It was cold and wet when we got up at 5am. I ran downstairs like an excited kid about to go on holiday – on an aeroplane for the first time. I grabbed myself a bowl of Special K, and hungrily wolfed it down. I filled the kettle, and set about making a cup of tea for the other half – she won’t even get out of bed without one. Checked my email, checked some web stats, got washed, got ready.
I then set about organising the food bag, and in the back of my mind, a warning went off: Don’t forget about the diet. Hmmm. Diet. Stuff the diet, this is a day of fun!!!
So I crammed lots of nice stuff into the bag: Yazoo, Chocolate, M&Ms, crisps, and, of course, sandwiches.
Then we waited for our ride. The plan was to be picked up at the house at 6am, then go on to our second point to pick up the others at 6.15. We got to the second point at twenty past six, and waited patiently. For ages. The other car didn’t show up. I phoned. They were running late. I wasn’t pleased. So we went to McDonalds for the rest of the people in the car to get breakfast. I just got a coffee.
We went back to our waiting point, and waited. Finally, the others show up – at seven o’clock. So now we’re running 45 minutes late. Alton Towers opens at 9.30 – there was no way we were going to make it for then. So we blast along the motorway, making good time. We hit a bit of traffic, but it wasn’t bad. We got through that, and barrelled along towards our destination. Then we hit trouble. The road was closed. There had been an accident, and the police had shut the road. So our driver (who had refused my offer to bring SatNav), then tried to renavigate the route. He took a different road, but that took us to another part of the road that was still closed.
Then, the driver of the second car needed a pee. For crying out loud, we’d already stopped twice for him! Strengthen your bladder mate. Alton Towers was gonna start filling up!!!!
So we pulled over, he peed, we carried on. This detour had added an extra half an hour to our journey. I was seething.
We pulled into the car park. It was pretty busy. Great. THEN, there was great debates as to what to take in. Would it get colder? Do I need a coat? Hat? Gloves? Scarf? Should I bring all the food? Should we move the cars? For Pete’s sake people, if you stop deliberating we could be queuing for Oblivion by now!
FINALLY, at twenty past eleven (that’s right: 11:20) we were on the monorail. We paid and entered the park, and headed for the rides.
The first one that we went on was the Spinball. That was great. Me and two others went on it, but as our carriage came into the ‘station’, the ride broke down. Unbelievably. For ten minutes, I was stuck on this ride, as all around I could hear the screams of terror and delight of others, who were on rides that were still working. Aaaargh!
After being released, we rushed over to Oblivion. Man, was I looking forward to this. We only had to queue for ten minutes or so, which was great. It wasn’t as busy as I thought it would have been. We finally got onto the ride, and I was sitting front row, far seat. I slyly took out my Nokia 3250, twist and shoot camera/video phone. I was going to video this beast!
The ride started, and immediately you are on a 45 degree ascent. Clang clang clang clang clang, as you are being drawn up by the machine. Suddenly, the machine stopped.
Now, I’ve been on Oblivion before, and I knew that it was not supposed to stop at this point. A vague warning bell sounded in my mind – again.
Suddenly, a pre-recorded message was blasted from invisible speakers:
“Please be aware that video recording equipment, cameras, and mobile phones are not permitted on this ride.”
Oh cak.
The girl sitting next to me said, “They’ve caught you!”
Looking directly in front of me, I could see CCTV cameras, but I thought, “Surely not!”
Anyway, I very slowly folded the phone back into normal position, and wedged it back in my pocket – hard to do when strapped in and at a 45 degree angle.
I carried on smiling like someone who is enjoying the ride, hoping against hope that they hadn’t seen me. I was wrong. They had.
We waited for what seemed an eternity. Then the unthinkable happened.
They had sent a staff member to CLIMB up the side of Oblivion, complete with rock climbing harness gear and everything.
She called along “Row 1, Seat 1 – please pass your phone along.”
I had no choice. I dug it back out of my pocket, and handed it along the row.
Then my mate called out to the woman “Do you want my phone too?”
“Are you planning on taking it out on the ride?”
“No.”
“Then no thank you.”
She then radioed down to the control centre that the phone had been confiscated, and the ride continued to climb.
