Opinions on speeding fine.

[naddis01]

Ok guys I am going to preface this by saying that if I am in the wrong then it is only fair to pay the fine.

A couple of weeks ago we were heading to Adelaide along the Sturt Hwy. In the victorian section I got pulled up for speeding in an 80 zone with an alleged speed of 89 (detected speed 91). At the time I thought nothing of it and just accepted it and just assumed I missed the sign. I remember seeing an 80 ahead sign but not the actual 80 sign.

Anyway the next day (it was a quick trip) we were heading back through the same spot and had a bit of a joke about where we were pulled up, but then I had a closer look.

Try and keep track of the distances.

Where I was pulled up we could see an 80 sign probably 20-30m ahead of us. Like I said I just assumed there was a sign further back up the road that I missed. Which there was but there was only around 100m between the two 80 signs (I stepped it out).

Now as I was originally coming up to the 80 zone I saw an 80 ahead sign and started to slow which can be sign by my detected speed (the Sturt is a 110 zone). Then I come around a corner and see the police car on the side of the road. It seemed like straight after I saw him he was out of the car and pointing for me to pull over. He would have been about 100m ahead of me. As I drove past him I thought that it was odd but pulled over probably 50m past him. He got in his car, turned around and drove up to me at which point he issued the fine.

So if you have been following the distances I am not sure I was actually in an 80 zone when he was out of his car directing me to stop. I assume that I must have been if he was sitting on the side of the road waiting but the distances just don't seem to add up to me. I know he was ahead of me when he directed me to stop and I know the second 80 sign was ahead of me by the time I stopped.

So basically should I just pay the fine and move on? The only other options I see are to write a letter to ask for an offical warning, which involves admitting guilt or write a letter asking for an internal review however I can't see how I can prove that I may not have been in the 80 zone. I don't see taking it to court as an option as I assume I would have to travel to Victoria to contest it.

Anyway should I just pay it? Its only $153 but its the principle of the matter if I wasn't speeding. I have only ever had 1 other speeding fine since I got my licence in 1998.