QLD Speeding Fines - How Accurate are Speed Cameras?

[Lina5]

Just received a traffic fine for speeding. There are 2 lanes and a car in each lane very close to each other. One car is mine and other - someone else's.

How do I know beyond reasonable doubt that the speed recorded belonged to my car? How accurate the cameras are in such situation? What chance do I have to go to Court and win the speeding fines case?

 

[Jermy]

Just received a traffic fine for speeding. There are 2 lanes and a car in each lane very close to each other. One car is mine and other - someone else's.

How do I know beyond reasonable doubt that the speed recorded belonged to my car? How accurate the cameras are in such situation? What chance do I have to go to Court and win the speeding fines case?

I am not sure about QLD, I'm in NSW, and in NSW, each case is separate and the person has can not argue the other if near each other, the police are free to charge who they want. It is at their discretion. Some time ago, I had a red light camera infringement while there was other car next to me(and he passed the red light before me), he did not get an infringement, when I discussed with a lawyer that is what I was informed, it will not help my case arguing that the other party did not get a ticket.

The only thing you can do is get the video and try to calculate the speed you were driving, and don't refer to the other person. But as I mentioned I'm in NSW, I don't know if it is the same in QLD. Go to a lawyer.

Good luck.

 

[kimsland]

Just received a traffic fine for speeding. There are 2 lanes and a car in each lane very close to each other. One car is mine and other - someone else's.

How do I know beyond reasonable doubt that the speed recorded belonged to my car? How accurate the cameras are in such situation? What chance do I have to go to Court and win the speeding fines case?

Camera accuracy in Qld is pointed out here > https://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/roadSafety/infringement/camera.htm

If you are implying that no one in peak hour traffic could ever get a speeding fine because there are cars everywhere, then this is not true. The speeding cameras lock directly onto the car in question and you can even confirm this by the picture (if any) that is taken ie It will show your car as the main car in the picture.

The way to get out of these things are more comprehensive than saying the device was at fault (unless of course the device was last tested more than a year ago of course, which I'd say is very unlikely, knowing the police funding at the moment (nation wide) they are likely brand new radars!).

Driving record even experience; need for license, road conditions including rough surfaces; weather conditions, plus this may be a bit strange but > the reason you were speeding. Believe it or not valid reasons can be for life threatening situations, and other diverse range of excuses. Anyway this list is as endless as a court hearing would permit.

If your speed was very close to the speed limit you can argue you were overtaking the car next to you and not unsafely pacing right next to it, this may allow you say 5km/h. If your speed was excessive (say above 15) then at best you could lower it but generally not remove it. Therefore why even try in court which may not even succeed.

Your original question was about the accuracy of the camera to you with other cars around you. Not an issue, sorry.

 

[PeanutLuver]

https://www.police.qld.gov.au/corporatedocs/OperationalPolicies/Documents/TrafficManual/Chapter8.pdf


See chapter 8.7 - but which is really probably more for prior to an infringement getting to SPER / your later SPER notices, & prior to court (which may best best avoided). Used to be for process to request review of infringement / that you believe error may have been made - u write to a senior officer like district superintendent (not sure now).

Maybe phone transport dept & ask for advice & Google their website - check back of fine & initial SPER paper too for any instruction on how you might request review etc. Don't know if u can request the full photo, or how I go if car next to you/nearby/behind - they may already try to account for this,

Speed camera calibration

Well technically a lot of scientific testing equipment may need calibrating regularly & some even each use. It depends on the equipment type.

Think maybe a few years back it may have been that traffic speed cameras (eg hand helds, mobile ones) has to be calibrated/re calibrated a lot eg maybe even each use/day.

But I vaguely recall a special law being introduced somewhere to say that Police no longer have to do this anywhere near as much. My vague recollection is that this may not just be state specific, but that it might have been a federal law that was introduced - not sure - you would need to check state/federal law regarding police calibrating.

Part of the law change may have been more to help reduce drivers challenging tickets

Yeah, I'm Qld the last few years police keep saying they dropping the % margin they allow over the speed limit but won't say what that percentage so its a guess.

Then it's claimed most car manufacturers set car speedo so it overstates speed u are actually driving by a few kilometres - so it's claimed in media/on net - who knows if it's real or not or for which car brands ?

https://www.police.qld.gov.au/corporatedocs/OperationalPolicies/tm.htm


- speed camera calibration in QLD - eg see chapter 6 of the Jan 2017 QLD police manual for traffic matters - also chapter 9 mentions cameras

- the section on calibration in chapter 6 does mention a "National Measurement Act" too, & about manufacturers specifications, & about 12 monthly calibrations or something, but maybe this vary with camera (or not)

- they don't seem to have to calibrate their cameras as much as they used to