Motorists in Geelong, Australia are being tricked into speeding by inaccurate speed check signs. A trio of motorists yesterday argued in Geelong Magistrates' Court that when they looked at electronic signs above the Princes Freeway on the Avalon Road overpass, the devices reported they were driving significantly under the speed limit. When they adjusted speed accordingly, they were hit just up the road by speed cameras and sent a number of tickets in the mail

"When the speed check sign said 93km/h (57 MPH) and my car said 100km/h (62 MPH) I felt I could speed up," Colleen Stephens, the recipient of three tickets in the same location, told the court, as reported in the Geelong Advertiser.

Prosecutors dropped one of the tickets issued to Stephens without explanation. Authorities with the state Department of Justice refused to disclose the results of any tests or calibration of the speed check sign on the overpass.

Andrew Giftakopoulos received six tickets in the mail, all from the Avalon Road overpass and all on the same day. Three of the tickets were mysteriously canceled.

"I tried to find out why three were withdrawn but no one would tell me," Giftakopoulos said. "Today I found out that the demerit points had already been added to my license even though the matter hadn't been heard."

The court fined Giftakopoulos A$365 and another victim, Justin Meggs, $100. The charges against Stephens were upheld but the penalty dismissed.