Speeding Ticket Cock Up

[Mat-Moo]

Speed Camera Catches 2500 Legal Motorists

 

Found this on another forum, don't know the original source, sorry.

 

A safety camera on the M4 has photographed 2500 motorists who were fined despite driving legally.

 

The camera was placed to catch speeding cars, bikes and trucks in a temporary 50mph limit in road works around junction 24 of the M4 outside Newport. Instead it flashed people who left the 50mph zone and were legally increasing their pace to the national motorway limit. The camera has been in place from July 2002 until October 2003.

 

The innocent drivers have paid fines totalling approximately £150,000 and are entitled to ask for their money back and penalty points to be removed from their licence. However, the camera partnership states it will not contact the drivers to inform them of their mistake. Instead it will consider appeals from individual drivers. So far only 10 people have appealed and all have had their convictions overturned.

 

"The camera was wrongly sited for over a year. The costs do not stop with fines as many drivers will have had to pay more in higher insurance premiums. It is a complete disgrace. No wonder the partnership is keeping quiet about it when they could face huge compensation claims for lost licences and ruined careers, " said Mark McArthur-Christie from the Association of British Drivers.

 

Any motorists who think they may have been wrongly penalised are urged to contact the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, PO Box 360Cardiff, CF10 3ZR, or phone: 01443 743772 or 743776.

[Guest The Rev]

Safety Cameras should be there as a deterent, not as a fund raising machine. Whilst there must be a place for them I believe the drivers got a better deal from a fair Traffic Cop... at least locally the Traffic lads are interested in Cars.

 

Any way, the Hoods are far better on quiet A, B and unclassified roads without too much traffic. Oops sorry, some of you only get these types of roads when you are away on holiday. Had a cracking 60 miles this afternoon... though it got rather cool as the sun set.

 

Thought for the day...

My son's profound statement to me on meeting a few cars with raised soft tops as we nipped along the back roads... "Poofs with Roofs ."

No offence intended to the Gay community, but this non-PC statement did make me smile.

 

Rennie

[Les Welsher]

The said camera is only 4 miles from my house, I must have been past it loads of times and until the recent publicity did'nt know it was there (must of been in hiding)

I would guess that most of the people caught are not local so don't know they have been fined illegally, that's why there have been so few appeals.

 

Les

[Guest nippykev]

The opening scene of the film Cool hand Luke has Paul Newman chopping down parking meters with a pipe cutter.

I belive these cutters can be hired at reasonable rates. Nuff said.

 

Kevin

2b june 2003

[Guest bugsy]

I cant remember where i heard it poss Radio 2 or something but there is a guy going around with a major size angle grinder going at Speed Cameras and Wheel clamps.

 

Usual disclaimer ITS NOT ME!! Officer

[Bob Tucker]

Has anyone else thought that a quick burst with a paintball gun at the flash and lens windows would be loads of fun?

 

Still just thinking about it.....

[Guest Ianz]

A speed camera in Walton on the hill ,in Surrey had a tyre hung off

it and set alight!!!!!!!!

Far more dramatic and permanent.

[Guest 2BBoulton]

That would be Angle grinder man, based in London. He has his own web site and a fetching cold lycra one peice!!

 

Not sure of the address but I qam sure you could find it using google

 

Bruce

[Guest Guy]

Before you ask, no I havn't got anything better to do with my time. THIS IS THE LINK

[Guest bugsy]

Hmm interesting fashion sense

How quick can he get to Lancashire it would keep him in buisness for a while

[Guest AWhite]

Angle Grinder Man is not fireproof then!

 

Is this guy for real?!

[Guest bugsy]

Are you sure thats not Mr Methane

Not really going to attract attention to him self then!!

[Guest mickmellors]

Les - Perhaps a quick phone call to your local newspaper paper would help your fellow locals to see justice done and get a reversal in their favour.

[ibrooks]

Isn't this covered under law somewhere - obtaning money under false pretences or something? Maybe it would be worth suggesting that anyone who has had a convicton in the area whether they think it was wrong or not should submit an appeal. There would have to be a threshold where the sea of paperwork is too much to deal with and they just go to their records and contact the people who were convicted wrongly. Is the camera partnership part of the government or is it an independant contractor. If they are a contractor the potential for compensation claims for that many increased insurance premiums would put a fair sized dent in their profit margins wouldn't it.

 

Iain

[Les Welsher]

Mick,

there was a big piece about it in our local paper, that's how I found out about it.

Presumably most locals would know about it and have appealed, it's the people who are not local that don't know they have been caught illegally and are none the wiser. I think that's why the number of appeals so far is very small.

 

 

Les