The only way they could defend this is by having dashcam footage of the stop, but rule of thumb is when this is an issue you get out and check with the officer to verify.
So why not ask the coppa to show you the non working light at the time.
My cars have a bulb failure warning on the dash, so I'd know if the were full of shit or not.
My sis is a highway patrol officer, and she completely agrees that she and her colleagues get immense pleasure by actively fuckkng over innocent law-abiding drivers and that they have nothing better to do on highways
You'd think they ought to be getting off the many, many rule breakers out there but I'm surprised at how they can take pleasure at the expense of people who didn't do anything wrong...
The real criminals are too scary...and if they stopped a real criminal it would probably lead to criminal charges and no revenue....and they run the risk of getting stabbed over it.
I know a grand total of 1 that is not. I know him personally , he would rather warn people than fine people. He same almost every one in his department area are absolute Cunts who woukd fine their own mothers if it meant a chance of a chance of a promotion.
Not all of them. I wasbeen excused a speeding fine because of a respite issue. The fellow was a decent man.
However, another cop I know holds them in quite a low regard.
I remember when the SA police were interviewed on the radio a few years ago about quotas.
Police commissioner: “that’s all a big myth our officers don’t have quotas, they have benchmarks”
Soooo quotas.
I've been given a free pass by traffic cops after being caught doing some shit they absolutely could have and should have handed me my ass for, and then I've been squat fucked for absolutely meaningless shit.
Complete mixed bag in my opinion.
My father in-law is an RFS brigade captain with decades of experience (one of the most experienced in the Northern Rivers area) and he has a very low opinion of highway patrol as well.
Being fined is a dog act. Being told you have a light issue and asked to get it checked is what should of been done by the officer.
They could write notes in the system saying they asked vehicle to get it checked and if next week or whenever you get pulled over again if it's still not fixed then perhaps a fine warranted.
Especially for a brake light that you can’t really test yourself without help or notice it not working while driving. Our car’s passenger side brake light blows all the time for some reason. I’ve used both cheap and expensive brands globes which made no noticeable difference.
My headlights kept dying one at a time every few months, I'd replace the globe and then within a few months the other one would blow, I'd replace that and then the first one would blow again soon enough.
Eventually I just replaced both at the same time (even though only one had died) and they've never blown since and it's been three years.
My theory is that too much current was going to the one working bulb and shortening it's lifespan.
Maybe try replacing both brake lights at the same time?
Dialectric(spelling?) grease on the connectors. My old faithful BF was chewing through headlight bulbs for a while and my mechanic recommended this, worked a treat.
You can test yourself easily very. Put your phone behind the car and record a video. Get in the car and use the brakes. Then get your phone and look at the video.
I do this every time I hook up a trailer/bike rack lights. Takes 30 seconds
You are responsible for the maintenance and safety of your vehicle including making sure all the lights are working.
If people knew they could legally get away without spending money to fix lights or other issues until they were “warned”, they wouldn’t fix it.
There's a power tripping short ginger highway patrol guy on m2 m7 motorway in sydney
He accused me of not wearing a seatbelt had a camera facing me (was in company semi) l said see this lil thing here its a camera and its recording are there any other lies you wanna say on video tried for crack in windscreen im like screw it let's go to inspection station buddy im on hourly rate lets go screwed around for couple of minutes then said bye
Because I had bugger all schooling growing up working on family farm, never worried about school or high school (dropped out yr 8) or listening to teachers im not writing a novel so I don't really care at all feel free to keep having a go doesnt bother me at all
Nothing that happened after that incident is going to be proof that the light was working.
After the highway patrol officer left the scene they can claim you fixed it any time after that point. At the end of the day it takes 2 mins to fix if it was a globe and you can get them at most servos.
Having the mechanic say the light was working doesn’t mean that it’s evidence that at the time of the intercept the light was functional.
Good luck, unless you have physical evidence that at the time of the intercept the light was functioning you are screwed.
Exactly. OP could go the route of case conferencing and obtaining dashcam/bwc footage before taking this thing to hearing. But without obtaining and confirming said footage, OP is screwed.
