Was this Tesla Cybertruck targeted by the Georgia State Patrol?
"I was given a 'super-speeder' ticket in Georgia. The State Patrol officer said I was going 89 mph when my Tesla Cybertruck was on cruise control at 82 mph. Now, I risk losing my license."
Brantley May says that in a Tesla Cybertruck Owner's Facebook post. He thinks the Georgia State Patrol unjustly targeted him for speeding excessively in his Tesla Cybertruck. Check out his story, and let us know what you think.
First, imagine driving your Tesla Cybertruck on a rural interstate highway in Georgia, and you have your cruise control set at 82 miles per hour. However, the speed limit is 70 miles per hour.
You spot a State Patrol car ahead of you in the left lane, and it's going the same speed as you are. The officer pulls into the right lane to let you pass him. After you pass him, he returns to the left lane, turns his lights on, and pulls you over.
Now, the State Patrol officer says you are going 89 miles per hour and gives you a "super-speeder" ticket, anything over 85 miles per hour. However, your cruise was set at 82 mph. You risk losing your license if you don't pay the ticket and the extra fine.
Was the Patrol officer's radar malfunctioning, or was this a case of a Tesla Cybertruck being unfairly targeted by the Georgia State Patrol? Brantley's story certainly raises some questions.
Here is what Brantley says.
"I'm driving through Georgia, and this officer gave me a ticket for going 89 miles per hour, but we are going the same speed. I will show you what happens in my dash cam video."
"The Georgia State Patrol car brakes and slows to leave the passing lane. So, I thought, okay, that's nice, he's getting out of the passing lane, and I'm on cruise control by the way. It's set at 82 miles per hour. So, I'm maintaining the same speed. I'm not speeding up or changing speeds."
"Soon after, the officer turned his lights on and pulled me over. So, the officer is behind me, my Cybertyruck is on autopilot, and I still have it on cruise control, at 82 miles per hour. "
"He comes up to my window, and the officer tells me I was going 89 miles per hour, and anything in Georgia over 85 miles per hour is considered a 'super-speeder' fine."
"I said, No, I was on cruise control, going 82 miles per hour, being honest, so I was going 82, but he refuted that and said no, you were going 89 mph. He explained that my super-speeder fine means paying an additional fine since I was doing an excessive speed."
"If I don't pay it, my license will be suspended, and a warrant will be out for my arrest. So, I’m like sheesh, okay."
Brantley Calculated His Speed Using His Dash Cam Video
"So, what I did, was to just calculate how fast I was going using the video footage from my truck. So, I calculated my speed based on the 40-foot distance between the end of each white divider line on the highway from end to end and how long it takes to travel between them."
"I passed the first line that's 40 ft, the second 80 ft, and the third line 120 ft. It took exactly one second. If you do the math, 120 feet in one second is 81.8 miles per hour. So, I was only going 82 miles per hour."
Does Brantley Pay the Fine or Fight It In Court?
"Now, I have to drive back up to Georgia to present my case or I can just pay the ticket or have my license suspended and a warrant out for my arrest.
What is the speed limit in Georgia on a rural interstate divided highway?
The speed limit in Georgia is 70 miles per hour on a rural interstate, 65 miles per hour on an urban interstate or a multi-lane divided highway, and 55 miles per hour in all other areas.
Brantley was driving his Tesla Cybertruck on a rural interstate highway, so he was going 12 miles per hour over the legal speed limit. He admits to that. However, he was going 82 miles per hour.
What is a "super-speeder" fine in Georgia?
The super speeder fine in Georgia is an extra $200 penalty added to speeding tickets. This fine is assessed in addition to any other fines and court costs related to the initial speeding violation. Super speeders are drivers exceeding 75 mph on a two-lane road or 85 mph on any other road or highway. So, the officer was being truthful with Brantley.
However, the officer's radar did not calculate his speed correctly, or Brantley was targeted because he was driving a Tesla Cybertruck. What do you think?
Conclusion
The Georgia State Patrol baited Branley. The officer pulled over to let the Cybertruck pass him. This was Branley's first mistake. He should have slowed to the legal speed limit, 70 miles per hour, and pulled into the slower traffic lane.
Branley's second mistake was to pass the officer, not slow down, and he maintained his speed, which was 12 miles per hour over the speed limit. Any State Patrol officer will think you are either flagrantly disobeying the speed limit or not paying attention to what's happening around you.
