Community speed cameras

[laissez-faire]

The van that got me at 100mph on the M6 in Cumbria was operated by a civilian. 5 points and £150 fine + £35 costs.

However I am pretty sure that the random community people don't have power - after all I am sure they don't stick to ACPO guidelines or stick to blackspots!

 

[pinkaardvark]

Were they really waving a camera about or do you mean they had a radar/laser speed gun?

I have visions of old farts struggling to hold up a big yellow gatso on a 5 foot pole.

 

[AtreuS]

Surely you can argue that the person using the camera isnt qualified to do so correctly hence the speed detected is likely to be wrong? also was the machine recalibrated by a trained qualified person or by some OAP numptie.

 

[iCraig]

I remember speaking to my neighbour (he's dead now, but his brain had already gone I think).

He said he was sick of the speeders in the area (there were none as far as I could tell) and he was going to photograph them and send them in to the police.

I tried explaining to him that a photograph won't be proof that they were speeding, as it will just be a photo of a car, probably blurred.

His reasoning, 'If they're going too fast for the camera, then they're going too fast for the road '

 

[hominid]

I got scan'd by a Community speed camera on the first weekend I had my new car - I was doing less than 30 indicated so about 25ish real speed as the car had less than 100 mils on it so was taking it easy.

I know they scan'd me because my new road angel alerted me to laser detected or something.. Couldn't see anything obvious but after about 50 yards I saw 4 NIMBY's hidding behind a wall, one with High-Vis jacket, so I wound down my windows and gave them the bird.

If they send me a letter for that then I'll frame it, but it's been over 3 weeks now so I think I'm ok..

 

[hominid]

I reckon you should think again if you believe these guys have no powers, there was a businessman in Wiltshire who was caught by one of these civilian speed camera operators, and this guy protested that he should not have the 3 points and a £60 fine because the camera was operated by a civilian not a police officer.

He took the case to court and the court found that he must pay the fine and take the points because in law there is nothing to say who has to be operating the camera, it does not have to be a serving police officer. In the end it cost this bloke 5 points on his licence and £1,146 fine, plus court costs etc.

The bloke is now taking the case to the High Courts, and says he will take it all the way to the House of Lords if necessary.


Full story here

Erm.. If you read the story you'll infact find that the man that clocked him for speeding works for the Wiltshire Safety Camera Partnership. Not a community saftey camera scheme that uses volenteers.

So in effect - you are wrong! The community speed camera people only have the power to send out advice letters, through the police iirc, nothing more.

 

[Arc]

Well there we go then, its illegal, so nothing else matters.

Yes, so stick below the speed limit if you dont want to be caught .

Its not a hard concept to understand and with the current "safety" camera numbers on our roads its the best solution.

 

[iCraig]

Yes, so stick below the speed limit if you dont want to be caught .

That actually, is easier said than done. For one, sticking to a speed limit is simple on a straight, narrow road. You just relax your foot when you reach <30.

However, it all changes when going down hills, overtaking, filtering through traffic, going down lanes. Many a time I accelerate up to a speed in which I feel safe, notice it's above the limit, so I decelerate back down. Dangerous? I don't think so, as my eyes were where they should be - on the road, not on the dashboard. It doesn't matter if I'm constantly checking my speedo, because we all know that as long as I don't go above the limit, I'm not going to get into trouble with the law. Getting into trouble with the curb, or a hedge is a different matter though.

I'm sure that if I had my eyes glued to the speedometer I wouldn't of gone over the limit all these times for a few moments. However, my eyes wouldn't of been on the road, where they need to be.

I don't consistently speed, I was done for doing 36 in a 30 after coming down a hill and not looking at the speedometer, I was more concerned with looking up at the road and tapping my brakes as I negotiated a number of downhill corners. I passed a speed camera van at the bottom, not even realising that I was speeding as I thought I had navigated the road carefully and safely, so I was annoyed when prosecuted for breaking the law by effectively concentrating on driving instead of religiously watching the little needle on my dial. IIRC I even braked a few times to keep my speed down, but we all know how a hill adds to a car's speed very easily.

I'm not anti speed cameras. I think they're great, provided they're properly placed and calibrated to monitor a realistic speed.

A 30mph camera outside of a school is perfectly fine, but a 40mph camera van above a dual carriageway fit for 60, isn't.

 

[Entai]

Erm.. If you read the story you'll infact find that the man that clocked him for speeding works for the Wiltshire Safety Camera Partnership. Not a community saftey camera scheme that uses volenteers.

So in effect - you are wrong! The community speed camera people only have the power to send out advice letters, through the police iirc, nothing more.

They are one in the same thing, retirees, or "meter maids" or Safety Camera Partnership operators (non serving police officers) all come under the term civilian.

See here for another angle on the same case

 

[clv101]

Safe does not equal legal - please try to understand the distinction. It is ILLEGAL to travel at more than 30 mph at any point within an area delineated by 30mph signs, no matter how safe it might look. That includes what most people seem to consider the "braking region" after the first sign (no, you must be doing 30mph or less when you pass the sign) and the "acceleration region" as you approach the NSL sign (ditto). You may think it's safe, but it is ILLEGAL. A concept that many here seem to struggle with. If you get done, then it is your fault for breaking the law.

Well said. The idea of an acceptable "braking region and "acceleration region" is daft, people need to go back and check their highway codes!

 

[lordrobs]

That actually, is easier said than done.

The village that I now live in has a road approaching it that goes 60, 30, 40, 30, 40, 30 over the course of 2.5 miles! I don't have a problem sticking to any of the speed limits except the second 30 limit. The road goes through some twisty bits then opens up slightly as you go through the common. There is literally nothing either side of the road and you don't notice your speed creep towards 40... and guess where Mr. Plod likes to hang around with his trusty speed gun