Now I was worried. Would they keep my phone all day? Maybe send it back to me the next day? Would I get thrown out? Would security be throwing me? Would I be forced to wear some kind of ‘Naughty Boy’ clothing so that crew at other rides could keep an eye on me?
Anyway, the ride carried on – it was fantastic.
I got off the ride, and the woman that had had to climb Oblivion came over to me. I couldn’t believe that she was smiling. She handed me my phone, and that was that. You have no idea how relieved I was!
Anyway, we then had lunch – I couldn’t believe it, but then again, I was quite hungry.
After that, we went on the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory ride – if you’ve got kids, they’ll enjoy it, if you haven’t, give it a miss.
Then Rita – Queen of Speed. Oh my word. It totally blew me away. Words cannot describe the speed or the rush that that ride delivers. Just go on it.
The Corkscrew – that was the ride I queued the longest for. It was good, but not fantastic, but I would definitely ride it again.
From there, it was the Runaway Mine Train – good, but it hurt my ribs because you slide around in the seats.
Nemesis – fantastic. Apparently, you experience the same G’s as a space shuttle launch. In other words, its bone crushingly great.
The Ghost Train is okay, you have to shoot loads of baddies all the way around, which gave me hand strain.
We then went on the River Rapids – large yellow inflatables that get you soaked if you’re not careful.
Then I went on the Teacups, because they’re just fun.
We finished off with Spinball again, using our Priority pass that we had gotten for our inconvenience earlier.
I’m gutted that I didn’t get to go on Air, and I would’ve loved to have done Oblivion, Rita and Nemesis again.
Anyway, from there we went to the new Crazy Golf course, which costs a fiver, but was really good and took about an hour, and then we headed home.
So Alton Towers was great – but don’t try to video any of the rides. They just don’t like it.
Showing posts with label police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label police. Show all posts
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
Wednesday, 16 May 2007
Death of a Car Driver in 7/10ths of a Second
I’ve blogged a couple of articles over the last day or so on driving, speeding, getting tickets, evading tickets – even evading getting stopped in the first place. But now I just want to stop and point out a chilling reality – speed kills:
"John Collins, 38, of 210 Hill Place, was instantly killed last night when his car struck a tree on the main road, two miles east... "
Daily newspapers carry thousands of new items similar to this every year. It is a tragically common form of death, but one of which very little is known.
Distinguished medical experts have written detailed post-mortem reports on crash victims. The primary reason for these reports was to reduce fatalities by making cars safer, more ‘crash proof’. Out of it have come recommendations for safety belts, different types of steering wheel etc. But out of the report has also come something else; the terrifying picture of what happens to steel and glass, to flesh and blood, in those last split seconds when a human being is hurled into eternity.
This is a slow motion, split second reconstruction of what happens when a car travelling at 55 mph crashes into a solid, immovable tree:
1/10th OF A SECOND:
The front bumper and chromium radiator grille collapse. Slivers of steel penetrate the tree to depths of one and a half inches and more.
2/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The bonnet crumples as it rises, smashing into the windscreen. Spinning rear wheels leave the ground. The radiator disintegrates. The wings come into contact with the tree, forcing the rear pads to splay out over the front door.
In the same second tenth of a second:
The heavy structural members of the car begin to act as a brake on the terrific forward momentum of the body, but the driver’s body continues to move forward at the vehicles original speed. This means of force of 10 times gravity his body weight 3200. His legs, ramrod-straight, snap at the knee joint.
3/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The driver's body is now off the seat, torso upright, broken knees pressing against the dashboard. The plastic and steel frame of the steering wheel begins to bend under his terrible death grip. His head is now near the sun visor, his chest above the steering column.
4/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The cars front 24 inches have been completely demolished, but the rear end is still travelling at an estimated speed of 35 miles per hour. The driver's body is still travelling at 55mph. The engine block crushes into the tree. The rear of the car, like a bucking horse, rises high enough to scrape bark of low branches.
5/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The driver's fear frozen hands bend the steering column into an almost vertical position. The force of gravity impales him on the steering column. Jagged steel punctures lungs and arteries. Blood spurts into the lung.