Passing a State Patrol officer when speeding is just asking for trouble. Arguing with him was his third mistake after he passed the officer and did not even attempt to slow down.
Does Brantley have a case where he can prove he wasn't going 89 miles per hour?
He probably does, but it will take a day in court, hiring an attorney, and paying the extra court costs. Brantley should bite the bullet and pay the additional $200 super-speeder fine and $150 for going 19 mph over the posted speed limit. So, he'll have a $350 speeding ticket plus the additional court costs related to the initial speeding violation.
So, it was an expensive lesson for Brantley.
The Georgia State Patrol officer claims Brantley was speeding at 89 miles per hour, a significant violation leading to a 'super-speeder' ticket. However, Brantley insists his cruise control was set at 82 mph. The stakes are high, with Brantley risking his license and being arrested if he doesn't pay the fine.
In the Facebook post comments, Mark Gabriel Martinez says, “Scenarios like this are just better not to push your luck with law enforcement (even though you were going with the flow of traffic or above the speed limit a bit). I’d slow down to the speed limit or less than 4 mph above. Not worth the trouble and wasted money.”
Brantley says, “I agree! I was being a little cocky and it backfired.”
What Do You Think?
Was Branley targeted because he drives a Tesla Cybertruck? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know your thoughts.
Check out my Tesla Cybertruck story: My Tesla Cybertruck Just Drove Itself Back To the Dealer Because of the Heavy Debt I Owe, Come Back Cybertruck
I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.
Photo credit: Denis Flierl
Comments
Your first mistake was to…
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Your first mistake was to assume police was being nice. I bet you believe in Santa! Only time they will be nice to you is if that is the way for them to gain your trust so they can screw you. They are all like this, always lying and conniving. Every state, every town and all of them.
Pretty sure you can get…
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Pretty sure you can get historical speeds by date and time via Tesla app to show your speed at any given point? Not sure how far back it tracks but worth a shot. Thanks
Born and raised in Georgia…
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In reply to Pretty sure you can get… by G Heppard (not verified)
Born and raised in Georgia. Everyone respect the State boys in Georgia. They don't play. Them highways are theirs in Georgia, we just ride on them with caution. Besides, you have openly admit you were speeding over 12mph. You might win on technology. But the state laws you gonna lose. Why you didn't obey the rules you ain't from here. Good luck with these judges in Georgia.
If you contest it in court…
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If you contest it in court and the policeman didn’t get a routine calibration of his radar gun at start of his shift, the ticket will probably get dismissed.
Clearly he has the evidence…
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Clearly he has the evidence to successfully defend himself in court. That being said if he can afford a Tesla cyber truck he can afford to fight it with a lawyer in court
How do we know the cruise…
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How do we know the cruise control/speedometer on the vehicle was not malfunctioning? Changing tire size to larger circumference will make your speedometer inaccurate
No, he wasn't being targeted…
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No, he wasn't being targeted, he should have slowed to at least close to the speed limit when he saw the GA HP...One thing you are overlooking is perhaps this illustrates the claim that tesla has geared the odometer to put more miles on than what they are actually traversing, gettingthem beyond the warrantyfaster to avoidhavingto pay for problems. ..this incident alone would show just under 10% higher miles driven than actually driven.
Just food for thought for Brantley, maybe he should be confronting tesla or contact an attorney, if nothing else, get an extension to his warranty and or get tesla to pay the 'super speeder' part of the fine.
I don't have a Tesla but the…
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I don't have a Tesla but the same happened to me while driving in Mississippi. When I questioned it I was told to have my speedometer checked.
If you bought a Tesla from…
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If you bought a Tesla from that idiot Musk you deserve anything you get!
What are the chances that…
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What are the chances that the combination of street lines being slightly imperfect, his timing calculations off, and police car speedometer not quite right, all total to 9%? I'm thinking it's pretty high. I also wouldn't trust Tesla's speed settings 100% either. Police car speedometers must be calibrated regularly. Ultimately, neither the 82 mph nor the 89 mph calculation are likely perfect. So, the next question is how will that hold up in court? That's actually a pretty minor fine for a super speeder. In other states the penalties are far worse.
You were speeding pay the…
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You were speeding pay the fines or go to court!
Don't speed. However, if you…
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Don't speed. However, if you must, never go more than 10% over the posted limit. The police are just doing their job.
