A Way to Beat a Bum Rap??

[webistrator]

The last Motorcycle Consumer News reviewed Garmin's Zumo GPS with lots of bells and whistles. One was the ability to record your trip (route, time, speed, etc.) and then play it back when you're back home using Google Earth.

This would mean that you can vicariously "fly" the route you took, in real time, as though hovering above yourself (out of body-like) in 3D.

Ergo, does this mean that when the fuzz stops you en route and you know you weren't doing what you're accused of doing (or heaven forbid, you have an accident in which your speed was a claimed factor) that you can grab your wireless laptop, Zumo and head to your insurance agent or even court assured that up to the point where you were stopped that the recorded events work in your defense?

I know my old Garmin GPS speedo. function is a darned sight more accurate than my old LT or my newer GS speedo. The newer models are even more accurate. So if the Zumo or other like-brained GPS can measure and record speed and now you can play it back graphically, this should be an argument in your favor, no?

Maybe there's finally an argument for spending $1000 on one of these things, since it also includes XM radio capability. And knowing Garmin, one of these days it'll do what their other units do and let you pull in live Doppler weather radar via cell signal.

Sustainance for rumination...

Cheers!

Webbie

[Mellow]

Ah.. no thanks.. my gps would get me in more trouble than it would get me out of... lol

[Tx White Knight]

GPS units sometime have problem with Sat. Signals but they remember miles so when it resets it takes your miles and time since reset and calulates your speed. I have seen some pics where they said the top speed was over 300 mph "LOL".

Hmmmm joe maybe this would be our best defense?? .:D

[GoldWingGL]

GPS units sometime have problem with Sat. Signals but they remember miles so when it resets it takes your miles and time since reset and calulates your speed. I have seen some pics where they said the top speed was over 300 mph "LOL".

Hmmmm joe maybe this would be our best defense?? .:D

I have had one of those readings on my GPS...LOL:D

[webistrator]

Yeah, my old Garmin combination cellphone/GPS did that "300mph" thing, too, whenever I went through the Eisenhower tunnel here in CO. But the Garmin techheads supposedly got wise and rewrote the software to recalculate speed (and therefore max. speed) based on the elapsed time between times of signal loss and recapture to give at least a realistic average and max. speed. It shouldn't do what the older units did.

The Zumo seems to record all parameters, including active (up to 12) satellite channels at all points during the trip, so the accuracy factor should be based on that variable as well.

Of course, the court might say the "expert opinion" of the trained officer with a laser gun makes it all moot. You can always ask for the laser/radar calibration records, according to the lawyers but then things get nasty. On the other hand, so will your insurance premium if you knuckle under and lose.

Cheers!

Webbie

[Mellow]

The way I see it... if I get a ticket.. .I probably deserve it and I probably should have had 10.. so I just pay it and move along.

So far, my zumo hasn't had these speed issues that my 2610 and older gps units did so that's good.

[Trekker]

The flip side of GPS and LEO's is... they may take your unit to use as evidence in case of a crash you may (or may not) have caused. See the following link-

http://www.virginiawind.com/tom_mcgrath/061101.asp

[GoldWingGL]

The flip side of GPS and LEO's is... they may take your unit to use as evidence in case of a crash you may (or may not) have caused. See the following link-

http://www.virginiawind.com/tom_mcgrath/061101.asp

Interesting...and good info.
But.... it seems to me after reading this article, your best bet if something of this nature occurs, get to the GPS before they do and erase all the memory of tracks in this thing:eek: ?LOL

[GoldWingGL]

The flip side of GPS and LEO's is... they may take your unit to use as evidence in case of a crash you may (or may not) have caused. See the following link-

http://www.virginiawind.com/tom_mcgrath/061101.asp

There are some other good articles from Tom if you click on the Link on the top left, Advice from Tom..:bike1:

[Tombstone]

Its my understanding that several cars (higher end models) are equipped with a "black box" type unit that records things such as; speed, seat belt usage, etc. Ostensibly they are for research purposes, but the fear is that it will turn into a Big Brother kind of thing and the information used against you. Of course, a secondary fear is that before long they will be in all cars, and then eventually to come to motorcycles.

I'm going off memory on this (yikes!) and certainly there is someone here who knows more about this than I do.