6/10th’s OF A SECOND:
So great is the force of impact that the driver's feet are ripped from his tightly laced shoes. The brake pedal sheers at the floorboards. The chassis bends in the middle. The driver's head smashes into the windscreen. The rear of the car begins its downward fall, with spinning wheels digging into the ground.
7/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The entire, writhing body of the car is forced out of shape. Hinges tear. Doors spring open. In one last convulsion the seat rams forward, pinning the driver against the cruel steel of the steering column. Blood leaps from his mouth. Shock has frozen his heart. He is now dead.
TIME ELAPSED - SEVEN TENTHS OF ONE SECOND
SPEED KILLS. DON’T TAKE THE CHANCE
This afternoon – Death of a Motorcyclist in 1.42 Seconds
Digg This!
"John Collins, 38, of 210 Hill Place, was instantly killed last night when his car struck a tree on the main road, two miles east... "
Daily newspapers carry thousands of new items similar to this every year. It is a tragically common form of death, but one of which very little is known.
Distinguished medical experts have written detailed post-mortem reports on crash victims. The primary reason for these reports was to reduce fatalities by making cars safer, more ‘crash proof’. Out of it have come recommendations for safety belts, different types of steering wheel etc. But out of the report has also come something else; the terrifying picture of what happens to steel and glass, to flesh and blood, in those last split seconds when a human being is hurled into eternity.
This is a slow motion, split second reconstruction of what happens when a car travelling at 55 mph crashes into a solid, immovable tree:
1/10th OF A SECOND:
The front bumper and chromium radiator grille collapse. Slivers of steel penetrate the tree to depths of one and a half inches and more.
2/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The bonnet crumples as it rises, smashing into the windscreen. Spinning rear wheels leave the ground. The radiator disintegrates. The wings come into contact with the tree, forcing the rear pads to splay out over the front door.
In the same second tenth of a second:
The heavy structural members of the car begin to act as a brake on the terrific forward momentum of the body, but the driver’s body continues to move forward at the vehicles original speed. This means of force of 10 times gravity his body weight 3200. His legs, ramrod-straight, snap at the knee joint.
3/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The driver's body is now off the seat, torso upright, broken knees pressing against the dashboard. The plastic and steel frame of the steering wheel begins to bend under his terrible death grip. His head is now near the sun visor, his chest above the steering column.
4/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The cars front 24 inches have been completely demolished, but the rear end is still travelling at an estimated speed of 35 miles per hour. The driver's body is still travelling at 55mph. The engine block crushes into the tree. The rear of the car, like a bucking horse, rises high enough to scrape bark of low branches.
5/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The driver's fear frozen hands bend the steering column into an almost vertical position. The force of gravity impales him on the steering column. Jagged steel punctures lungs and arteries. Blood spurts into the lung.
6/10th’s OF A SECOND:
So great is the force of impact that the driver's feet are ripped from his tightly laced shoes. The brake pedal sheers at the floorboards. The chassis bends in the middle. The driver's head smashes into the windscreen. The rear of the car begins its downward fall, with spinning wheels digging into the ground.
7/10th’s OF A SECOND:
The entire, writhing body of the car is forced out of shape. Hinges tear. Doors spring open. In one last convulsion the seat rams forward, pinning the driver against the cruel steel of the steering column. Blood leaps from his mouth. Shock has frozen his heart. He is now dead.
TIME ELAPSED - SEVEN TENTHS OF ONE SECOND
SPEED KILLS. DON’T TAKE THE CHANCE
This afternoon – Death of a Motorcyclist in 1.42 Seconds
Digg This!
Tuesday, 15 May 2007
Speeding: Evading The Cops
Stay alert!!!! Speeding requires concentration if you don't want to get caught.
Keep your eyes peeled for police cars, as well as unmarked vehicles - look for video units, twin rear view mirrors.
Slow down in areas where you can't see what's on the hard shoulders.
Don't pass other drivers at high speeds. They could be an off-duty copper.
Slow down when approaching other cars, and pass them at a steady pace. Watch in your rear-view mirror, cars you pass should be receding. If they began to pick up pace, slow down.
If there are other cars going by at higher speeds, take advantage of it! Get in behind them with plenty of distance between you and follow for a while at a slightly slower speed. Blend back into the traffic after a period and wait for another to come along.
