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
Why print this ? The guy was…
Permalink
Why print this ? The guy was speeding?? Point seems mute. He should have cruise control to go the speed limit.
If your from up north you…
Permalink
If your from up north you can be stopped in Georgia for. Anything, they are still fighting the civil war and hate us northerners, especially land of Lincoln Illinois plates
It's sad when cops bend the…
Permalink
It's sad when cops bend the rules in their favor. The only thing you'll be fighting is super speed vs speeding. The judge will surely say you were speeding no matter what. Typically I'd say fight it to the end but because no matter how you look at it, you were speeding. If you think you had a good chance of fighting that five or six mph to reduce the ticket below the threshold of 85 mph, go for it, however, at this point, I'm thinking cut your losses, pay the ticket and next time driving through Georgia, slow down below that 80 mph and then you could fight any super speed tickets.
Never, ever, pass a trooper!…
Permalink
Never, ever, pass a trooper! Maybe you should slow to no more than 7 over the speed limit. Laws are written to protect you and if you are breaking them, it may hurt others.
If you Google Macintosh…
Permalink
If you Google Macintosh County GA this is an ongoing organized money making scam especially targeting out of state drivers. GA is one of only two states that will NOT report your super speeder ticket IF you pay the fine. Corrupt IMO. Yet it is stupid to intentionally be 12 MPH over and pass a cop. He also figured if you have the money for that big POC you can afford the ticket.
As#hole got what he deserves…
Permalink
As#hole got what he deserves 👏
He's a fool for passing the…
Permalink
He's a fool for passing the trooper to begin with, at 12 mph over the speed limit to boot. Who, in their right mind, knowingly, passes a cop while speeding?! You deserve the extra $200 for being a complete fool and then crying about it
I’ve never seen a speed…
Permalink
I’ve never seen a speed limit sign over 80mph. He was speeding.
You’re whiny about having…
Permalink
You’re whiny about having set your Cruise Control 12 MPH OVER the speed limit?
🤣😂🤣😂
Call the Ticket Clinic or…
Permalink
Call the Ticket Clinic or search for them online. Super Speeder my posterior. Cop wanted a higher fine for more revenue.
Eighty two or 89, he was…
Permalink
Eighty two or 89, he was speeding and passed a police officer, whatever ticket he received is his fault. He should pay the fine and quit complaining, then SLOW DOWN.
The police, highway patrol,…
Permalink
The police, highway patrol, etc., are corrupt everywhere. EVERYWHERE. That has happened to me several times in different location. And yes, they like to lie and put you faster because it's more money for their department. It's all only a business to them. Sorry that people have lost morals and ethics and values for money.
Did he catch up to the…
Permalink
Did he catch up to the trooper and then set his cruise to 82? He never said the trooper passed him and he sped up to follow the trooper at 82. I think the trooper clocked him with rear facing radar at 89 when he was catching up to the trooper, and when he realized the car he was car he was catching was a GSP car he slowed and decided to follow him.
Too many factors here to…
Permalink
Too many factors here to just blame the trooper. Did the driver change his tire size? That can affect the speed display. How accurate is the Tesla criluise control system? Are we certain it is calibrated correctly? Cruise control can fluctuate, depending on hills and other factors, it is not a set in stone amount in all cases. Also, going 82 is a problem anyway in GA. I set my cruise at 79-80 on I-75 and pass local and state authorities all the time, with no issues. The general rule in GA is no more than 10 mph over. Above that, you are asking for it. GA State Patrol are some of the best, I would most likely contend the vehicle WAS going 89 mph and he deserved the ticket.
Really leaning hard into the…
Permalink
Really leaning hard into the Tesla owners are being victimized bit aren't we...
No where at all does it seem like this person was targeted yet the writer of the article keeps asking the same question of 'WeRe TheY TaRgetEd beCauSE oF TeSLa?'
