Criminal record: Michael Thompson, seen here outside Grimsby Magistrates’ Court, believed he was doing his ‘civic duty’ by alerting drivers on the opposite side of a dual carriageway

A driver has been convicted of a criminal offence for flashing his headlights at oncoming motorists to warn them of a police speed trap ahead.

Michael Thompson, 64, believed he was doing his ‘civic duty’ by alerting drivers on the opposite side of a dual carriageway.

When stopped by a police officer Thompson disagreed with the suggestion that he was ‘perverting the course of justice’ and was then allegedly told: ’I was going to let you off with a caution – but I’m not now.’

Thompson denied wilfully obstructing a policewoman in the execution of her duty on July 21 last year, but was convicted after a trial at Grimsby Magistrates’ Court.

He ended up £440 out of pocket after being fined £175, ordered to pay £250 costs and a £15 victims’ surcharge.

Thompson of Grimsby, north-east Lincolnshire, told the court he was warning motorists for safety reasons.

He said he had been involved in an accident a year ago when two drivers in front of him braked sharply after seeing a speed trap and although he braked in time another motorist crashed into the back of his vehicle.

‘It is not an offence to warn people of a possible speed trap because of the danger involved with vehicles braking quite hard,’ he claimed.

‘It’s a civic duty to warn people. I flashed my lights. I had a very good reason to warn oncoming motorists, in my opinion. My first thought was:”This may cause an accident.”

‘I tried to warn vehicles that there was a speed trap. Because I challenged the officer he would not let me off with a warning.’

Thompson was pulled up as he headed out of Grimsby on the A46 at 10am. He claimed the officer involved was a ‘Rambo character’ who was acting like ‘Judge Dredd’ in using the law unnecessarily. The officer pictured here is using a speed gun on the A130 in Essex

The stretch of road outside of Grimsby where Thompson was pulled over. He denied willfully obstructing a policewoman in the execution of her duty on July 21 last year, but was convicted after a trial and ended up £440 out of pocket.

A New Year’s resolution to ease off the gas pedal could spare lead-foot drivers hundreds of dollars – and make roads safer.

Starting Friday, Jan. 1, a new state law in Georgia will tack on an additional $200 fee to any local fine received for a speeding conviction. The “Super Speeder Law” is aimed at “high-risk” drivers whose speed are deemed threats to fellow motorists.

Georgia averages one speed-related death a day, according to the official “Super Speeder” Web site.

“That makes speeding a habitual disaster just waiting to happen,” said Governor’s Office of Highway Safety Director Bob Dallas in a statement. “But it’s one of life’s bad habits that can and should be kicked.”
The added fine will be applied for any driver convicted of speeding at 75 mph or more on any two-lane road or 85 mph and over anywhere in the state.

Sheriff Richard King encourages motorists to drive safely.

“The best thing to do is to keep a watch on the speedometer,” he says. “If you watch your speed, you won’t have to worry about being a super speeder.”

Getting slapped with the new fee might feel like a double-whammy. A driver will get the initial speeding ticket from the local jurisdiction, only to receive a letter of notice for the state fine. Read the rest of this entry »

This is just too funny — or creepy, depending on what you think about these things.

Pew! Pew! Pew!

Pretty soon, these cameras will be turning and twisting around, tracking our movements. These traffic cameras, and security cameras and the like, are everywhere! Seems that there’s no place where you aren’t visible by one somewhere.

Just one of the interesting things you can find on Google’s Street-View.

Here’s the original, live link to the Google Maps webpage.

French policemen along a street in Paris. Check out the funky tricycle motorcycle, with the single wheel in the BACK!

Virginia state police issue speeding tickets, later voided, based upon a fake speed limit signs.

A Northampton County, Virginia resident decided to lower the speed limit outside his home by 20 MPH, and for more than six months police went along with it. Because Granville Hogg was upset at the legal 55 MPH pace on Townville Drive near Cherrystone campground, the elderly farmer decided to post his own authentic-looking 35 MPH speed limit signs nearly one year ago.

A Virginia state trooper wrote speeding tickets based upon the sign until June when someone noticed the speed limit sign was placed on private property, instead of public property on the roadside.

Troopers insisted the bogus signs be removed as installing one is a class four misdemeanor offense.

“No unauthorized person shall erect or maintain on any highway any warning or direction sign… in imitation of any official sign… erected as provided by law,” Virginia Code Section 46.2-831 states.

Instead of prosecuting Hogg, local officials dropped charges against all those who received tickets for exceeding the false 35 MPH speed limit.

Source: Virginian-Pilot (VA), 11/17/2007