Don't keep up a sustained high speed. This is self-explanatory. The longer you go at a very high speed, the more likely you are to be caught.
Drive a nondescript vehicle. Police are only human! They're more likely to go for that shiny yellow Porsche then a dirty grey Volvo. Avoid sporty cars with bright colours. But remember - everybody hates boy racers.
DISCLAIMER: The Dieting Man Does Not Condone Speeding.
Digg This!
Keep your eyes peeled for police cars, as well as unmarked vehicles - look for video units, twin rear view mirrors.
Slow down in areas where you can't see what's on the hard shoulders.
Don't pass other drivers at high speeds. They could be an off-duty copper.
Slow down when approaching other cars, and pass them at a steady pace. Watch in your rear-view mirror, cars you pass should be receding. If they began to pick up pace, slow down.
If there are other cars going by at higher speeds, take advantage of it! Get in behind them with plenty of distance between you and follow for a while at a slightly slower speed. Blend back into the traffic after a period and wait for another to come along.
Don't keep up a sustained high speed. This is self-explanatory. The longer you go at a very high speed, the more likely you are to be caught.
Drive a nondescript vehicle. Police are only human! They're more likely to go for that shiny yellow Porsche then a dirty grey Volvo. Avoid sporty cars with bright colours. But remember - everybody hates boy racers.
DISCLAIMER: The Dieting Man Does Not Condone Speeding.
Digg This!
Speeding: Caught on Camera and Your Court Appearance
If You Were Caught On A Radar Gun
Ask to have a look at the radar gun and check that the gun displays the speed that you were stopped for. If possible, get the make, model and serial number of the radar gun. Ask the officer to demonstrate that the radar gun is calibrated (he will probably not do this, if not assume it is not calibrated and use it as evidence). Do not regard self-diagnostics as accurate, Radar guns are calibrated with a pair of tuning forks, and only this external test may be considered accurate. If the officer refuses to demonstrate the calibration, ask him to prove that he has tuning forks in the car (he will probably not be too happy at this point, but he can not do anything, your requests are legitimate). If he doesn't, tell the judge because this
means (at least in your eyes) that that the gun is not calibrated.
If You Were Caught On A LIDAR Gun
Ask to have a look at the radar gun and check that the gun displays the speed that you were stopped for. If possible, get the make, model and serial number of the laser unit. Note the positioning of the unit in relation to the sun or any other bright red or white light. LIDAR uses infrared light and does not work as well when aimed into infrared light sources like the sun or high beam headlights. Ask when the unit was last calibrated. Ask to see a demonstration of the calibration. The same notes apply for the RADAR gun. These however, are not tuned by forks.
YOU MUST MAKE NOTES AT THE SCENE. The officer certainly will. In court you may be asked if the notes were made while the events were still fresh in your mind. If you want to use the notes, then the answer must be a yes. Note the following:
The answers to any questions you asked the officer.
Any items you noted above.
Positions of OTHER CARS. You may be able to claim that he metered someone else, but stopped you (particularly lorries, since radar is good at locking into a larger object).
The weather conditions.
The time and date.
Your direction of travel and the source and destination.
The lane you were in and the name of the road, also the area.
The officer's direction of travel and lane, or note if he was parked.
A brief physical description of the officer so you recognize him in court. (PHOTO if possible)
Take the officer's number, and the unit number on his car.
If you were caught on a Camera.
The police MUST send you a notice of intended prosecution within 14 days.
If they do not, the case is a non-starter.
Preparing For Trial
Examine the ticket a few times. Look for mistakes on the ticket such as a wrong name, time, date, or location. If there are any, you should tell them to the Magistrate. Gather evidence, you should write to the police and ask for at least the following items:
Full copy of the Instruction manual for the RADAR/LIDAR device used.
Copy (both sides) of the calibration certificate.
Details of the training (copy of certificate if there is one) given to the officer in the use of the PARTICULAR device.
