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
Really? Your going (as you…
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Really? Your going (as you state) 12 mph over the speed limit, pass a cop, and expect to not get a ticket. What, are you 16 years old?
Use your phone gps to check…
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Use your phone gps to check the accuracy of your car speedometer
I agree if I see a police…
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I agree if I see a police officer in front of me and I match him for Speed and I'm speeding if I see a police officer in front of me I slow down, I'm not passing the police officer unless he's going 10 below the speed limit in which case I better have the speed limit on cruise or five under
He was targeted, yes, but…
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He was targeted, yes, but not due to the type of vehicle he was in. He was targeted due to exceeding the posted speed limit, passing a highway patrol vehicle, and thinking he was above the law. He deserves the ticket.
Going 82 or 89 mph in any…
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Going 82 or 89 mph in any car is over the speed limit. Hell I would have stopped you to. Just saying🤣🤣
If this person wasted money…
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If this person wasted money on a CT then they can afford a $350 fine. They were speeding minimum 12 over and thought the officer wanted to get out of his way? Now he's publicly admitted speeding too...
Did he have the right size…
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Did he have the right size tires on the truck? Larger tires will make your speedometer read slower? As for using his camera to calculate his speed, where were the lines on the road in relation to the lens, at an angle or straight on? Even straight on you have that stupid front end in the way.
I would say there's a big…
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I would say there's a big chance that it's the Tesla cyber trucks incorrect speed limit
Sad fact of life that the…
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Sad fact of life that the courthouses and law-enforcement have become revenue generating entities. I have friends in law enforcement that have explained they don’t actually have quotas, but the ones that write the tickets and the higher tickets get the promotions ! Same difference!My advice to you hire a good lawyer, and never step foot inside the courtroom. Just paying the ticket will have many effects. Your insurance will skyrocket and I looked up the fines for speeding in Georgia and the fine and the court cost will be high . Yes you admitted to speeding, but he has taken it to a different level. Goodluck
Exactly 1 second? Could it…
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Exactly 1 second? Could it have been closer to .92 seconds? Ether way, given the mass of a CT, it was extremely reckless. Assuming he was really “only” going 82 mph, that’s still 37% more kinetic energy than if he had been going the speed limit; at 89 mph it would be 67% more. Here’s another number: 0 sympathy.
No, he was targeted for…
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No, he was targeted for being cocky, arrogant and DUMB.
Welcome to the club of lying…
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Welcome to the club of lying troopers. I wal ticketed by Fl trooper 20 years ago- asked how fast I was going- told him I didn't look(fibbed) 77 or 78ish - not on cruise- car not equipped- he hit me with 86- i went to court which was 150 miles from home,plead my case and had no way of winning. Cost me an overnight stay plus $350 superspeeder.
There is an old saying that…
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There is an old saying that he should know—-you can’t beat city hall.
Pay the fine. Learn your lesson.
I got a speeding ticket. …
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I got a speeding ticket. City cop claimed I was going way faster than I would ever drive. My question was are the radar guns properly calibrated. I did not ask though. I paid the ticket
He was being alittle "cocky"…
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He was being alittle "cocky". The officer gave him an opportunity to pull into service lane. He should have did that. Knowing he was already going over the speed limit,the officer took it as disrespecting him. If I was going 1 mph over the limit I would have slowed down and got behind the officer.
Just my thoughts.
So, driver was already doing…
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So, driver was already doing 12 over, sees a Cop ahead in left lane who then moves over to right.
CT owner proceeds to then PASS a Cop while continuing to drive 12 over?
CT owner deserves the ticket. Did he think his "privilege" gave him the right to knowing speed and to do it blatantly passed a Cop? What an asshat. He should have pulled in line with the cop and waited him out until he exited the highway.
He got pulled over and cited…
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He got pulled over and cited because he was being an idiot! #1 You're speeding, #2 You're PASS the Trooper (ignoring the obvious "I see you!" move by said Trooper), #3 You ARGUE with the guy when you KNOW he's got you dead to rights! He didn't target you because you were driving a CyberSuck, he targeted you because you were being an 🫏🕳
I think that state highway…
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I think that state highway patrols are legalized banditry.
Police radar whether…
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Police radar whether handheld or in the car is calibrated yearly - my suspicions are the Telsa cruise is faulty. Super stupid to pass a law enforcement vehicle while driving over the speed limit.
What do you expect ?! You…
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What do you expect ?! You most likely voted for Trump; who was informing everyone throughout his campaign; that he was putting Elon Musk in the Whitehouse to do his job; and take the wrap for half the Country being Pissed off.. again.. So clam up Cyber Truck owners, cause if you didn't just get half the force Fired without pension..They probably took a pay cut, lost their 401Ks.. again.. People.. Find out what you are voting For..before you Vote..Or Shut the $#% up; if you don't like the results.. We warned you this would happen.. Smh
Do NOT pass a police officer…
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Do NOT pass a police officer on the highway unless you are going no faster than the exact speed limit. His speed is irrelevant. You do not know your exact location when his radar indicated that you were traveling 89mph. In general terms do not travel over 10 mph over the limit.
If you want to fight this I suggest that you obtain his police report. It probably will be very brief. It will describe what he claims you did.
Consider appearing in court hoping that the trooper does not show up. In that case it will be dismissed. If he does show ask the judge if you can plead to driving to driving 82 mph. Do not comment in court about the trooper’s speed.
I would 1st consider contacting the prosecutor to ask if he would let you plead to 82 mph. That is what I would do now. It might take some effort to figure out who the prosecutor is & to reach him.
Another option is to hire a local defense attorney and have them attempt to negotiate a plea to a lower speed.
What ever excuse you use…
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What ever excuse you use here is not going to fly. The highway patrol threw some bait out there for you. You bit the bait. First mistake you did was get cocky and second mistake was that you had the odasity to pass him up. That like you saying you don't respect him personally. You should suck it up and pay it. Let that he a learning lesson.
ANY person who has lived…
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ANY person who has lived long enough knows you DO NOT speed in the state of Georgia.!!
Good.
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Good.
Good on the cop for pulling…
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Good on the cop for pulling over an excessive speeder. Nowhere in the world and for no reason at all, should you go more than 5 over the speed limit. He should get worse. Excessive speeding is technically intentional homicide. If you excessive speed, you aren't preventing it because you'll likely cause a fatal crash.
If you pass a state patrol…
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If you pass a state patrol at even 12 mph over you are an idiot. Officer did not "bait" you, just wanted to see how dumb you were. Going with the officers 89 clock, probably closer to the truth.
The cops i know say, "9 you…
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The cops i know say, "9 you're fine, 10 you're mine".
All vehicles have on board…
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All vehicles have on board computer. If you really wanted to fight it the computer will tell how fast you were going at any give time. It's like a planes black box.
Check with tesla to see if…
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Check with tesla to see if they can research your speed at that time.
You don't need a lawyer to…
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You don't need a lawyer to fight a traffic ticket. I did this recently and did a trial by affidavit and the judge threw out my ticket. This is why you need a aftermarket dashcam that records your speed.
Pagination