19 September 2011

142kmph down Commonwealth Avenue on P-plates. From Charnwood with Love

| johnboy
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A number of motorists were caught speeding at the weekend travelling well above the posted speed limit, with one motorist travelling 82km/h over the sign posted speed limit.

A 22-year-old Charnwood man, on a provisional licence, was caught yesterday morning (Sunday, September 18) driving a black Nissan Skyline along Commonwealth Avenue at 142km/h in a 60km/h zone.

The driver received a fine of $1811 and the loss of six demerit points.

A taxi driver, with a paying passenger, was also caught in the above mentioned 60km/h speed zone on Commonwealth Avenue travelling at 102km/h — 42km/h above the speed limit.

The 28-year-old Belconnen man received a $664 fine and the loss of four demerit points.

Superintendent of Traffic Operations Kylie Flower said that speeding is a major factor in collisions with injuries and fatalities in the ACT, and motorists must be aware of changes to speed limits and road circumstances.

“During Floriade sections of Commonewalth Avenue are sign posted 60km/h to allow the safe passage of pedestrians to and from the flower festival. It’s important that motorists remain vigilant and stick to the sign posted speed limits at all times. The same goes for construction zones,” Superintendent Flower said.

On Friday, September 16, two Traffic Operations members intercepted a motorcyclist on a Suzuki Hayabusa 1300cc motorcycle doing 171km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Federal Highway near Eaglehawk. The 24-year-old man was issued with an $1811 fine, the loss of six demerit points and a defect notice for an un-roadworthy bike.

[Courtesy ACT Policing]

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p1 said :

I accelerate quickly on my motorcycle because it is exciting. Same reason I accelerate quickly on my mountain bike, same reason I go downhill skiing and bridge swinging.

I can take off from the lights and be well out in front of all the cars without getting halfway through the rev range.

It’s called adrenaline addiction. A wonderful thing

p1 said :

Tooks said :

Sounds like excessive stupidity to me. Why would you accelerate as hard as you can? To win the traffic light race?

I accelerate quickly on my motorcycle because it is exciting. Same reason I accelerate quickly on my mountain bike, same reason I go downhill skiing and bridge swinging.

I can take off from the lights and be well out in front of all the cars without getting halfway through the rev range.

Skylines can be pretty quick, why shouldn’t they be allowed to do what motorcyclists do?

I think it’s pretty silly that in the comments for this thread, all the ones about the cars were “omg typical charnwood stupidity” whereas the ones about the motorcycle were “eh, he wasn’t really trying, ‘busas can go way faster”.

Some people mentioned taking into consideration the locality of offenders… perhaps the vehicle’s ANCAP rating should be a factor, too.

Mr Gillespie12:54 pm 20 Sep 11

“Driver caught speeding by Floriade” — at 1:30am in the morning?

You mean to say do people go to Floriade at that ungodly hour of the night to get run over by nasty speedsters like this???

shadow boxer said :

Erg0 said :

carnardly said :

even if the Floriade speed zone wasn’t in place – the taxi dude would still be + 20 kms over a permitted 80…. still breaking the law.

It’s actually 70 along there.

I blame the undersized speed limit signs.

Really, I go down there every day and always assumed it was 90, three lanes, no cross traffic, silly me…

Good to see you pay close attention to your surroundings when out on the road. Always a good trait in someone who drives well above the posted speed limit.

milkman said :

Tooks said :

Eppo said :

matt31221 said :

It can be hard sometimes but I mainly stick to the speek limit on it. One thing that I do (which is legal) is accelerate as hard as I can off the lights up to the speed limit and stop accelerating. All the other vehicles are usually out of sight in the rear mirror. There is nothing illegal about quick acceleration done safetly.

Are you sure? I know that you can be fined in NSW for excessive acceleration. Wouldn’t surprise me if the ACT was the same.

Sounds like excessive stupidity to me. Why would you accelerate as hard as you can? To win the traffic light race?

What about when overtaking on the open road? Do you really want to fluff around on the wrong side of the road staring at your speedo, or accelerate quickly and smoothly around the car being overtaken. It’s not much of an issue in Canberra, but venture into surrounding NSW and you’ll soon realise that it’s a part of rural driving.