It is also recommended that you return to the scene and take pictures of the area, including any signs, which indicate the law. Make sure that your pictures are clear. DO NOT use a digital camera, as it may not be admissible (because you may have Photoshopped it…)
If the Crown Requests an Adjournment
An Adjournment is a postponement of the original trial date. The prosecution may ask for an adjournment because the officer cannot appear on the trial date, which was set. If possible DO NOT agree to this, tell the judge that you had to take a day off work to appear or something (try not to lie.)
Make note of any irregularities in the procedure in your statement to the judge. Irregularities include things such as the wrong ticket number printed on the notice, a silly reason for requesting adjournment (such as a planned holiday, which the police should have known about before setting the date), or receipt of the adjournment notice too close to the trial date. It is possible that if you protest the adjournment, it will be denied. In this case (no pun intended) the charges should be dropped since you can't have a case without the officer’s presence.
In Court
Check in with the prosecutor and usher and make sure you are on the case list, and that he knows you have appeared for trial. This is just to make your presence known, and hope that may offer a plea bargain at this point, which you could consider. He may not look for the officer. If he doesn't appear, the charges should be dropped. This is where it is handy to reference the physical description you should have taken at the scene. If the officer does appear he may approach you and ask to talk to you before the trial. You don't have to, but it is polite to. Ask him to withdraw the charge. He won't likely do that. DO NOT indicate your strategy to him, or show him any notes or pictures. Keep this stuff in a manila envelope or briefcase so that it is out of view prior to the actual trial.
Cross Examining the Officer
This is your chance to put your notes and pictures to work. Ask the officer questions about the day to establish whether he really remembers the incident and you. If he doesn't seem to, ask him directly whether he really remembers what happened that day. Destroying the officer’s credibility is an excellent way to get acquitted. Ask about the radar or lidar equipment. If the officer refused to demonstrate the calibration, ask why and demand to know if the unit was truly calibrated. Each situation is different, but you should be able to use your notes to develop a strategy, which insinuates that the equipment used to clock your speed was not accurate. If you achieve this you will be acquitted. Ask the officer about the laws in the area. This includes turn controls, signalling devices, speed limits, and so on. If he doesn't get it right, use your pictures of the area to prove that he is wrong. Showing that the officer does not understand the laws in effect in the area is another good way to reduce his credibility as a witness against you. You can try to go for the attack that the clocking may have been racially motivated. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS and proceed with caution. If all goes well, you may make the officer lose his cool and throw a wobbly, this will drop his credibility. Or you may end up with a charge of contempt. Perhaps you could leave this approach out of the equation…
Courtesy and Appearance
Do not underestimate the impression of a shower, clean shave, haircut, and nice suit and tie at the trial. You will look more innocent in this type of dress, and your chance of acquittal or fine reduction will be improved. You must also be courteous to the judge and officers of the court. If you make the judge mad, you will be convicted, so don't make him/her mad.
Summary of Detection Methods
What do policemen use to detect speeders on the road?
Their primary method of detection is to use a laser gun. Being one of the newest technologies and unlike radar guns, a laser beam doesn't spread out much at all, so the police can pinpoint one car and get a precise reading on it. So, why don't police just use laser? You need a VERY steady hand to use a laser gun, because the beam travels so fast there and back and the computer calculates the speed based on perhaps a quarter second burst. So, if the policeman moves his arm so much as a millimetre while shooting the gun, and the beam moves to a point on the car that is closer or further away then the initial contact point, the reading will be totally off. Think about it, if a policeman were pointing the gun at a front licence plate that is 150 feet away, a tiny movement of his arm would move the beam to the windshield of the car. Because of these problems with laser, some courts in the USA have ruled that police cannot use laser for speed detection unless they can cross-reference their speed estimate by either a stopwatch or radar. Radar guns use 3 different bands, these are X, K, and Ka super wide. There isn't a huge difference in performance of any of these bands, they just use different frequencies. Even with all the new technologies out there, police still tend to rely on their radar guns, they are tried and true. They do have a number of drawbacks, however. The beam emitted from a radar gun spreads rapidly, which means it performs poorly in heavy traffic conditions. There are several other methods of detection the police may use. One of them is a speed trap such as Autovision, VASCAR, DS2 etc. in which a portion of road has been measured or had devices fitted in the tarmac, and when you enter the speed trap, the police start a timer, video or similar.... and they can calculate your speed based on how long it takes you to get through the speed trap. These can work very well. There's also photo radar, Gatso which may be built into traffic lights in medium to large size cities. The radar beam will calculate your speed, and snap a picture of your licence plate... and you'll get a ticket in the mail in 14 days.
