My Very First Ticket

My desire to help others deal with tickets began in about 1989 when I received my very first speeding ticket.  Back then I assumed that the Police were right and I was wrong and just paid the ticket and got it over with.  Later on I discovered I had been robbed. The Police were wrong but the ticket was paid and it was too late to do anything about it.

Police said I was traveling 70 km/h and that the speed limit was 50 km/h. Closer investigation of the area revealed that the speed limit where I was tagged was actually 60 km/h. Edmonton Police Service had their radar trap set up just ahead of a 50 km/h zone. The speed sign that they were behind read 50 AHEAD. Not MAXIMUM 50. I was traveling 70 km/h in a 60 km/h zone, not a 50 km/h zone as Police had told me.  Whether that would still have been ticket-able would have depended on the officer's threshold. Bottom line is  Edmonton Police Service lied to me that day. Whether they did it deliberately or not, I will never know.

Fast forward twenty years and we now have photo radar (aka the Scam Cam). Whether or not this is legitimate enforcement or a tax grab I will leave for another post. My purpose here is to provide solid information so that the average driver can understand how to avoid tickets and contest them when necessary.

For a list of potential problems in your area see Trapster - Speed Trap Sharing System.