Speed limit Question, with great paint drawing

[Supa Dexta]

Here's a scenario I found myself in last night out in the country, I'll try and explain it best I can. The 50 and 80 numbers are the speed signs on their own sides of the road in the area, 50 heading left, 80 heading right. But if you start at the 70 sign, and follow the purple arrows until the green arrow where you first see the cop, who claims its a 50 zone but no signs are posted can you fight it?

There is a '50 zone ahead' sign, but then a dirt road branches off at that corner, and no 50 sign ever shows up on your side of the road before the cop so maybe the 50 is for the dirt road? for arguments sake. 50 with a straight arrow and the dirt road goes straight, i carried on around the turn = no 50 sign.

Also I was following a truck, and I was on my motorcycle, he let the truck go by and pulled me over, I asked what the truck was doing and he said 68, and he claims I was doing 76? I never asked to see the speed ( or if they even need to show you, or if that's internet lore)

- 19 yrs riding & have never gotten a speeding ticket on my bikes before if that counts towards fighting it?
- could I video tape the route showing there is no 50 sign for court?
-Is court even the first step in making this argument? Ive never fought anything before
-he was parked facing oncoming traffic on my shoulder - dumb if nothing else
-I'll have to double check what the last sign is posted in the area of the 70, Thats just a guess on my part, But I know its not a 50 zone out there.
-Is it worth fighting if I was still doing 76 in what I thought was a 70 out in the country? or will they still say I was over?

[ExtraSlow]

So you entered a road and then had to make an assumption about the speed limit?

This drawing doesn't clear things up that much.

[Shlade]

Edit: nvm gonna follow I’m a little confused which one you are on the map. Are you coming towards the cop or behind?

[Supa Dexta]

Im the green arrow when I first see the cop, he's parked facing me on my shoulder, pointing towards me as I come around the corner. Purple arrow is my route. He was sitting there getting people coming out of that corner, but then would have to do a U turn to chase..

And yes I would have assumed speed at 70 since not otherwise posted, other than the '50 ahead' sign, but no actual 50 sign on my route.

He gave me a 1-15 over though, so maybe he already did me a favour and its not worth fighting?

[firebane]

If the last speed sign you went through was a 70 sign then that is the speed limit until you see another AS LONG AS YOU ARE ON THE SAME ROAD. If your route is the same road with no stopping required then the cop is in the wrong and is doing this to be an ass and knowing that people most like will not fight it.

As you said... take a video showing the ride/route you took but make sure the signage is clear.

[ExtraSlow]

No 50 sign on yiur route, but you changed roads.

[Supa Dexta]

Right, The T from purple to green arrows is a stop sign and I started on a new road, still no new sign.. So I would assume 70 unless otherwise posted. But if he has me at 76 will they just say I was over anyways beit a 50 or 70 zone?

[ExtraSlow]

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Right, The T from purple to green arrows is a stop sign and I started on a new road, still no new sign.. So I would assume 70 unless otherwise posted. But if he has me at 76 will they just say I was over anyways beit a 50 or 70 zone?

I don't know what the rule is when you enter a road and have not yet passed a speed sign. I mean, it makes sense that the speed limit on that road is controlled by signage along that road, and not by the location a motorist enters, but I don't know the exact law.

[Supa Dexta]

Thinking way back to drivers-ed many yrs ago in Nova Scotia - 'Unless otherwise posted you're to assume the speed limit is 70' Thats what I base that on, unless Im remembering that wrong..

So that makes believe I was 6 over and not 26 over. Had I been coming straight through on the same road as the cop - there is a 50 sign further back the other way, But not one between the cop and I since I just entered that road.

Just a tricky situation that has me curious is all, not too upset about it, I didnt argue with him at the time because I didnt know the limit. I went back and looked today.

[firebane]

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Thinking way back to drivers-ed many yrs ago in Nova Scotia - 'Unless otherwise posted you're to assume the speed limit is 70' Thats what I base that on, unless Im remembering that wrong..

So that makes believe I was 6 over and not 26 over. Had I been coming straight through on the same road as the cop - there is a 50 sign further back the other way, But not one between the cop and I since I just entered that road.

Just a tricky situation that has me curious is all, not too upset about it, I didnt argue with him at the time because I didnt know the limit. I went back and looked today.

No speed signs posted ... assumed speed is 50 not 70

[revelations]

google street link please

[speedog]

Within Calgary city limits, speed limit is 50kph unless otherwise posted. Turn off of a road posted at 70kph on to a different riad that has no posted speed limit and the new speed limit will be 50kph - the previous road's speed limit does not carry on to the new road you turned on to.

If outside the CoC, I believe unposted speed limits in rural areas is 80kph..

[Supa Dexta]

This is rural.

[ercchry]

No signs means speed is 50, if it’s a secondary hwy (or better) it’s 80

[speedog]

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No signs means speed is 50, if it’s a secondary hwy (or better) it’s 80

Nope, I believe unposted speed limits in rural areas are 80kph unless otherwise posted. Gravel roads, 80kph, I am glad I have never come upon a police officer set up on a gravel road because I'll often be doing more than 80kph on gravel.

[ercchry]

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Nope, I believe unposted speed limits in rural areas are 80kph unless otherwise posted. Gravel roads, 80kph, I am glad I have never come upon a police officer set up on a gravel road because I'll often be doing more than 80kph on gravel.

Rural roads are secondary hwys

But if you’re “rural” but actually say... in a small hamlet or village, it’s still going to be 50

[speedog]

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Rural roads are secondary hwys

But if you’re “rural” but actually say... in a small hamlet or village, it’s still going to be 50

Yupp, you are correct.

Never the less, it would be interesting to know more of exactly where the OP's situation occurred.

[Mitsu3000gt]

My understanding is if you change roads, you technically have to assume the speed limit is 50 until you see otherwise posted. I'm guessing they specifically picked this spot because of its ambiguity.

[UndrgroundRider]

If this was legitimately in a rural area then you probably have a reasonable argument. You turned from a road that was marked as 70, onto another road and were tagged before any speed limit signs. The law says you're supposed to assume 80km/h in that case, which you were abiding by. RC happened to tag you before the first sign. You operated within the law with the information you had. Your clean record WILL help your credibility that you thought you were following the speed limit. I've seen cases like this thrown out before, but it really comes down to where you were. I don't know many rural areas with a marked 50 zone, so perhaps you were on the edge of a town? In that case your argument probably won't succeed because you're supposed to assume 50 km/h unless otherwise posted.

[Kloubek]

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My understanding is if you change roads, you technically have to assume the speed limit is 50 until you see otherwise posted. I'm guessing they specifically picked this spot because of its ambiguity.

This is what I always believed as well. Assume 50 unless stated otherwise.