Later Today:
Evasion Methods
Digg This!
Ask to have a look at the radar gun and check that the gun displays the speed that you were stopped for. If possible, get the make, model and serial number of the radar gun. Ask the officer to demonstrate that the radar gun is calibrated (he will probably not do this, if not assume it is not calibrated and use it as evidence). Do not regard self-diagnostics as accurate, Radar guns are calibrated with a pair of tuning forks, and only this external test may be considered accurate. If the officer refuses to demonstrate the calibration, ask him to prove that he has tuning forks in the car (he will probably not be too happy at this point, but he can not do anything, your requests are legitimate). If he doesn't, tell the judge because this
means (at least in your eyes) that that the gun is not calibrated.
If You Were Caught On A LIDAR Gun
Ask to have a look at the radar gun and check that the gun displays the speed that you were stopped for. If possible, get the make, model and serial number of the laser unit. Note the positioning of the unit in relation to the sun or any other bright red or white light. LIDAR uses infrared light and does not work as well when aimed into infrared light sources like the sun or high beam headlights. Ask when the unit was last calibrated. Ask to see a demonstration of the calibration. The same notes apply for the RADAR gun. These however, are not tuned by forks.
YOU MUST MAKE NOTES AT THE SCENE. The officer certainly will. In court you may be asked if the notes were made while the events were still fresh in your mind. If you want to use the notes, then the answer must be a yes. Note the following:
The answers to any questions you asked the officer.
Any items you noted above.
Positions of OTHER CARS. You may be able to claim that he metered someone else, but stopped you (particularly lorries, since radar is good at locking into a larger object).
The weather conditions.
The time and date.
Your direction of travel and the source and destination.
The lane you were in and the name of the road, also the area.
The officer's direction of travel and lane, or note if he was parked.
A brief physical description of the officer so you recognize him in court. (PHOTO if possible)
Take the officer's number, and the unit number on his car.
If you were caught on a Camera.
The police MUST send you a notice of intended prosecution within 14 days.
If they do not, the case is a non-starter.
Preparing For Trial
Examine the ticket a few times. Look for mistakes on the ticket such as a wrong name, time, date, or location. If there are any, you should tell them to the Magistrate. Gather evidence, you should write to the police and ask for at least the following items:
Full copy of the Instruction manual for the RADAR/LIDAR device used.
Copy (both sides) of the calibration certificate.
Details of the training (copy of certificate if there is one) given to the officer in the use of the PARTICULAR device.
It is also recommended that you return to the scene and take pictures of the area, including any signs, which indicate the law. Make sure that your pictures are clear. DO NOT use a digital camera, as it may not be admissible (because you may have Photoshopped it…)
If the Crown Requests an Adjournment
An Adjournment is a postponement of the original trial date. The prosecution may ask for an adjournment because the officer cannot appear on the trial date, which was set. If possible DO NOT agree to this, tell the judge that you had to take a day off work to appear or something (try not to lie.)
Make note of any irregularities in the procedure in your statement to the judge. Irregularities include things such as the wrong ticket number printed on the notice, a silly reason for requesting adjournment (such as a planned holiday, which the police should have known about before setting the date), or receipt of the adjournment notice too close to the trial date. It is possible that if you protest the adjournment, it will be denied. In this case (no pun intended) the charges should be dropped since you can't have a case without the officer’s presence.
In Court
Check in with the prosecutor and usher and make sure you are on the case list, and that he knows you have appeared for trial. This is just to make your presence known, and hope that may offer a plea bargain at this point, which you could consider. He may not look for the officer. If he doesn't appear, the charges should be dropped. This is where it is handy to reference the physical description you should have taken at the scene. If the officer does appear he may approach you and ask to talk to you before the trial. You don't have to, but it is polite to. Ask him to withdraw the charge. He won't likely do that. DO NOT indicate your strategy to him, or show him any notes or pictures. Keep this stuff in a manila envelope or briefcase so that it is out of view prior to the actual trial.
