Speeding Fine, Photo Taken

[beano2274]

I have been told by my Mother in Law that a picture has turned up with me speeding on the road, the limit was 120 but I was doing 122kmh. The fine is 400 baht for 2kms per hour!!!! a bit extravagent.

Is there any chance of me arguing that the camera had not been tested correctly, or asking them when it had been tested. I think 2km per hour is a give or take number, in Germany they would not have bothered for 2km per hour.

Any ideas how to address this correctly and without being too impolite.

[Moonrakers]

The limit is the limit. For 400 baht, is it worth the hassle?

[transam]

Think we all know that car speedo's are a little inaccurate but arguing with the BiB is really a no no so forget it.

Seasons greetings to you and yours. T/A

[beano2274]

Well the camera was a TruCam, and according to the companies website the accuracy is +/- 2km/h

I have asked the company to confirm this in writing.

[transam]

Well the camera was a TruCam, and according to the companies website the accuracy is +/- 2km/h

I have asked the company to confirm this in writing.

BUT, the BiB want to make some beer money and for 400bht it really isn't worth the hassle. I got done in a 90 zone and was doing 90 . 200bht. I know it hurts but this is LOS.

[beano2274]

This might be LOS, but the Police are slowly getting more and more people looking down at them, the best thing for them to do is start being straight. My MIL has the car registered to her, she is a Government official who hates the Police, so I will ask her what she wants to do.

I remember reading on here about the corruption needing to stop, loads of posters wanting to do something, well some of us need to cut the talking and start fighting back and stopping these thieves.

[Moonrakers]

This might be LOS, but the Police are slowly getting more and more people looking down at them, the best thing for them to do is start being straight. My MIL has the car registered to her, she is a Government official who hates the Police, so I will ask her what she wants to do.

I remember reading on here about the corruption needing to stop, loads of posters wanting to do something, well some of us need to cut the talking and start fighting back and stopping these thieves.

Fair enough

But how is this corruption?

[transam]

This might be LOS, but the Police are slowly getting more and more people looking down at them, the best thing for them to do is start being straight. My MIL has the car registered to her, she is a Government official who hates the Police, so I will ask her what she wants to do.

I remember reading on here about the corruption needing to stop, loads of posters wanting to do something, well some of us need to cut the talking and start fighting back and stopping these thieves.

Corruption is all the way to the top. Could tell you some stories but..... Forget it and move on.

[beano2274]

Instead of getting pictures of people speeding 2km of the limit, they should be getting the weavers off the road, those without lights, and those without a number plate off the roads.

[crazygreg44]

In Germany, the speed the camera clicked will always been reduced by a "tolerance" value of 5% ( not sure , it could be less or more % ) before the ticket is issued. The same could have happened in LOS, it would be worth while to ask police if an acceptable tolerance value has been reduced from the clicked speed, in order to erase possible inaccuracies. The German authorities can hold up a speed ticket in court appeals because of this method, such a claim on exactness of the camera is thus worthless. Maybe you should try to question the 2 kilometers , if not a little tolerance got reduced. If they signal no no, I just think the 400 Baht are not worth all the ballyhoo

[lannarebirth]

This might be LOS, but the Police are slowly getting more and more people looking down at them, the best thing for them to do is start being straight. My MIL has the car registered to her, she is a Government official who hates the Police, so I will ask her what she wants to do.

I remember reading on here about the corruption needing to stop, loads of posters wanting to do something, well some of us need to cut the talking and start fighting back and stopping these thieves.

Self righteous scofflaw! Pay the paltry fine.

You may wish to know that cameras were installed to reduce the corruption you claim to be a victim of. Everything official with a paper trail with this method. No backhanders.

[robblok]

Instead of getting pictures of people speeding 2km of the limit, they should be getting the weavers off the road, those without lights, and those without a number plate off the roads.

The old.. but others are wrong too so that makes my wrong less wrong defense. You were wrong.. its 400bt.. get over it. I do agree that those are more dangerous things but that does not mean they should not catch you they should catch them all.

[rgs2001uk]

Well the camera was a TruCam, and according to the companies website the accuracy is +/- 2km/h

I have asked the company to confirm this in writing.

When was the last time your speedo was calibrated and what is its tolerance?

[terrier123]

I am trying to show you some courtesey BUT ..... have you just arrived here?

As many others are saying, if you admit to speeding then pay the fine. You were not on the autobahn but in Thailand.

