Illegal speed trapping tonight!

[bullfrog]

Two wrongs dont make a right.

Lol. You missed the point of my post. Most of the laws are there for a reason and if the cops can't even obey the law, what the F*** are they setting out to achieve?

They are meant to be out there making the roads safer, not using half of the law to ensure that their pockets are lined at month end. I can tell you, there are a lot more dangerous situations on our road than someone driving 11km over the speed limit. I do obey the law and don't exceed the speed limit, unless I'm in a hairy situation and I need to go over to get myself out.

The problem is that they've lost sight of what the speed limit is there to achieve and now they're simply cashing in on it.

I was in a hairy situation yesterday in fact. Happily driving along and this truck slows down to a crawl. I slow down as it's a single lane road and wait for my chance to overtake him. The road gets wider and he pulls to the left to let the row of cars past. I indicate, move to the right to pass him and as I'm accelerating back up to 60, this maniac comes speeding past me in the oncoming traffic lane. Just up ahead the road splits into 2 lanes on both sides with an island in the middle. Now this idiot who is in the wrong lane headed right for the island has no where to go because he's driving like a moron. I had to brake heavily otherwise he would have swerved right into me, pushing me into the truck.

This is a typical situation a lot of us face on a daily basis. Where are the cops when things like this happen? No they're on some road hiding in a bush with a camera.

Visible policing in these situations are better. Remember they're not meant to be out looking for people to give fines, they're meant to be out making the road safer. If they're hiding it doesn't make the road safer at all. Yes sure they might be able to catch more of these hardcore criminals going 131 in a 120 zone.

Someone driving 100 and swerving from lane to lane in between cars where the rest of traffic is driving 80 on busy a high way is much more dangerous than someone driving 140 on an empty highway. Guess which one will get caught and get fined? Most probably the one going 140. Why? Simply because it's easier to catch him and cash in.

 

[icyrus]

You seem to advocating some fascist views there.

Peter, it is best to ignore this mentally deficient stain on humanity. He is beyond hope.

 

[Frankie]

But they were visible. The OP did see them, didn't he?

That does not mean that they weren't attempting to conceal themselves.

If you had to prioritise and develop a strategy to improve the conditions on our roads, would stealth speed trapping be at the top of the list?
If you were honest then stealth speed trapping would not be anywhere near the top of the list, but unlawful dangerous taxis and un-licensed drivers (incl. ones with fraudulent driving licenses), would be at the top of the list.
Our law enforcement also know what the priorities should be, but that would mean less money in their back pockets and more work, so we'll not see any changes soon, or ever.

I've been in Louisville KY for a few weeks, and there's not one fixed speed camera and I've only once seen a cop with mobile radar - very disciplined drivers, so obviously it wasn't stealth speed trapping that brought this about.

 

[medicnick83]

Look, I'm all for "obeying the rules of the road" but look... I'm a new driver, I just think it's skom that they doing this... stop trying to get new fines and start getting people who have fines to actually pay them!!!!

I know people have who (and I've checked) up to 10 fines of massive amounts each and they 2 years old.

 

[Other Pineapple Smurf]

Let me get this straight: People are bitching that they are being busted for breaking the law by law enforcement that some are presuming are breaking the law too?

If your going to speed and get busted then tough!!!!!!

 

[Serqet]

You've got to be joking - when last did YOU try dialling that number - totally useless.

Actually i phoned that number at the beginning of the year and it worked perfectly and the lady was very efficient.

 

[Gomario]

Did I get this tread going or didn't I

Peter, it is best to ignore this mentally deficient stain on humanity. He is beyond hope.