Not talking about overtaking are we? He was talking about accelerating hard at the lights to quickly get up to the speed limit. What’s the point?

Tooks said :

Sounds like excessive stupidity to me. Why would you accelerate as hard as you can? To win the traffic light race?

I accelerate quickly on my motorcycle because it is exciting. Same reason I accelerate quickly on my mountain bike, same reason I go downhill skiing and bridge swinging.

I can take off from the lights and be well out in front of all the cars without getting halfway through the rev range.

Eppo said :

matt31221 said :

It can be hard sometimes but I mainly stick to the speek limit on it. One thing that I do (which is legal) is accelerate as hard as I can off the lights up to the speed limit and stop accelerating. All the other vehicles are usually out of sight in the rear mirror. There is nothing illegal about quick acceleration done safetly.

Are you sure? I know that you can be fined in NSW for excessive acceleration. Wouldn’t surprise me if the ACT was the same.

Which is complete bullshit when they sell stock standard bikes, subject to ADRs that are able to accelerate at that rate from the factory. It’s a BS rule, especially if someone hasn’t broken the speed limit. And seriously, how to enforce it? Totally subjective.

Tooks said :

Eppo said :

matt31221 said :

It can be hard sometimes but I mainly stick to the speek limit on it. One thing that I do (which is legal) is accelerate as hard as I can off the lights up to the speed limit and stop accelerating. All the other vehicles are usually out of sight in the rear mirror. There is nothing illegal about quick acceleration done safetly.

Are you sure? I know that you can be fined in NSW for excessive acceleration. Wouldn’t surprise me if the ACT was the same.

Sounds like excessive stupidity to me. Why would you accelerate as hard as you can? To win the traffic light race?

What about when overtaking on the open road? Do you really want to fluff around on the wrong side of the road staring at your speedo, or accelerate quickly and smoothly around the car being overtaken. It’s not much of an issue in Canberra, but venture into surrounding NSW and you’ll soon realise that it’s a part of rural driving.

Tooks said :

Sounds like excessive stupidity to me

ummm… excessive stupity is the three drivers from the OP… At worst, this could be descibed as “fool hardy”…

Eppo said :

matt31221 said :

It can be hard sometimes but I mainly stick to the speek limit on it. One thing that I do (which is legal) is accelerate as hard as I can off the lights up to the speed limit and stop accelerating. All the other vehicles are usually out of sight in the rear mirror. There is nothing illegal about quick acceleration done safetly.

Are you sure? I know that you can be fined in NSW for excessive acceleration. Wouldn’t surprise me if the ACT was the same.

Sounds like excessive stupidity to me. Why would you accelerate as hard as you can? To win the traffic light race?

matt31221 said :

It can be hard sometimes but I mainly stick to the speek limit on it. One thing that I do (which is legal) is accelerate as hard as I can off the lights up to the speed limit and stop accelerating. All the other vehicles are usually out of sight in the rear mirror. There is nothing illegal about quick acceleration done safetly.

Are you sure? I know that you can be fined in NSW for excessive acceleration. Wouldn’t surprise me if the ACT was the same.

what_the said :

I don’t think he/she is making excuses. Saying that confiscating the persons car will have more of a deterrant than a large fine, which if they’re a deadsh!t, they wont pay anyway. Take away their car and they’ll notice, especially when it’s 80kmh above a 60zone. I cant believe more than doubling the limit doesn’t equal automatic loss of license.

+ 1. My point exactly! $12k car confiscated much more significant disincentive / punishment than $1.2k fine. The only thing hoons care about is their cars, why not exploit this?

Mysteryman said :

yellowsnow said :

This guy will probably have to burgle / rob somebody to be able to afford the $1811 fine

These sort of penalties only act to increase crime, and make these losers feel invincible. Confiscation of car and licence would have been better.

Eviction from Canberra might be another innovative idea. I hear Malaysia is keen to take and cane people on our behalf

Give me a break. He has about $12,000 worth of car he can sell to pay for his fine. Don’t make excuses for the idiotic choices of others.

I dont think he/she is making excuses. Saying that confiscating the persons car will have more of a deterrant than a large fine, which if they’re a deadsh!t, they wont pay anyway. Take away their car and they’ll notice, especially when it’s 80kmh above a 60zone. I cant believe more than doubling the limit doesn’t equal automatic loss of license.

