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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. 

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 storyMy 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 SubaruReportAll Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierlFacebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl 

Comments

Tanya (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 11:05AM

He was being illegal by going 12 miles over the speed limit. He be better off to just admit his mistakes and pay the fine.

Ted (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 11:47AM

This exact thing happened to me 14 years ago I had Jersey plates was driving thru Georgia got pulled over by a sheriff who was pulling over a car in front of me , the sheriff drove across traffic to pull over the other driver then pulled me over saying I was traveling with them truthfully I was doing 79 , He claimed I was doing 86. It’s a scam I’ll never go back to that state . The shake you down knowing your not going to come back to fight it

Andrew (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 12:12PM

Wouldn't surprise me if it were a childish hater but either way you shouldn't be going 10 over on the highway or interstate.

Wayne (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 12:30PM

The way I see it he admitted to speeding by a minimum of 12 miles per hour on top of passing the carpet that speed without bothering to slow down. That in itself would be worth the super speeder edition.

Paul Harris (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 12:42PM

When you go to court show the video log from your car to the prosecutor . Cop lied. Thrown out. Cop gets fired for falsely accusing someone of crime.

Heston (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 12:49PM

Ridiculous you would say “he should just pay the fine.”

Why pay something that isn’t true, either from a lie or faulty equipment? I don’t care how much time it takes or money, it’s about the principle. The cop should honestly be held accountable. He shouldn’t have been speeding, but that doesn’t mean the cop can add a “cyber truck premium” onto the ticket.

Trevor (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 12:53PM

He should fight it, just to have the police being wrong on record, and for the judge to be able to consider for the officer's following tickets.

Regular Guy (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 12:57PM

Dude was speeding and thought it was fine to pass the cop when they moved over. Take your ticket like you earned it.

Harlow (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 1:00PM

What you fail to mention is that the highest speed limit on a majority of roads in Georgia is 70MPH, and the most frequent is 55-65MPH. So, it's not a question of profiling, the dude was already admitting to being confident driving 12MPH, minimum, above the posted speed limit in the first place and cruise controls can be wrong. He deserved a ticket regardless, and in my own experience, GHP and State Patrol usually back their tickets with evidence, I've had three of my own.

Bradley Carter (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 1:13PM

The police officer probably had accelerated to 89 mph to catch up to Branley, therefore decided Branley was going 89mph too. He(the officer) probably didn't use any of the sophisticated speed sensors besides his own speedometer in his cruiser.

US (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 1:19PM

I’m glad he got a ticket. His CT probably has a misconfigured speedometer. Tesla hasn’t exactly been known for cranking out quality automobiles, and it would t be surprising to hear about a recall, err software update to correct the ill-configured speedometer. Cop cars have a certified speedometer, which means they don’t need to clock you with radar. IMO this is just another entitled CT owner trying to use the hate of Musk to his advantage by saying the cops are “targeting” him.

Dwight McCartney (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 1:31PM

Another possibility is that the speedometer in the Tesla is wrong. Many cars and trucks, and even gps can be wrong. The question will be did the SP calibrate his radar? If so then you're sunk.

Harry (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 1:38PM

Yeah. You were targeted for driving a Tesla cybertruck and not for speeding. Your calculation based on video footage is going to win in traffic court vs LIDAR. That's totally worth 2-4 days off of work vs just paying some fresh out of law school attorney a couple hundred bucks to get it dropped down to 9 over our whatever they do in GA that results in 0 points. Assuming you have a clean record in GA.

Lam NQ (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 1:45PM

Any way you look at this scenario, Tesla driver is at fault in violating GA traffic laws - speeding 12 mi over the stated limit. That’s a given. So he deserved the citation. Now, the issue of the State Patrol officer insisted the driver was doing 89 mph qualified for the Super Speeder tix is debatable. It could be either or of the speed radar being malfunctioned or of the officer’s bias toward Tesla vehicles, or could even be a combination of the 2 factors above. So, in the final analysis, as the author’s aforementioned suggestion it’s best for the driver just to bite the bullet and pay the whole fine for driving 89/70 zone. Saved him extra $$$. Instead of paying all the add’l expenses to return to GA court to fight in not paying the add’l $200 ‘special’ fine! I KNOW! Because I was in a similar, but much more compelling situation in my favor. And it was not in a Tesla, but a 2003 Honda Odyssey family minivan!

John (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 1:47PM

I am a law enforcement officer, and I can attest this likely has nothing to do with the driver being targeted for being in a Cybertruck.
So, most people don't know this, but unless the speedometer is "Certified Calibrated" it can be off by as much as plus or minus 5 miles per hour at each posted speed on the dial -- (a digital readout is just as inaccurate as the dial because the problem is on the sensor side). The manifactures can calibrate this to be more accurate, they just don't bother for whatever reason. Some radars can have a similar variable even if correctly calibrated. So, your speed can register as much as ten miles per hour off, with 7 being comfortably in the norm. For these reasons it is generally not recommend writing tickets under 10 MPH over the speed limit.
I have only ever seen "Certified Calibrated" speedometers in Police Package vehicles with the intended use being for pacing.
On one final point, Georgia's super speeding ticket has been a thing for a few years now and is known to be heavily enforced. I don't recall ever seeing a limit above 70 in Georgia, so the OP took some risk there.

Face Palm (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 2:01PM

I was breaking the law and passed a cop who went into the right lane as a common courtesy which means: slow down, and I ignored it, so I got a ticket and now it's because of my CyberTruck.

Give me a break.

Fight the ticket with your proof and stop being an entitled, insufferable moron inventing a causality that only existed because you were dumb enough to pass a cop while speeding.

t Mint (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 2:05PM

HA Ha ha.... the driver should lose his license for going 85 ... he's obviously a danger to society, and as bad as a thief...
and have the "truck" impounded and sold off...

Gary Tucker (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 2:06PM

I Believe that the driver has incredibly poor taste in trucks, but other than that it appears he was targeted if the information is factual. The date of the citation may also reflect the desire to meet quotas to fill the Georgia state coffers?...
As far as the officers reason for targeting him I would say it was more likely because of the license plates being from another state, especially if it is from the north rather than the lousy taste in vehicles!
Never 😔 assume that there aren't other reasons than speeding for being pulled over! I highly recommend a good dashcam! I don't know if they make one that would gauge your speed, many map services warn you about speed traps and tell you what your speed is in order to compare to your odometer.
With all the states contemplating ticket issuing traffic cameras, this could go either way? You can try not to speed?... Everybody could and they will still find a way to get into your wallet! In Michigan they are planning on making state Parks and recreation stickers s part of all vehicles registration, regardless as to whether or not you use these facilities!
I have more than one vehicle, I resent having to purchase for all of my vehicles, They are not all going to the park!

John (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 2:11PM

Your first mistake was to assume police was being nice. I bet you believe in Santa! Only time they will be nice to you is if that is the way for them to gain your trust so they can screw you. They are all like this, always lying and conniving. Every state, every town and all of them.

G Heppard (not verified)    May 19, 2025 - 2:16PM

Pretty sure you can get historical speeds by date and time via Tesla app to show your speed at any given point? Not sure how far back it tracks but worth a shot. Thanks

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