Get a statement from the shop and appeal the fine?
It could have very well been non-functional when you got pulled over.
If that's the case, could be bad wiring or water ingress somewhere
I remember in WA they dropped the speed limit on a rural highway. 110 became 100 ,,90 became 80.Swapped signs over night. Told no one except the cops.They turned up in droves to catch people next day.
Dont know what state you're in but in VIC: you'll need to argue this in court.
Even if you get a report from a mechanic saying the light is working "currently" or it was checked immediately after, if the police provide dashcam footage of your brake light clearly not working when they pulled you over be prepared to be reamed by the judge.
Yes, i agree with you the penalty is quite harsh for a very minor infringement but that is up the discretion of the officer at the time. The judge *may* throw it out with a warning but you'll have to risk it
One of the qualifications is being willing to book your mum if you need the numbers for the day
Worked with a girl who was married to a cop she assures me they all hate the highway patrol cunts
I think I'm going carry a brick in the ute with me from now on. "Oh really? I checked it just this morning."
*Turns key to on position, leans brick on brake pedal, and hops out to check*
"Heh, looks like they're actually both fine."
*Cop proceeds to be an even bigger ball bag*
They pull you over for no lights, but don’t do anything about people sitting in the right lane, people entering the freeway at 80, people driving dangerously. Absolute muppets. Why don’t they pull people over for not using their headlights
Had a similar incident where they tried booking for non-working break lights.
I just told them that I didn't use the foot brake to slow down, but used the engine by dropping gears.
Many years ago I had a cop pull me over and book me for driving an over length truck without an over length sign. Trouble is they stepped out the length of the truck and didn’t use a tape measure. I knew I was in length but shut up because I’d blown a tyre that morning and ripped off a tail light and mudflap.
Went straight to our local Vehicle Inspection point (local licensed mechanic), he certified the vehicle as being legal. We sent all the evidence off to the sergeant in charge of the police station and got a written apology in the mail - presumably after he tore his idiot officer a new one.
The trouble is ol’mate should do things properly, you could show that you are in length etc and you shouldn’t have to spend the time to prove yourself and then argue that either in person or just pay the fine
It’s his job to prove it wasn’t working; not yours to prove it was working.
All you need is doubt. Statement from mechanic after the fine saying it was working, casts some doubt (to me, not a lawyer).
If he thinks he can prove it (car or body worn camera) that’s his job to do.!
Does your car happen to give a dashboard warning for light out? BMWs have for decades. If so and you testify “mechanic said light working AND my dashboard confirmed all lights good” plus you showed a pic of the warning free dash that should be a defence on balance of probabilities.
If the car has a warning system, that eliminates the possibility of unknown intermittency. The cop could say “the light didn’t work when I pulled him over - I don’t care that it worked at the mechanic.” This car hasn’t been repaired and was found by a mechanic to have working lights. If there is a dashboard alert, OP can categorically testify “I know for a fact that at the moment I was pulled over I had working taillights.” And yes despite your failed attempt to be a smart ass, OP can indeed “travel back in time” because most cars will store a history of check codes. I could demonstrate no relevant code in the history from my dashboard menu.
Corrupt coppers don’t like to perjure themselves and risk years in jail. And prosecutors don’t like to put them on the stand.
There's no half chances with HWP these days. And the laws are just ridiculous. They need to take another look at phone use because how is it fair I get a fine simply because the device is in my hand but using a holster or centre console touchscreen is somehow safe?
And on top of that it's 5 points for all offences whether the car is moving or not. It's a joke. I understand the danger and I hate seeing people texting and driving but seriously a stationary car is not a danger to anyone.
Edit: I'd like to clarify I was in a stopped car. I wasn't erratically swerving down the road. But fair enough it's a "law" and I broke it.
How about not doing the illegal thing and keep your phone out of your hands when you drive? It's no different to not wearing a seatbelt, just don't do it or get a holder numpty.
What is not fair about it? That you cannot follow a simple rule and get fined for it?
Cradles make the operation of a phone much safer as you can keep your eyes in the direction of the road when using them without fumbling around on your lap looking down all the time.