Hayabusa 1300cc going 171? That is nothing for one of those bikes!! I bet you he was doing heaps more and slammed the brakes on when he saw the coppers and they probably caught him decellerating at 171. My Kawasaki ZX14r 1400cc ninja will easily do that all the way up to 300KM/HR. It can be hard sometimes but I mainly stick to the speek limit on it. One thing that I do (which is legal) is accelerate as hard as I can off the lights up to the speed limit and stop accelerating. All the other vehicles are usually out of sight in the rear mirror. There is nothing illegal about quick acceleration done safetly. Think I might just trade it in for a harley because then there is no temptation to speed.

Mysteryman said :

“On Friday, September 16, two Traffic Operations members intercepted a motorcyclist on a Suzuki Hayabusa 1300cc motorcycle doing 171km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Federal Highway near Eaglehawk.”

171km/h?!

…must have been stuck in second gear.

Maybe thats why he got a defect.. faulty 3rd gear? If a vehicle can travel at 170km/hr without a problem, its probably more roadworthy than a lot of the other crud getting around canberra at 60 and 80.

Chop71 said :

Why is one guy named as being from a suburb while the others are ‘a taxi driver’ and ‘from Belconnen’
Who writes this crap…….

Belconnen is a suburb as well as a district.

Gerry-Built said :

yellowsnow said :

Photinias are particularly distracting for drivers. The smell reminds me of … I’ll leave it to your imagination.

glad someone else thinks it too…

😉 when i first moved to canberra I seriously thought some sick deviants were doing the unmentionable under my bedroom window. Took me a while to realise a hedge of photinias in flower was responsible.

shadow boxer3:02 pm 19 Sep 11

Erg0 said :

carnardly said :

even if the Floriade speed zone wasn’t in place – the taxi dude would still be + 20 kms over a permitted 80…. still breaking the law.

It’s actually 70 along there.

I blame the undersized speed limit signs.

Really, I go down there every day and always assumed it was 90, three lanes, no cross traffic, silly me…

“On Friday, September 16, two Traffic Operations members intercepted a motorcyclist on a Suzuki Hayabusa 1300cc motorcycle doing 171km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Federal Highway near Eaglehawk.”

171km/h?!

…must have been stuck in second gear.

yellowsnow said :

This guy will probably have to burgle / rob somebody to be able to afford the $1811 fine

These sort of penalties only act to increase crime, and make these losers feel invincible. Confiscation of car and licence would have been better.

Eviction from Canberra might be another innovative idea. I hear Malaysia is keen to take and cane people on our behalf

Give me a break. He has about $12,000 worth of car he can sell to pay for his fine. Don’t make excuses for the idiotic choices of others.

yellowsnow said :

Photinias are particularly distracting for drivers. The smell reminds me of … I’ll leave it to your imagination.

glad someone else thinks it too…

Chop71 said :

Why is one guy named as being from a suburb while the others are ‘a taxi driver’ and ‘from Belconnen’
Who writes this crap…….

Maybe someone who found the “Charnwood Connection” amusing?

That; or they were written summaries from seperate officers, compiled by someone else in Media… that’d be my guess… did you notice the motorcyclist didn’t have a location… maybe his offence wasn’t bad enough to warrant mention. Of course, with that rationale, if you sped enough to lose your licence on the spot – they should print your actual address, or current GPS coordinates…

mikey2308 said :

Seriously , surely at that speed, a driver on his p’s should lose their licence on the spot.

Far too sensible.

Erg0 said :

carnardly said :

even if the Floriade speed zone wasn’t in place – the taxi dude would still be + 20 kms over a permitted 80…. still breaking the law.

It’s actually 70 along there.

I blame the undersized speed limit signs.

i blame the intoxicating scents of Floriade. And spring in Canberra more generally

Photinias are particularly distracting for drivers. The smell reminds me of … I’ll leave it to your imagination.

Sorry Monarch – you are correct! 🙂 So the speed limitations barely had an effect anyway.

carnardly said :

even if the Floriade speed zone wasn’t in place – the taxi dude would still be + 20 kms over a permitted 80…. still breaking the law.

It’s actually 70 along there.

