Falsely Accused and Ticketed at Radar Trap

bh · Post by bh » Apr 26th, 2007, 2:27 pm

No but they are expected to write a certain number each month. Somehow there's a difference.

Stephen May · Post by **Stephen May** » Apr 26th, 2007, 2:48 pm

I would think that if flashing your lights is illegal then motorcycles are in deep trouble....

Struts 'N' Stuff Auto · Apr 26th, 2007, 3:37 pm

sinbad wrote:Do traffic cops really have a quota to reach?

I think they are expected to hand out tickets(traffic cops)
As far as an actual quota, I think everyone just makes fun of that statement, I don't think they really have one.
I am sure somewhere in the paperwork and Budget, the System allows for a certain amount of income from traffic fines.

Teaps · Post by **Teaps** » Apr 26th, 2007, 5:15 pm

22 Times? So this COp...had the time to count the amount of times it was "flsashing" in the mean time letting speeders get off scott free? Crooked Cops in this town...ALL of them

brokun_windoz · Post by **brokun_windoz** » Apr 27th, 2007, 8:31 am

Maybe this cop's a rookie and is still a bit wet behind the ears. In any case, this is crapola. Fight it Sinbad.

dsldriver · Post by **dsldriver** » Apr 28th, 2007, 2:23 am

Sinbad. I would try this first. Get your friend to stand in the same place as the officer, and then have him phone you and start down Benvoilin road towards them. Benvoulin is not the smoothest with lots of little dips and rises. I am willing to bet that then the friend will see the flashing. What the officer would have seen is what looked like a flash when the front of your car was lifting out of a dip, and then the lights appear to go back down as the car levels out. Take your car down Swamp Rd. one night, and you will see what I mean. The horizon line in the focus of your headlights will bounce up and down with the dips. As the horizon line goes up and down, it wouild look like you are flashing your lights. I have met many of these similar cars on the road at night. One second the lights blind you and the next, they don't.

westbanker · Post by **westbanker** » Apr 28th, 2007, 9:22 am

BRILLIANT IDEA Dsldriver !!

there's been MANY times i have thought i was being flashed by oncoming vehicles when in fact it was just poor/erroded roadway. Alot of these newer cars have lights that produce a very sharp light horizon and can appear to be flashing when the line of sight focus is going up and down due to these dips.

just like precedent cases where charges were waived because the cop failed to calibrate his/her radar gun, ask the judge what provisions the cop did in investigating the levelness of the road before he used it as a metric.

dsldriver · Post by **dsldriver** » Apr 29th, 2007, 8:32 am

The newest buses that we have in the Transit fleet have these funky headlights with the sharp horizon and when you hit a bump in the road, you normally get the oncoming traffic flashing their high beams at you. Of course, a quick flick on the switch, and I can tell you how many wrinkles are on their foreheads. They are that bright. Great to drive with, but not to drive into.

Jerry55 · Post by **Jerry55** » Apr 30th, 2007, 9:47 pm

Heh,

Sinbad, I drove past this roadblock as well, heading towards the mall they were on the opposite side near the Strawberry fruit stand at the time. So being the good citizen I am, I go ahead and start toggling my lights to warn oncoming traffic of the *bleep* cops ahead.

So anyways I go to the mall for about 5-10 mins, then I head back home down Benvoulin and they have another radar stop set up further down the road (towards) the mall. I was kinda suprised that they did this, kind of like trapping motorists for evreything that day.

Somebody must of *bleep* them off, and I also hope you didn't get falsely accused for my actions(if you were driving by me). But that wouldn't be possible as they hadn't set up a 2nd trap on Benvoulin yet.

Good luck in court, you should win your case from what i've seen. :smt023

damngrumpy · Post by **damngrumpy** » Apr 30th, 2007, 11:17 pm

Take it to court, and also do the inspection, to prove you complied, then go after the officer for the amount of the inspection if you win the case.
To my knowledge it is not a offence to flash lights.

sinbad · Post by **sinbad** » May 1st, 2007, 8:33 am

Well I took my car in for the inspection and of course, passed. There's nothing wrong with my car. Cost was $80. They said they gave me a break on the cost as I also had the regular service done.

I also had my parents drive my car along that stretch while I videotaped. My dad drove with the lights off and lo and behold, the lights were flickering as if they were "flashing". I did this yesterday and it was not very sunny. I have it all on tape.

Looking at my lights, even while parked, they appear to have a prism like makeup to them. There's no doubt they reflect the light and being my car is a Mustang, it is very low to the ground.

I also spoke with a business associate who has a degree in criminology and has studied the Motor Vehicle Act. Section 4.28 Regs really does not apply to what the officer "accused" me of doing. It refers to a vehicle being "equipped" with a device for flashing lights. He says I'll beat the charge simply because of that. He said it is not illegal to flash your headlights. In fact to flash headlights at cars obviously speeding is a good thing as they are a potential hazard. Flashing your lights at them and getting them to slow down could save a life.

I am taking the matter to court and will let you all know how it goes.

Sinbad

Snarf · Post by **Snarf** » May 1st, 2007, 9:15 am

Teaps wrote:22 Times? So this COp...had the time to count the amount of times it was "flsashing" in the mean time letting speeders get off scott free? Crooked Cops in this town...ALL of them

I totally disagree with your "crooked cops" statement!!!

Bitter · Post by **Bitter** » May 1st, 2007, 12:32 pm

sinbad wrote:I am taking the matter to court and will let you all know how it goes.

Sinbad

Excellent! I am sorry that it has cost you to have to defend yourself, but in the end I think it will prove to be a valuable lesson for all... even if it is a little embarrassing for the cop.

Good luck!
:130:

casey60 · Post by **casey60** » May 2nd, 2007, 8:29 am

You did your home work and congratulations. Sure the Judge and the PO will be impressed with your videotape. The broader question is tho, as already somewhat stated by another contributor to this forum, that motorcycles riders are advised by the safety council to have a "flasher" installed that flashes the headlight to flash while riding. So the motorcycle is better seen by other motorists. If you do not win your case, will these flashers then be illegal as well? I sure like to know as I ride a MC.
So good luck and am looking fwrd to the result. Oh and maybe if you let me know when the case is heard, I dont mind being there to listen and observe.

Interiors · Post by **Interiors** » May 2nd, 2007, 9:45 am

I can understand what you are going though. I was in the same boat as you with my motorcycle once. The problem is that it is not something you can fight in court I tried they will tell you that it is up to the officer to make that can and if he deams the vehicle unsafe you are screwed. It cost me $600.00 before I was finished so the best advise I can give you is make dam sure your car is in top notch shape and everything is working because if you fale the inspection notice you pay to have everything fix by who ever did the inspection or you can have it fix by a licenced mechanic which must sign off the repair and then pay for the inspection to be done again, all in the 30 days no extentions.

GOOD LUCK