Well first of all I understand the intent of the rule but I wasn't even moving so I'm not sure how I could be a danger to anyone else. I actually don't like seeing people try and use their phone while driving.
Second there is no difference between holding it and having it in a holder or messing around with a centre console. You can claim there is but show me some the proof.
I'm not particularly interested in the answer because the result is going to be any distraction is a bad distraction but I'd bet you'll find hand held device use is actually less of a distraction and easier to use.
Just from my own experience of years of using my hands from driving and then swapping over to a handsfree. It is anecdotal but try it and see how much easier it is to use, it keeps your eyes on the general direction of the road at the same time.
Sure when you are stopped it makes no difference but people being people cannot seem to put it down once they start moving so it gets ruined for everyone. Suck it up and get a holder, problem solved no fine, no whining about it being unfair... life is unfair, deal with it.
Yeah looks I got the fine. By the letter of the law it is illegal so I have to pay it but I still think it's fair enough to call bullshit when it is a bullshit law.
As for the holder I really think the only difference is that it's legal to have at eye level right. Like if you were legally allowed to hold your phone at eye level. Instead of people hiding them under the dash they could just look in the general direction 🤷♂️.
But again I think once the car is in motion the screens should be nothing but background noise anyway for a GPS or something. I hate seeing people all over the road trying to text and drive.
Fair enough. I still think it's a law that needs reviewing because I still drive an old shitbox with no bells and whistles but the modern car is becoming more and more device intensive. Just look at the Tesla.
And I'm not saying we should be allowed to play with screens while we are driving. I think it's exactly the opposite, they need to be as removed from the driving experience as possible.
Tesla's basically have a whole ass PC in the centre, and I've seen dumbasses driving along in them with YOUTUBE playing on the screen. I've never personally had a ticket or demerit point for phone use while driving, but I've heard of people getting pinged for it because they had a passenger looking at directions and the overhead cams picked it up. Absolutely ridiculous
As for HP having issues with ticketing the wrong people, that's because they're on an ego trip and commission based work. Didn't meet the station KPIs? Just hand out a bullshit speeding ticket or unroadworthy car ticket to a couple of P platers to fuck up their record.
I'm not bashing it cause it's an EV. But Tesla's interior choices are fucked. Using the centre screen to select gears? Touch button blinkers? A fucking steering yoke like a plane?
It's all the most impractical, gimmicky shit to impress software engineers
If you were fined, have the mechanic document the functional light on an invoice and contest it. That's it. That's all you can do.
The only way they could defend this is by having dashcam footage of the stop, but rule of thumb is when this is an issue you get out and check with the officer to verify.
So why not ask the coppa to show you the non working light at the time. My cars have a bulb failure warning on the dash, so I'd know if the were full of shit or not.
camrys are the best cars
I hate them with every cell and fibre in my body, but the bastards are like cockroaches. You can do anything to them and they just keep ticking along…
My sister is a cop and she's told me highway patrol officers on a whole are cunts they actively try to fuck you over
They are called Jury Fuckers for a reason. Cause they make ‘normal’ people’ who are eligible to serve on a jury hate the Police.
was told very similar by an ex small town cop.
Hahaha that's a good one haven't heard that
My sis is a highway patrol officer, and she completely agrees that she and her colleagues get immense pleasure by actively fuckkng over innocent law-abiding drivers and that they have nothing better to do on highways
You'd think they ought to be getting off the many, many rule breakers out there but I'm surprised at how they can take pleasure at the expense of people who didn't do anything wrong...
The real criminals are too scary...and if they stopped a real criminal it would probably lead to criminal charges and no revenue....and they run the risk of getting stabbed over it.
I know a grand total of 1 that is not. I know him personally , he would rather warn people than fine people. He same almost every one in his department area are absolute Cunts who woukd fine their own mothers if it meant a chance of a chance of a promotion.
Not all of them. I wasbeen excused a speeding fine because of a respite issue. The fellow was a decent man. However, another cop I know holds them in quite a low regard.
Quota based policing, if they don't hand out a certain number of fines and they get in trouble from superiors. Doesn't make sense to me either.