As many 000's of others, I have had to pay when under the limit so pay up

[Bagwan]

In the UK there used to be a tolerance of 10%. Don't know what the game is now. Speedometer drives are usually taken off the layshaft in the gearbox. An indicated 70 mph could be more if you have new tyres on the driving wheels.

I dislike cameras as I think it is a bit too 'big brother is watching you' for me. There can be no doubt that it has contributed to greater road safety though. Another reason never to return to the UK - speed cameras not road safety!.

I was belting along a dual carraigeway section of the A45 when a sign lit up and displayed my car registration number and my recorded speed. I was very taken aback and my right foot suddenly lost weight. The police were trialling the system but as far as I know didn't buy. Cameras were cheaper one supposes.

What is the betting that speed cameras are not too popular with BiB seeing that an avenue of personal enrichment has been blocked - assuming that the 400 baht goes where it is supposed to.

[apetley]

In the UK there used to be a tolerance of 10%. Don't know what the game is now. Speedometer drives are usually taken off the layshaft in the gearbox. An indicated 70 mph could be more if you have new tyres on the driving wheels.

I dislike cameras as I think it is a bit too 'big brother is watching you' for me. There can be no doubt that it has contributed to greater road safety though. Another reason never to return to the UK - speed cameras not road safety!.

I was belting along a dual carraigeway section of the A45 when a sign lit up and displayed my car registration number and my recorded speed. I was very taken aback and my right foot suddenly lost weight. The police were trialling the system but as far as I know didn't buy. Cameras were cheaper one supposes.

What is the betting that speed cameras are not too popular with BiB seeing that an avenue of personal enrichment has been blocked - assuming that the 400 baht goes where it is supposed to.

I worked for a while in forensics for the Hampshire Police Force and knew a few of the Traffic Officers. They told me that you could get away with 10% + 2 mph, so 35 mph in a 30 limit, 46 mph in a 40 etc. That was for the cameras.

I talked my way out of speeds in excess of 100 in a 60 limit once but had to do some serious grovelling

[craigt3365]

I'm visiting my mom now in a small town outside Las Vegas. The highway patrol now have a zero tolerance for speeders. The speed limit is 70. You WILL get a ticket at 71 if they catch you. Happens all the time here. You can't argue it and your insurance will increase. But I can tell you, I don't see commuters cruising by me at 80mph any more. It's a desolate and dangerous highway...

If your MIL wants to fight this, great! If she has some juice, you might get away with it...but probably not. Worse case, you're out 400B. No biggie. And you were speeding....

[robblok]

Just found out my wife just got a ticket for speeding. Also taken by camera. I had to laugh i was sitting next to her at the time and told her she was going much to fast. Now the ticket just arrived with some pictures with it. 10 km too fast 400bt. not much if you ask me.

[whybother]

In Germany, the speed the camera clicked will always been reduced by a "tolerance" value of 5% ( not sure , it could be less or more % ) before the ticket is issued. The same could have happened in LOS, it would be worth while to ask police if an acceptable tolerance value has been reduced from the clicked speed, in order to erase possible inaccuracies. The German authorities can hold up a speed ticket in court appeals because of this method, such a claim on exactness of the camera is thus worthless. Maybe you should try to question the 2 kilometers , if not a little tolerance got reduced. If they signal no no, I just think the 400 Baht are not worth all the ballyhoo

Basically the same in Aus (IIRC). They tell you it's 122, but it registered as 125 +/- 3.

400 baht. Nothing. In Aus it would be lucky to be under 6000.

[elliss]

Instead of getting pictures of people speeding 2km of the limit, they should be getting the weavers off the road, those without lights, and those without a number plate off the roads.

this is land of scams , thai culture .

pay up and shut up. :jap:

[phaethon]

There was a lot of fuss about this in the UK a few years ago when police announced 'zero tolerance' toward speeding. Every witless moron in the country (which is A LOT) threw up their arms and complained bitterly about having to drive EXACTLY to the limit and tickets would be issued at 1 kph over the limit, and there would be an epidemic of driving bans and people would be mowing down pedestrians because they were staring at their speedos all the time etc. etc. etc.

Zero tolerance in fact meant that if you were clocked at significantly over the limit your would be prosecuted, i.e. there would be zero tolerance in the decision to prosecute NOT that the threshold would be reduced to limit + 0 kph.