Cross Examining the Officer
This is your chance to put your notes and pictures to work. Ask the officer questions about the day to establish whether he really remembers the incident and you. If he doesn't seem to, ask him directly whether he really remembers what happened that day. Destroying the officer’s credibility is an excellent way to get acquitted. Ask about the radar or lidar equipment. If the officer refused to demonstrate the calibration, ask why and demand to know if the unit was truly calibrated. Each situation is different, but you should be able to use your notes to develop a strategy, which insinuates that the equipment used to clock your speed was not accurate. If you achieve this you will be acquitted. Ask the officer about the laws in the area. This includes turn controls, signalling devices, speed limits, and so on. If he doesn't get it right, use your pictures of the area to prove that he is wrong. Showing that the officer does not understand the laws in effect in the area is another good way to reduce his credibility as a witness against you. You can try to go for the attack that the clocking may have been racially motivated. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS and proceed with caution. If all goes well, you may make the officer lose his cool and throw a wobbly, this will drop his credibility. Or you may end up with a charge of contempt. Perhaps you could leave this approach out of the equation…
Courtesy and Appearance
Do not underestimate the impression of a shower, clean shave, haircut, and nice suit and tie at the trial. You will look more innocent in this type of dress, and your chance of acquittal or fine reduction will be improved. You must also be courteous to the judge and officers of the court. If you make the judge mad, you will be convicted, so don't make him/her mad.
Summary of Detection Methods
What do policemen use to detect speeders on the road?
Their primary method of detection is to use a laser gun. Being one of the newest technologies and unlike radar guns, a laser beam doesn't spread out much at all, so the police can pinpoint one car and get a precise reading on it. So, why don't police just use laser? You need a VERY steady hand to use a laser gun, because the beam travels so fast there and back and the computer calculates the speed based on perhaps a quarter second burst. So, if the policeman moves his arm so much as a millimetre while shooting the gun, and the beam moves to a point on the car that is closer or further away then the initial contact point, the reading will be totally off. Think about it, if a policeman were pointing the gun at a front licence plate that is 150 feet away, a tiny movement of his arm would move the beam to the windshield of the car. Because of these problems with laser, some courts in the USA have ruled that police cannot use laser for speed detection unless they can cross-reference their speed estimate by either a stopwatch or radar. Radar guns use 3 different bands, these are X, K, and Ka super wide. There isn't a huge difference in performance of any of these bands, they just use different frequencies. Even with all the new technologies out there, police still tend to rely on their radar guns, they are tried and true. They do have a number of drawbacks, however. The beam emitted from a radar gun spreads rapidly, which means it performs poorly in heavy traffic conditions. There are several other methods of detection the police may use. One of them is a speed trap such as Autovision, VASCAR, DS2 etc. in which a portion of road has been measured or had devices fitted in the tarmac, and when you enter the speed trap, the police start a timer, video or similar.... and they can calculate your speed based on how long it takes you to get through the speed trap. These can work very well. There's also photo radar, Gatso which may be built into traffic lights in medium to large size cities. The radar beam will calculate your speed, and snap a picture of your licence plate... and you'll get a ticket in the mail in 14 days.
Later Today:
Evasion Methods
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Monday, 14 May 2007
Avoiding The Speeding Ticket
Alrighty There People!
DO NOT get cocky at the scene, you have nothing against the police officer, he/she is only doing his/her job. It is the system that you want to fight.
TOMORROW...If You Were Caught on a Radar Gun
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Slightly off topic again, but here goes... what happens when you get pulled for speeding? Try this...
What Must the Officer Do, and What Should You Do?
When you are being reported for speeding, the Police Officer must tell you that "you will be reported for consideration of the question of prosecuting you for exceeding the speed limit." It must either be given verbally or in writing at the time,or in writing within fourteen days or a summons be issued within fourteen days.Following this Notice of Intended Prosecution, he should then caution you by saying, "You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned, something you later rely on in Court. Anything youdo say may be given in evidence."Under Section 1 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act, 1988, section 1, it states, "A person shall not be convicted of an offence to which this section applies,(speeding, dangerous driving, careless driving, failing to conform to traffic lights,failing to conform to stop signs, continuous white lines in the middle of the road and other mandatory road signs) unless the Notice of Intended Prosecution was given."When being booked for speeding or any other offence, if possible switch on a tape recorder or Dictaphone so that you have a record of what the officer says. Be careful, some Police Forces do have the N.I.P. printed on the HO/RT/1 producer form or on specially printed forms for speeding offences.