Hey bud, is fine to criticize 'my point of view' - no need to 'kill' me though. For your info, I like playing the 'devil's advocate'. In reality I am not even a South African. However I visit your country quite often (for the past 20+ years). Indeed, I am involved with the police - not the Traffic police though. You seem to think along the line - all the posters in a forum are only posting their own opinions and only that! Well, if so, you are 'slightly wrong' (this time around). If you get older you'll see, respecting other people's ideas, beliefs, opinions, (no matter how different) is a quality many want to have but few truly posses. Of course, things concerning the traffic scene are wrong. I still remember, a few years ago, my self had to get off the road at hi speed, to make way for some nutty policeman's vehicle chasing a small bus. I was driving a rented car and was on the way to the hotel from Jhb International. In theory there should be no need for traffic police or any police for that matter. In practice, things are somewhat different. And lastly, I am sorry to hear, the emergency telephone line, is not functioning properly in your country. I thought in South Africa 10111 is reliable. Thanks for that info. May be of use some day

 

[risingtide]

That does not mean that they weren't attempting to conceal themselves.

Keep to the speed limit and one doesn't have to worry about concealed police(wo)man.

The OP would have a point if he would be concerned about the safety of the police personnel. That would be a valid concern. Instead he is talking about the visibility of the speed trapping exercise, an entirely self-serving aspect.

 

[supersunbird]

Keep to the speed limit and one doesn't have to worry about concealed police(wo)man.

The OP would have a point if he would be concerned about the safety of the police personnel. That would be a valid concern. Instead he is talking about the visibility of the speed trapping exercise, an entirely self-serving aspect.

If the traffic police can't even follow simple regulations, whats to stop them from issuing fake fines? That's the problem, they loose our respect and appear just to have their revenue in mind and not road safety...

I've never seen anyone fine for unsafe overtaking or other reckless behaviour and these thing are just increasing day by day...

 

[Gomario]

If that's the case, then the police are clearly in the wrong. Reckless and drunk driving are just as serious as over speeding. (sometimes, all this infringements go hand in hand with literarely deadly results). In my country is not illegal to have hidden speed traps or unannounced spot checks. While visible patrols are helping, I don't quite see the efficiency of a 'advertised' spot check (well, unless you are very, very dumb). Is there a law in your country requiring the policeman to 'announce' themself in such situations? Interesting indeed. How convenient. If no policeman in sight - I am the Boss Should remember that for 2010. Does the same law apply for Namibia too? I don't thing the policeman have to cheat with the fines though. If I remember right, there were plenty of traffic law breakers in South Africa. Things might have changed though. Will see for myself next year. As long as Germany wins the World Cup - who cares about traffic cops

 

[ToxicBunny]

No, reckless and drunk driving are MORE serious than speeding, though speeding can be classified as reckless driving to a degree.

There are regulations in this country requiring there to be signs, and defining where speed traps may be placed, these regulations are not followed properly. I have 2 fines in my name which have been taken from a bridge, which the supreme court has deemed to be illegal, yet our police force continue to do so, so why must I trust ANY of the fines that they dish out if the patently ignore one of the highest courts in the country?

Oh just before you jump on your high little horse Gomario, I was doing just under 100, the speed changes to 80 about 100m before the bridge (so therefore the police are breaking a regarding now trapping within 300m of a speed sign as well as ignoring the court ruling regarding trapping from bridges.)

 

[Frankie]

Keep to the speed limit and one doesn't have to worry about concealed police(wo)man.

The OP would have a point if he would be concerned about the safety of the police personnel. That would be a valid concern. Instead he is talking about the visibility of the speed trapping exercise, an entirely self-serving aspect.

I most certainly do keep to the speed limit and no way's do I suggest that speeders should go unchecked, but wouldn't you agree that there's far more high risk activities on our roads that those police manning the speed traps could be addressing.

 

[Smooth Criminal]

Keep to the speed limit and one doesn't have to worry about concealed police(wo)man.

The OP would have a point if he would be concerned about the safety of the police personnel. That would be a valid concern. Instead he is talking about the visibility of the speed trapping exercise, an entirely self-serving aspect.

You seem very keen on obeying the law - even if the law said that you need to have a helping of horse manure for dinner, you probably wouldn't question it.

The point is that many of us have seen lots of places with artificially imposed low speed limits, with a pig hiding behind a bush and munching away on some Nandos. Near my house there is a long, straight dual carriageway in good condition with a speed limit of 60km/h, with JMPD guaranteed to be trapping on it 4 to 5 times a week.