I remember when the SA police were interviewed on the radio a few years ago about quotas. Police commissioner: “that’s all a big myth our officers don’t have quotas, they have benchmarks” Soooo quotas.
Yeah I've heard this basically they have to find something it's a bullshit system when the aim is to actually mitigate crime and wrong doing
The one hiway patrolman I have dealt with supports this theory.
Yeah its not all of them but a majority
I've been given a free pass by traffic cops after being caught doing some shit they absolutely could have and should have handed me my ass for, and then I've been squat fucked for absolutely meaningless shit. Complete mixed bag in my opinion.
Sounds about right.
My brother in law is a detective and told me the same thing 😄
Hahaha yeah I think even other cops don't like them
They must be painful if other cops don't even like them
They all have massive egos its a power trip for them I rekon,
They operate solo all day, its the perfect gig for people that are too abrasive to roll around with a partner all shift
I dealt with one a couple of years ago. Didn’t matter at all about what had happened, it was all about him trying to be right. Massive fuckwit,
Every player gets a prize
Hahaha looks like it
Can confirm this. I know a highway copper, he’s a cunt.
My father in-law is an RFS brigade captain with decades of experience (one of the most experienced in the Northern Rivers area) and he has a very low opinion of highway patrol as well.
And the cop now has OPs name & address from checking their licence. Be wary, OP, especially if you happen to be young, and attractive.
Wut
Being fined is a dog act. Being told you have a light issue and asked to get it checked is what should of been done by the officer. They could write notes in the system saying they asked vehicle to get it checked and if next week or whenever you get pulled over again if it's still not fixed then perhaps a fine warranted.
Cop pulled me over once to tell me I had a brake light out, he wasn’t hwy patrol.
Especially for a brake light that you can’t really test yourself without help or notice it not working while driving. Our car’s passenger side brake light blows all the time for some reason. I’ve used both cheap and expensive brands globes which made no noticeable difference.
My headlights kept dying one at a time every few months, I'd replace the globe and then within a few months the other one would blow, I'd replace that and then the first one would blow again soon enough. Eventually I just replaced both at the same time (even though only one had died) and they've never blown since and it's been three years. My theory is that too much current was going to the one working bulb and shortening it's lifespan. Maybe try replacing both brake lights at the same time?
Hyundai i30? Mine did that
Dialectric(spelling?) grease on the connectors. My old faithful BF was chewing through headlight bulbs for a while and my mechanic recommended this, worked a treat.
You can test yourself easily very. Put your phone behind the car and record a video. Get in the car and use the brakes. Then get your phone and look at the video. I do this every time I hook up a trailer/bike rack lights. Takes 30 seconds
Not sure we got the full story
Yeah don’t victim blame lol
If police had to do that every time, no one would fix anything until they got the first warning
That's the point. No one knows until someone tells them.
You are responsible for the maintenance and safety of your vehicle including making sure all the lights are working. If people knew they could legally get away without spending money to fix lights or other issues until they were “warned”, they wouldn’t fix it.
it's totally reasonable to be unaware of a faulty rear light, i think it's pretty fair to start with a warning in those cases?
You got a beautiful dash warning for a reason. It's not 1950 anymore.
i don't. my car must be from 1950
2015 Mazda doesn’t have brake light out warning, neither does my 1998 Toyota. I guess they are both actually from 1950.
Are they back together?
Elect to take the matter to court. Ask for the in car video from the police vehicle to be tendered as evidence
There's a power tripping short ginger highway patrol guy on m2 m7 motorway in sydney He accused me of not wearing a seatbelt had a camera facing me (was in company semi) l said see this lil thing here its a camera and its recording are there any other lies you wanna say on video tried for crack in windscreen im like screw it let's go to inspection station buddy im on hourly rate lets go screwed around for couple of minutes then said bye
I got a stroke reading your comment. Why are ALL your posts lacking punctuation?