How to Avoid Being NICKED When You Are Stopped
In a word: Act. However much you want to tell the police how crap his last manoeuvres were, you actually do this... Dependent on how bad the offence is, because remember, by the time he gets to your car he has pretty well made uphis or her mind what they will be doing. Try your utmost to make the officer truly believe that he has really got to your soul. He will always have a cautionary tale of something gruesome that just happens to have occurred right next to where you are. They make these lectures often. They want to feel that by telling you they can 'make a difference'. Make sureyou stop the very instant you know you are going to be stopped, be on the pavement looking seriously glum. If your licence has already has points on it, you are going to need talent.Go with the super-miserable, "Oh god, I of all blokes should know better by now..." If you can raise a Hollywood tear you are Oscar material. No matter how base, low and stupid it makes you feel, exult in the aftermath when you get a good tickingoff - but no ticket.
What To Do If Caught
Firstly, not enough people who are caught fight it in court, they simply accept it, get the points and pay the fine. If more than 10% fought the ticket the judicial system dealing with this would be overwhelmed and brought down on its knees. If in doubt, fight it. The worst thing that can happen is that you will be convicted of your original offence. You can get a heftier fine and more points in court, but unless you were doing silly speeds, it’s unlikely. Make the systems life HELL when fighting it. Remember it is going to cost the system a huge amount of money to prosecute you, in the officer's time, court'stime, prosecutor's time etc. The best thing you can do is make it worse. Here are some steps you can take.
What To Do At The Scene
It is critical that you start contesting your ticket at the scene of the alleged offence. You must judge the officer’s temperament and situation and decide for yourself. You are more likely to get let off by a normal officer (black hat, black uniform) than by a traffic officer (white hat, green overcoat). Remember, its a traffic cop's job to catch you, the normal cop probably does not want the added paperwork. If the officer asks you how fast you think you were going you can take one of three approaches:
1. You can deny it outright and tell him you weren't speeding, that you checked the speedometer. DO NOT get into an argument, but do not admit guilt. This is unlikely to prevent him from giving you a ticket, but you can tell judge at a trial that you were not speeding and you checked the speedometer, you can have the officer confirm that in your cross examination of him. This will serve to make your case stronger.
2. You can say that you are not sure, your mind was elsewhere. If he insists you were speeding, then sidestep by saying something like, "I guess I must have been otherwise you would not have stopped me." DO NOT admit guilt, this approach simply reiterates the officers accusation. This is difficult to use as evidence in court on both sides.
3. Be honest and admit guilt. If you are stopped by a traffic officer, then you are going to get a ticket anyway so this is a stupid approach. If it is a normal officer, you may get off for being honest. This approach relies on luck. Forget fighting it in court if you admit guilt.
NEVER admit guilt, even if you do not intend fighting it, none of the "I have aplane to catch", "I'm late for work", "My house is on fire," etc.All speed-pacing police cars have to have their Speedo's measured and certified. Only traffic police cars are done, and the Speedo will have increments of 1 mph's. If you are stopped by a non-traffic officer, and told that he/she followed you andyou were speeding, simply ask as a matter of course when his Speedo was last calibrated. It is likely he will let you go since normal police (Beat) cars do not have certified Speedo’s; theirs is the same as yours and mine.
NEVER surrender your licence at the roadside; you will get a chance to take it to a police station. Surrendering your licence at the roadside is an admission of guilt. Surrendering it at a police station later is just abiding by the law.
If you are given a ticket, study it carefully before leaving the scene. The officer will ask if you have questions about the ticket.
If you are given a ticket, study it carefully before leaving the scene. The officer will ask if you have questions about the ticket.
DO NOT get cocky at the scene, you have nothing against the police officer, he/she is only doing his/her job. It is the system that you want to fight.
TOMORROW...If You Were Caught on a Radar Gun
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