In the UK the rule from ACPO (Assoc. of Chief Police Officers) used to be, perhaps still is, 10% plus two. Because manufacturers (used to) only guarantee their speedometer calibration to +/- 10%, the law couldn't really blame motorists if they were up to 10% over and then there was an additional 2 units (in Iron-Age Britain , that would be in Roman miles per hour) leeway to account for the speedo's needle width. Thus if you were clocked at 36 in a 30 zone you were driving willfully at a speed which your speedometer clearly indicated was noticeably above the limit and hence you were liable to prosecution. At that point police officers had discretion to prosecute or just tick-off. Zero tolerance told them that discretion no longer applied - tickets for all who were above the limit +10%+2.

Having said that, manufacturers' tolerances on speedos are much tighter now than when the 10%+2 rule was first adopted and in fact are far more likely to read low than high. This I saw when I used to ride a bike with a police-calibrated speedo, trolling past cars in speed camera zones that thought they were doing the limit but in fact were 4 or five Iron Age Miles per hour under.

The OP being ticketed at just 2kph over the limit seems unfair and would be challengeable in the UK even under zero tolerance, but TIT and for 400THB is probably more effort than it is worth, unless you are really keen to get them to adopt a 10%+2 policy here. Good luck with that.

Also beware the MIL egging you on to confront the police - she may just be trying to get rid of you...

[ukrules]

I was belting along a dual carraigeway section of the A45 when a sign lit up and displayed my car registration number and my recorded speed. I was very taken aback and my right foot suddenly lost weight. The police were trialling the system but as far as I know didn't buy. Cameras were cheaper one supposes.

There have been some recent developments in the last couple of years with the speed camera situation across the UK. It appears that all the money used to go to the local authorities which meant a massive roll out of expensive to purchase and maintain camera systems. Central government then decided that they would keep all the money instead of the local authorities. The result - the originally much needed safety cameras which were essential just a year or two ago are now being decommissioned across the UK because they now cost money to have rather than make money for the operators.

I wonder where exactly does the money from camera issued tickets go to in Thailand ? The local police, local government or central government ?

I also wonder who pays for the installation / maintenance of the technology.

[endure]

I was belting along a dual carraigeway section of the A45 when a sign lit up and displayed my car registration number and my recorded speed. I was very taken aback and my right foot suddenly lost weight. The police were trialling the system but as far as I know didn't buy. Cameras were cheaper one supposes.

I think it's the other way round. Speed Cameras cost tens of thousands - a flashing sign probably costs much less.

[Monkeypants]

I remember reading on here about the corruption needing to stop, loads of posters wanting to do something, well some of us need to cut the talking and start fighting back and stopping these thieves.

I don't see the corruption that the OP complains about?

I do see

Speeding and a 400bt fine

Pay it and move on YOU are the one thats in the wrong ..

Edited December 24, 2010 by bonobo
removed insult

[Digitalbanana]

Also beware the MIL egging you on to confront the police - she may just be trying to get rid of you...

Isn't it the MIL's problem anyway since the car is reg to her name?

[DougLee]

Well this is good, i agree its shitty to get a ticket for 2km BUT it seems like wherever you live. The governement is starting to enforce one law. This is a good sign for a shitty corrupt country. Maybe in 6months in your area they will start giving tickets to motorbikes in the 3rd lane on the right etc etc.. maybe in 5 years they'll send thiefs and murderers to jail catch more than 1 paedophile per month

So pay up and make them feel good about their new initiative.. if people complain, they'll just stop doing it.

[chuang]

The speed limit is 120 km and you were caught doing at 122 km...you had exceeded the limit so you broke the law...a law is a law, they are only enforcing it...so just pay up or take them to court...

[Gaccha]

This might be LOS, but the Police are slowly getting more and more people looking down at them, the best thing for them to do is start being straight. My MIL has the car registered to her, she is a Government official who hates the Police, so I will ask her what she wants to do.

I remember reading on here about the corruption needing to stop, loads of posters wanting to do something, well some of us need to cut the talking and start fighting back and stopping these thieves.

Fair enough

But how is this corruption?

Exactly. There is no corruption. Indeed the camera fines are a force of anticorruption.

I personally know that it is the only type of car crime you can't get out of by being friends of a police general. The reason for this is it goes straight to the central database where the fine is automatically printed out and sent to you. There is apparently no way for even the man at the top to change things.

[beano2274]

The speed limit is 120 km and you were caught doing at 122 km...you had exceeded the limit so you broke the law...a law is a law, they are only enforcing it...so just pay up or take them to court...

The photo said 122km/h maybe I was doing less or more, how do I know if the measured speed is correct?

[Huey]

2kph over the limit;

Cheesy? YES

Corruption? No, corruption is when they pull you over for no other reason than to extort you because they think they can.

Pay the fine and suck it up.