and back into safety real quick. Depends on the situation though.

Exactly,

If you believe andy knackerhead of the LTSA, they don't care too much if you speed on passing lanes and slow back down to legal speeds immediately after passing, it's the people who continue to speed that they're after.... funny then that they continue to put speed cameras on passing lanes that can't distinguish between the two

[kylie]

Its $hit isn't it. Seen the old scameras on the passing lanes way to often.

[Esprit]

Yeah normally on the widest, straightest ones too... I mean how many times have you seen cops pulling people over on the Ramarama straight? How many fatal accidents have there EVER been on that piece of road?

[kylie]

Now if I were this guy www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1691422,00.html
I would happily go around and remove these cameras for you.

Sorry its been a long day, ive a bad habbit of taking things too far!!

[Kiwi LE]

Got done at 133 by Laser...........going to try and get off - court 9th August.

If it sticks only have 5 points left until October before the first one drops off !!

All of this with only three tikets is a period of 18 months !! bull shed revenue collecting !!

I have a pile of info and the legal stuff, what did they get you with ? radar or laser ??


Dean

>> Edited by Kiwi LE on Thursday 14th July 07:06

[dejoux]

Also if you lose your licence for another reason you dont lose demerits.

A guy I used to work with had 80 odd points then got done DIC, since its not a demerit offence just an instant loss of licence he lost it for 6 months then got it back still with 80 points then proceeded to get more demerits and lose it for another 3...idiot.

Somehow Ive managed to avoid them, one speed camera ticket for 63 in a 50 and thats it. More luck than good management though.

The 35 demerits would bug me more than the $170

[Esprit]

Same here.... I got done by a Scamera at 119 in a 100 a few years back, but other than that I've been lucky.... I only speed when I'm pretty sure I can get away with it and the likelihood of getting caught/danger is low..... even so, it's still good luck.

[GravelBen]

Kiwi LE said:

Got done at 133 by Laser...........going to try and get off - court 9th August. If it sticks only have 5 points left until October before the first one drops off !! All of this with only three tikets is a period of 18 months !! bull shed revenue collecting !! I have a pile of info and the legal stuff, what did they get you with ? radar or laser ?? Ring me and I can give you the low down - 021 955 722 Dean

Laser I think, when i asked for a calibration certificate the guy started telling me about how its a new system and his is the only car in the area equipped with it, lets him single out individual cars etc. think he called it a DSR or something similiar. As well as the money/daft demerits side of things I'd really like to keep me record clean for insurance purposes etc (they always seem to ask if I've had any tickets etc)

thanks for number, I'll give you a bell sometime with a few questions

>> Edited by GravelBen on Wednesday 13th July 12:52

[slider2]

Sounds like you guys need Laser diffusers these days rather than radar detectors. The LD's work better because they actually kill the itnerrogation device, rather than just warn you!
Do you not have them over there yet..?