Vic Police mobile phone swoop / Crn Collins st and Elizabeth street (Mon eve)

[geeza]

So i was driving through the collins street / Elizabeth street intersection and tried to call my wife through the bluetooth steeing wheels controls, it didn't work for some reason so i picked up the handset to check the screen whilst waiting at the lights and the police jumped out and asked me to pull round the corner ...long story short even though i showed her i was using bluetooth she said that "picking up your phone is an offence" I said - well what if it was just an ipod player? she said ..sorry i know....so i'm expecting a fine

Question is...what can i expect in terms of fine, is it worth contesting this and are they all revenue raising scum!!

[GRN_VAGN]

dunno if its worth to Dispute it really, They do say you shouldnt handle a phone regards of if you are stopped at a lights or not.

Wrong Place and Wrong time Mate

[Ryan_R]

Maybe keep a decoy object in your console to switch around next time?

Unlucky in any case (although I probably wouldn't try that in the middle of the city).

[ryana89]

Do you have tinted windows?

[marquee]

Its all electronic devices.

Wrong place wrong time

[ffoff]

In ACT it's $280 fine and 3 points. It does apply to all electronic devices though..

[killingwithasmile]

yeh im pretty sure its any "handheld" device

[jords]

It's crazy I know. You can play with radio buttons all you want, but so much as touch a mobile and they'll have you. I wish you all the luck contesting it, but I suspect it will be a waste if time. They are certainly targeting people at lights sending/reading texts. Seen a few getting done in the city/southbank recently. It makes an easier dollar for them.

[Ryan_R]

Yeah, it's a bit stupid if you're not driving (stopped, just like if you pulled over), plus have you seen how much distracting equipment is in today's police cars?

[kai_h]

One loophole however from what I've been told (so take it with a grain of salt etc) is that the only time you're allowed to touch your phone/iPod etc in the car is if it's in a cradle.
I've got my iPhone in the Tom Tom cradle and have driven straight past police while tapping in directions (for all they know however, I could have been, say, texting) and haven't been pulled over yet...

[Bflat]

One loophole however from what I've been told (so take it with a grain of salt etc) is that the only time you're allowed to touch your phone/iPod etc in the car is if it's in a cradle.
I've got my iPhone in the Tom Tom cradle and have driven straight past police while tapping in directions (for all they know however, I could have been, say, texting) and haven't been pulled over yet...

I'll vouch for this with advice from my Uncle who is a Victorian Police Constable who's done plenty of traffic work.

He also states that so long as you're not holding/supporting it's weight, any device can be used.

[geeza]

Thanks guy's

my fault really i guess - time to get shopping for a phone cradle lol

Although...the lady behind me was also pulled over and she had suction cup thing on windscreen and they were talking at length and she kept pointing to the screen holding thingy so i think she got stung as well

[DoggieHowser]

What about a GPS?

[Blitzen]

It's all revenue raising... They are just getting lazier now that they are getting people that are already stopped... That or it's the VIC police are trying to save money on petrol in their patrol cars... What they are counting on is the people who won't contest it, as at the end of the day, you are guilty until you prove yourself innocent, and after all this, nine times out of ten, the magistrate is going to believe the cop, and not the criminal motorist... This is Victoria after all, the ultimate Nanna State in this country (don't get me wrong, I love Victoria, it's just the Nanna State mentality of the Government down there is at a whole different level compared to the rest of the country!!).