This is typical in that…
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This is typical in that stretch of highway. They are betting you just pay it instead of fight it from a remote state. Check to see if this is just a municipal fine or actually goes on your license. In my case it would not have affected my license - still pulling $400 out of my pocket is an ouch - especially when I wasn't going as fast as they said I was.
Gotta love the Ai generated…
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Gotta love the Ai generated news articles
A few weeks back, GSP…
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A few weeks back, GSP indicated they were not going to be as lenient with enforcement of the speed limit. GSP has always been able to issue a ticket for going over the speed limit by 1 MPH. Most drivers know you may can get away with 10 over. Driving 82 and passing a GSP is simply asking for it. Best advice was pay it and move on, tough pill to swallow.
A tax is for doing something good, a fine is for doing something bad; both inevitably end up in the same pocket.
....seriously, similar…
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....seriously, similar situation years ago...4Runner not Cybertruck...
State Trooper baited me into passing him, I obliged....swooping back around with swirling lights ablaze...he caught a live one
Lesson: NEVER pass a Trooper
Next time set your cruise…
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Next time set your cruise control to 70 mph. Problem solved.
SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THIS:…
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SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THIS:
Take the camera footage to court, explain it as you did for this posting, & ask the judge to completely dismiss the ticket since you'll have video documentation to back up the "fact" that you were not going 89.
(Since the officer's radar was incorrect OR not even truly used!!)
BECAUSE if you agree to pay the ticket as it stands, your insurance will be affected for NO LESS THAN 3 YEARS (increased rate & premium)!!
Hard to believe, but get a…
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Hard to believe, but get a speedo calibration done by a professional before court date.
My EV is spot on accurate compared to GPS at all speeds. No mechanical variances of the older mechanical analog gauges.
Ii
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I think if he was doing 82 mpg he was flaunting his ability to speed and try to get away with speeding. No matter what he was driving. If he was found 72 and the state trooper had wanted to then leagelly he could have wrote him a ticket for going 72 the speed limit is 70. Mph. If is the law. Pay the fine
The speed limit was 70, and…
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The speed limit was 70, and he was doing, depending on the calibration, somewhere between 12 and 19 mph in excess of that.
I have no sympathy. Go the proper speed next time.
I agree with the article's…
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I agree with the article's author on all three mistakes. It was just plain stupid overall. And to me it wouldn't matter what vehicle you are driving.
Takes a special entitled…
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Takes a special entitled fool to set cruise control at 82 and expect to not get caught..did you think cop would let you go bc of the nazimobile. Like,is elon on your speed dial? Ride the bus if you think rules of the road don't apply to you
Why would you pass a patrol…
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Why would you pass a patrol car knowingly speeding? Do Cybertruck drivers just not have common sense?
Speed limit was 70, and you…
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Speed limit was 70, and you passed the officer at 82. Bottom line you were less than smart, officer did not force you to pass him. If you fell in behind the officer, he would not have ticketed you. You can can spend a bunch of money to hire a lawyer and he might get you out of paying the super fine, maybe. Or just suck up the fine, and learn the basic rule “Don’t pass an officer at or above the speed limit.” As a former officer, in my state you would have gotten a speeding ticket and a reckless driving ticket for over 75 mph with a mandatory six months suspension.
Thats why I bought a…
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Thats why I bought a nextbase 622 front and rear dash cam that records location date time and speed. Local cops cannot use radar in P A as money machines. They use measured lines to calculate speed and they are everywhere. Radar by state cops only. Going 2mph over ok.
Takes a special kind of…
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Takes a special kind of entitled fool to set cruise control to 82 and expect to not get pulled over. Did you think you wouldnt get ticketed bc you drive a nazimobile? Is elon on your speed dial? Ride the bus if you believe rules of the road don't apply to you
It’s not his fault you…
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It’s not his fault you completely overpaid for a defective hunk of junk just so you can “brag”. Hope you get fined even extra. You obviously have too much money!!
Was the driver asked if they…
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Was the driver asked if they changed their tires after purchasing the cyber truck? Changing the tires changes the speed of you do not put the exact same tires back on the vehicle.
Slow the hell down. I think…
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Slow the hell down. I think the trooper had every right to stop you. Just because you want to blame it on being targeted over your vehicle..thats not going to fly. Sure I think anyone owning them are ridiculous..but I would not TARGET you for it. GROW UP. PAY THE FINE AND THE CONSEQUENCES..YOU BROKE THE LAW
Pagination