But hey, you go ahead and be a good little puppet and believe everything that you're told. You can try and argue that they're trying to make the roads safer, but I'll counter that they're trying to cash in on artificial speed limits that are borderline frustrating to maintain. Tied to the fact that we still have among the highest accident rates and road death tolls in the world, I would say that it's far from an exercise on road safety. If they did care about our safety, there'd be far more drunken and reckless drivers behind bars with their licenses suspended.

 

[Frankie]

Actually i phoned that number at the beginning of the year and it worked perfectly and the lady was very efficient.

I thought in South Africa 10111 is reliable. Thanks for that info. May be of use some day

Here is what the typical response is to dialing 10111 for Police assistance.
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?t=186207


Family set alight, cops arrive 2 hours later

Two adults and 14-month-old twins are fighting for their lives after a heartlessly cruel attack.

The police, however, only arrived almost two hours later, despite news of the attack being broadcast on the hour by 702 Talk Radio.


Linden police finally arrived at the scene after hearing of the attack on the radio. Officers claimed they hadn't been alerted to the incident because their police radios were not working at the time, and they were forced to communicate via SMS.

 

[Gomario]

Huh . . . You got me there . . . Is the police all over South Africa like that ?!?!
@Toxic You seem to confuse guidelines with laws And the fact that the Supreme Court in your country has judged that the one traffic camera was illegal in that particular case (mounted on a bridge) does not mean that all the traffic cameras mounted on a bridge are illegal. Unless a rule has been issued based on that case, but that is a different story. You chaps seem pretty unhappy with the way your police is behaving. Why then, did you not vote for a different government ? Mind you, Zimbabwe has the same problem. People don't like Mugabe, yet they vote for him. Hmmm . . . Perhaps democracy is not ment for all the nations. Every nation gets the exact numbers of law breakers it deserves. How true.

 

[ToxicBunny]

umm, you clearly don't know how the law works then.

If the Supreme court judges that cameras on a bridge are not legal, that means ALL cameras on a bridge are not legal, in our case it was because a bridge has been deemed to NOT be a stable platform.

As for the guidelines, thats possibly the wrong word. They're the policies and procedures the police have to adhere to when operating speed trapping equipment.

And no offense (iirc you claim to work for the SA Police at times), but you seem completely unaware of how the police and the law is supposed to work in this country, you even at one time claimed to pull people over and arrest them in Knysna (or somewhere near there), when you clearly CAN'T have the original warrant of arrest on you at those road blocks.

 

[Gomario]

We should keep my privat life out of the discussion (actually this does not matter anymore now). I am not South African at all. I like to play the Devil's Advocate in different forums and countries. The only rule I have is - don't blatantly insult forum users ! Depending to the forum and countrie, in some places I get away with more then in others. This expands my insight in the minds of otherwise different people. Most readers in this forum take me for a south african police man. That alone says a lot. I remember a similiar discussion, on a Australian forum a few years ago, turned out quite differently. I learned quite a bit about the Aussies that time around . I hope you've learned something too - N E V E R see/accept as facts things you read on the net ! ! ! No matter how convincing they may sound. Friendly greetings and all the best

 

[HapticSimian]

Really? Keep your private life out of the discussion? So, you go around impersonating a metro police officer:

I am a cop and here is my advice...

From here... and you expect anyone to take your opinion on any matter seriously? Sorry, but there are now officially wet noodles with more credibility than you.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Honestly, I never thought you were a Police officer.

The amount of twaddle that you utter and just how little you know about the operation of the law and the policeforce in this country has been enough to show that from the first time you claimed to be a "cop".

I hope you've learned something about South Africans here, in that you can talk twaddle but the chances are we won't believe you anyway.

 

[Albereth]

Now this may be based on old regulations but my understanding is that traffis plods have to be in uniform - and that includes wearing the hat. If black kit isn't part of the uniform have a chat to the prosecutor and have the fine torn up.