I blame the undersized speed limit signs.

MonarchRepublic1:58 pm 19 Sep 11

carnardly said :

even if the Floriade speed zone wasn’t in place – the taxi dude would still be + 20 kms over a permitted 80…. still breaking the law.

With some poor unsuspecting suck along for the ride.

I think Commonwealth Ave is still only 70km/h when Floriade isn’t on (until you get past the lights near the Hyatt going south), so would still be more than 30km/h over the limit…
I don’t mind a taxi driver getting me where I need to go in reasonable time (and $$$), but not at the expense of my safety and those around us on the roads.

Is it full moon or something? I had another moron motoroist on the weekend….
Yamba Drive approaching the Yarra Glen Roundabout. Glance into the roundabout to look whether it was clear or not, and a dark blue car (rego noted but currently left in my car… d’oh ) on the roundabout grabs my attention due to the smoke pouring out of its tyres, the screech of brakes and rubber as it drifts on round. Both of its front wheels were in the left lane, and both back wheels were in the right. I think if he’d wanted to control his car he probably could not have.

Person in car next to me gives them a finger and a shrug of the shoulders and a nod of the head as if to say “bloody duckhead…). Driver of the hoon car obviously sees it, slams on the anchors (still out of control) and misses them by a bee’s whisker. Stared at them and then chugged off slowly and pulled up.

I hope it was worth it for them……

Each to their own, but I don’t get it.

troll-sniffer1:55 pm 19 Sep 11

Chop71 said :

Why is one guy named as being from a suburb while the others are ‘a taxi driver’ and ‘from Belconnen’
Who writes this crap…….

Seems fair enough to me… it’s like a public game of Cluedo. If you just mention Belconnen etc, that’s code for ‘we wouldn’t have expected this person to have committed an offence’ whereas a direct reference to Charnwood is code for the driver is and always will be a tool. Personally I think the police and judiciary should be given powers of discretion when it comes to hoons from Charnwood, Oaks Estate, Quangers etc. If they can prove they live there, the penalty should be halved and they should all stand around tut-tutting about the misfortunates of the world and how they couldn’t really be expected to know better, given their up-bringing and all that.

Speaking of speeding on Commonwealth Ave, hello to the driver of a dark VW golf who zoomed past me this morning going around Parliament House and past the Britsh High Commission (doing at least 100kph) and then proceeded to go through the red light some 5 seconds after it had changed from amber. I have no problem with you trying to kill yourself, but please try not to take anyone else with you. I only wish I had taken down your rego number.

Why is one guy named as being from a suburb while the others are ‘a taxi driver’ and ‘from Belconnen’
Who writes this crap…….

even if the Floriade speed zone wasn’t in place – the taxi dude would still be + 20 kms over a permitted 80…. still breaking the law. With some poor unsuspecting suck along for the ride.

This guy will probably have to burgle / rob somebody to be able to afford the $1811 fine

These sort of penalties only act to increase crime, and make these losers feel invincible. Confiscation of car and licence would have been better.

Eviction from Canberra might be another innovative idea. I hear Malaysia is keen to take and cane people on our behalf

shadow boxer1:28 pm 19 Sep 11

“A taxi driver, with a paying passenger, was also caught in the above mentioned 60km/h speed zone on Commonwealth Avenue travelling at 102km/h — 42km/h above the speed limit. “

Another victim of the wolds stupidest traffic light positioning. Just make people walk around and under the bridge and leave the traffic alone

Seriously , surely at that speed, a driver on his p’s should lose their licence on the spot.

In NSW that provisional driver would have had his car confiscated for a month, loss of license for 2 years, and the $1800 fine.

Lets post names and addresses of these idiots. It never ceases to amaze me that people are not only that stupid in the first place – but they continue to be so throughout their lives!

MonarchRepublic12:36 pm 19 Sep 11

“A 22-year-old Charnwood man, on a provisional licence, was caught yesterday morning (Sunday, September 18) driving a black Nissan Skyline along Commonwealth Avenue at 142km/h in a 60km/h zone.

The driver received a fine of $1811 and the loss of six demerit points.”

Could it read much more like a cliché? Aside from if he was driving a white commodore that is?

Seriously though, surely at that speed, a driver should lose their licence on the spot?

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