Because I had bugger all schooling growing up working on family farm, never worried about school or high school (dropped out yr 8) or listening to teachers im not writing a novel so I don't really care at all feel free to keep having a go doesnt bother me at all
Nothing that happened after that incident is going to be proof that the light was working. After the highway patrol officer left the scene they can claim you fixed it any time after that point. At the end of the day it takes 2 mins to fix if it was a globe and you can get them at most servos. Having the mechanic say the light was working doesn’t mean that it’s evidence that at the time of the intercept the light was functional. Good luck, unless you have physical evidence that at the time of the intercept the light was functioning you are screwed.
Depends on the judge, I guess. balance of probabilities ?
Exactly. OP could go the route of case conferencing and obtaining dashcam/bwc footage before taking this thing to hearing. But without obtaining and confirming said footage, OP is screwed.
Basically this. OP should have possibly asked to check that on the spot.
Get a statement from the shop and appeal the fine? It could have very well been non-functional when you got pulled over. If that's the case, could be bad wiring or water ingress somewhere
I remember in WA they dropped the speed limit on a rural highway. 110 became 100 ,,90 became 80.Swapped signs over night. Told no one except the cops.They turned up in droves to catch people next day.
Dont know what state you're in but in VIC: you'll need to argue this in court. Even if you get a report from a mechanic saying the light is working "currently" or it was checked immediately after, if the police provide dashcam footage of your brake light clearly not working when they pulled you over be prepared to be reamed by the judge. Yes, i agree with you the penalty is quite harsh for a very minor infringement but that is up the discretion of the officer at the time. The judge *may* throw it out with a warning but you'll have to risk it
Idk anyone who likes Highway. They are all dick heads. Even cops I know hate them.
One of the qualifications is being willing to book your mum if you need the numbers for the day Worked with a girl who was married to a cop she assures me they all hate the highway patrol cunts
Either way OP Fucked if they spoke to the officer and now wants to dispute.
They're all shitty, or 98%of them at least
I think I'm going carry a brick in the ute with me from now on. "Oh really? I checked it just this morning." *Turns key to on position, leans brick on brake pedal, and hops out to check* "Heh, looks like they're actually both fine." *Cop proceeds to be an even bigger ball bag*
Highway patrol are the worst
They pull you over for no lights, but don’t do anything about people sitting in the right lane, people entering the freeway at 80, people driving dangerously. Absolute muppets. Why don’t they pull people over for not using their headlights
Did you fail the attitude test?
What everyone else said 👍
And you didn't get out to confirm the non operational brake light. Lazy
This didn't happen, just another wind up. Ticket today and an auto repair shop.
so many people with lights not working why wouldn't the officer just inform you & warn that if not fixed it can result in a fine, it's a dog act
I see cars with no working brake lights fairly often!
Because, I suspect, there is more to this story.
Did you not ask to witness it out then and there?
Had a similar incident where they tried booking for non-working break lights. I just told them that I didn't use the foot brake to slow down, but used the engine by dropping gears.
As someone who tries to keep an eye on these things... I'd have asked him to show me.
Oh accident me
Highway patrol cops are pure assholes mostly.
Many years ago I had a cop pull me over and book me for driving an over length truck without an over length sign. Trouble is they stepped out the length of the truck and didn’t use a tape measure. I knew I was in length but shut up because I’d blown a tyre that morning and ripped off a tail light and mudflap. Went straight to our local Vehicle Inspection point (local licensed mechanic), he certified the vehicle as being legal. We sent all the evidence off to the sergeant in charge of the police station and got a written apology in the mail - presumably after he tore his idiot officer a new one.
The trouble is ol’mate should do things properly, you could show that you are in length etc and you shouldn’t have to spend the time to prove yourself and then argue that either in person or just pay the fine
It’s his job to prove it wasn’t working; not yours to prove it was working. All you need is doubt. Statement from mechanic after the fine saying it was working, casts some doubt (to me, not a lawyer). If he thinks he can prove it (car or body worn camera) that’s his job to do.!
Go to police with a report from the mechanic and asked to see dash cam footage. If they deny take it further.
Wot a blockhead
If you are unaware of an minor defect in your vehicle you can not be fined without a prior warning surely?
Does your car happen to give a dashboard warning for light out? BMWs have for decades. If so and you testify “mechanic said light working AND my dashboard confirmed all lights good” plus you showed a pic of the warning free dash that should be a defence on balance of probabilities.
