I Had My Tesla Cybertruck on Cruise at 82 MPH and A GA State Patrol Gave Me a Ticket For Going 89 MPH, Says Anything Over 85 Is a ‘Super-Speeder’ Fine

Did a Georgia State Patrol target a Tesla Cybertruck? Brantley's Cybertruck was on cruise control, but the officer said he was going faster than the CT said. He now has a super-speeder fine and risks losing his license. Here is his unbelievable story.

Advertising

Advertising

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

Automotive News

Car Questions

Electric Vehicle News and Reviews

Pickup Trucks

TorqueNews Hot Topics

Tesla

Tesla Cybertruck