Writing articles like this is just being disingenuous and never going to bring Tesla back into a decent public perspective. It's only going to further validate other people's opinions that Tesla owners are brats
The guy deserves what he got…
Permalink
The guy deserves what he got for being dumb and passing the cop. He can probably afford the day in court if in addition to the $200 it added any extra points on a license or harm to his record in any way, like insurance, etc....after showing the error the cop made they would probably toss the whole ticket.
You were breaking the law i…
Permalink
You were breaking the law i don't see the problem here. Pay the fine and next time don't be so cocky
Speed limit is 70. Nothing…
Permalink
Speed limit is 70. Nothing to do with your swastimobile. FAFO
How is the police car going…
Permalink
How is the police car going the same speed as the cyber truck yet the cybertruck passes the cruiser?
I am in agreement with you…
Permalink
I am in agreement with you Sir! In my opinion I feel that you and your cyber truck were targeted by the officer. Your cruse control and video can be used in court against the officer an his radar. Additionally, there's a good possibility that he exaggerated with respect to your actual speed in the cyber truck. I had a similar incident in Birmingham, AL while driving on the interstate in my Model X. I decided to go to court and fight the ticket. Unfortunately, I was arrested and later deported to El Salvador.😂
The vehicle Brantley was…
Permalink
The vehicle Brantley was driving had nothing to do with the outcome. The police officer gave him a chance to follow the rules and he proceeded to not to.
I don't think the vehicle…
Permalink
I don't think the vehicle had anything to do with it. Passing the officer while speeding was just being an rocky idiot
It's well known that ten…
Permalink
It's well known that ten miles an hour over the speed limit in any state is going to result in a speeding ticket. They'll give you five, maybe slightly more in some places on certain roads under certain conditions. But ten? Your toast!
OMG! This has NOTHING to do…
Permalink
OMG! This has NOTHING to do with this person driving a 'cybertruck'! He wasn't the first to get baited and DEFINITELY won't be the last. Ticket-baiting happens everywhere. You can drive a CTruck, Saturn, Kia, even a Hyundai. There is no discrimination in ticket-baiting. Cybertrucks are not special, so ease stop these 'victim posts'. You got the truck to flex and be a Billy Bad @$$, so own it and stop whining. Sorry if this sounds rude, but these complaints are insane.
He deserved a huge fine for…
Permalink
He deserved a huge fine for driving that monstrosity at anything over the speed limit.
He should definitely fight…
Permalink
He should definitely fight the ticket as he can mathematically prove he was not going 89.The officer will not be able to dispute the math as numbers do not lie.
Once he has proven the math the judge should dismiss the case altogether since speeding 89 was the charge. However, the judge does have the right to still find him guilty of speeding at 82mph since the math will show that. No lawyer should be needed for this case. Good luck.
This is terrible advice…
Permalink
This is terrible advice. This is the kind of ticket you can go to court yourself and beat trivially if you have hard evidence. A prosecutor is going to take one look at the fact that the person actually prepared and dismiss it.
Just pay the fine
Permalink
Just pay the fine
If the speed limit is 70,…
Permalink
If the speed limit is 70, why blow past a cop at 82?? That's a dumb move to begin with. No point arguing about a few mph here and there afterwards, speeding is speeding. Once you see cops should've set the cruise speed immediately to no more than 72 mph. Live and learn.
He really needs to get over…
Permalink
He really needs to get over himself. Targeted for driving a Tesla is his first assumption?? SPEEDING PAST AN OFFICER IN A MARKED CAR, that is why you were targeted. Rampant attitude of entitlement and that the laws do not apply to you. He CAN pull you for going 5 over, most say 9 and you're fine 10over and you'll pay a fine. 19 mph over the posted limit or 14 mph over IS SPLITTING HAIRS. Your driving was reckless, IDGAF what your car computer tells you is okay, the law still applies to you even if you have a Tesla. In most states, 15 is super speeder; and a $500 fine, no license for a year, potentially more. So if you can afford a Tesla truck, pay the friggin fine, be glad he didn't send you to driving school also, and ffs your car doesn't make you special, truly nobody cares
Pagination