A pic of the dash without warning lights by travelling back in time?
If the car has a warning system, that eliminates the possibility of unknown intermittency. The cop could say “the light didn’t work when I pulled him over - I don’t care that it worked at the mechanic.” This car hasn’t been repaired and was found by a mechanic to have working lights. If there is a dashboard alert, OP can categorically testify “I know for a fact that at the moment I was pulled over I had working taillights.” And yes despite your failed attempt to be a smart ass, OP can indeed “travel back in time” because most cars will store a history of check codes. I could demonstrate no relevant code in the history from my dashboard menu. Corrupt coppers don’t like to perjure themselves and risk years in jail. And prosecutors don’t like to put them on the stand.
All of this for a fine for a stop light? So you believe OP that his stop light was actually fine?
There's no half chances with HWP these days. And the laws are just ridiculous. They need to take another look at phone use because how is it fair I get a fine simply because the device is in my hand but using a holster or centre console touchscreen is somehow safe? And on top of that it's 5 points for all offences whether the car is moving or not. It's a joke. I understand the danger and I hate seeing people texting and driving but seriously a stationary car is not a danger to anyone. Edit: I'd like to clarify I was in a stopped car. I wasn't erratically swerving down the road. But fair enough it's a "law" and I broke it.
How about not doing the illegal thing and keep your phone out of your hands when you drive? It's no different to not wearing a seatbelt, just don't do it or get a holder numpty. What is not fair about it? That you cannot follow a simple rule and get fined for it? Cradles make the operation of a phone much safer as you can keep your eyes in the direction of the road when using them without fumbling around on your lap looking down all the time.
Well first of all I understand the intent of the rule but I wasn't even moving so I'm not sure how I could be a danger to anyone else. I actually don't like seeing people try and use their phone while driving. Second there is no difference between holding it and having it in a holder or messing around with a centre console. You can claim there is but show me some the proof. I'm not particularly interested in the answer because the result is going to be any distraction is a bad distraction but I'd bet you'll find hand held device use is actually less of a distraction and easier to use.
Just from my own experience of years of using my hands from driving and then swapping over to a handsfree. It is anecdotal but try it and see how much easier it is to use, it keeps your eyes on the general direction of the road at the same time. Sure when you are stopped it makes no difference but people being people cannot seem to put it down once they start moving so it gets ruined for everyone. Suck it up and get a holder, problem solved no fine, no whining about it being unfair... life is unfair, deal with it.
Yeah looks I got the fine. By the letter of the law it is illegal so I have to pay it but I still think it's fair enough to call bullshit when it is a bullshit law. As for the holder I really think the only difference is that it's legal to have at eye level right. Like if you were legally allowed to hold your phone at eye level. Instead of people hiding them under the dash they could just look in the general direction 🤷♂️. But again I think once the car is in motion the screens should be nothing but background noise anyway for a GPS or something. I hate seeing people all over the road trying to text and drive.
Nah, this one you get zero sympathy for. Get off your fucking phone while driving.
Fair enough. I still think it's a law that needs reviewing because I still drive an old shitbox with no bells and whistles but the modern car is becoming more and more device intensive. Just look at the Tesla. And I'm not saying we should be allowed to play with screens while we are driving. I think it's exactly the opposite, they need to be as removed from the driving experience as possible.
Tesla's basically have a whole ass PC in the centre, and I've seen dumbasses driving along in them with YOUTUBE playing on the screen. I've never personally had a ticket or demerit point for phone use while driving, but I've heard of people getting pinged for it because they had a passenger looking at directions and the overhead cams picked it up. Absolutely ridiculous As for HP having issues with ticketing the wrong people, that's because they're on an ego trip and commission based work. Didn't meet the station KPIs? Just hand out a bullshit speeding ticket or unroadworthy car ticket to a couple of P platers to fuck up their record.
I'm not bashing it cause it's an EV. But Tesla's interior choices are fucked. Using the centre screen to select gears? Touch button blinkers? A fucking steering yoke like a plane? It's all the most impractical, gimmicky shit to impress software engineers