RE: Councillor 'Speeds' Four Times in one Day
Tuesday 2nd March 2004
Councillor 'Speeds' Four Times in one Day
Almost lost his licence in two hours
Local Councillor Bob Bateman from North Somerset is calling for better posting of speed limits after being caught exceeding a 30mph limit four times in two hours.
Bateman had been out delivering leaflets and had driven along a road that had previously been categorised as a 40mph limit. A new 30mph limit had been imposed but Bateman hadn't noticed.
The Councillor now has 11 points on his licence and was fined £250. Magistrates suggested that he use his influence as a local councillor to seek better signage for the road.
Full Story on the Scotsman website.
Discussion
Splendid. On the front page of last nights Bristol Evening Post as Well.
www.thisisbristol.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=69368&command=displayContent&sourceNode=68920&contentPK=9035148
Why only eleven points and not 12? Thought it was a minimum of 3 points per charged offense.
DAZ
www.thisisbristol.com/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=69368&command=displayContent&sourceNode=68920&contentPK=9035148
Why only eleven points and not 12? Thought it was a minimum of 3 points per charged offense.
DAZ
Speed Kills?how stupid. he should take his fine, and shut it, rather than waste his time. if you cant read road signs, you haven't a leg to stand on.
maybe he should campaign for the limit to be raised again instead, since he didnt kill anyone three times in a row, therefore the road is safe at 40?
maybe he should campaign for the limit to be raised again instead, since he didnt kill anyone three times in a row, therefore the road is safe at 40?
stooz said:
how stupid. he should take his fine, and shut it, rather than waste his time. if you cant read road signs, you haven't a leg to stand on.
maybe he should campaign for the limit to be raised again instead, since he didnt kill anyone three times in a row, therefore the road is safe at 40?
Gather from the article that there were 40mph signs with a line slashed through them! (Very professional of the Scam Partnership concerned!
A bit like sending out a letter - unchecked and full of crossings out, tippex stains and typos!) If they are that careless on road signs - how do we know they really look at the so-called "evidence" properly? (There have been examples on these fora in the past - the 486mph Maestro and the 406mph Pug show such carelessness!) But then again, these pro-scammers really are obsessed with speed cameras and golden opportunities for generating cash!
Surely all reference to 40mph should have been removed, and replaced by red oblong signs advising of change of speed limit?
Lick of paint on the road showing the limit perhaps?
Or is this yet another safe road downgraded to 30mph with sole purpose of raising money for the scammers and his insurance company (who have doubled his premiums) and menacing motorists!
Hope he uses his influence the right way - against scams and speed reductions on safe roads!
After all - he can now empathise with the other 2 million of his "victims"!
He has my sympathy.
There's a lot of 40's and some 50's that have been dropped to 30 for no apparent reason around here.
It's getting very hard to drive at a speed that seems appropriate to the road. If you do then it it will be just a question of time before you get scammed.
I'm not too worried by some apparently alarming examples. E.G. cars being overtaken by frustrated quarry lorries in a 40 because the example is on a very long straight with wide verges and without even a single farm entrance.
What really worries me is that the inappropriate application of speed limits around here is significantly reducing hazard awareness because the speed limits are no longer slowing traffic down for a village or accident black spot.
There's a lot of 40's and some 50's that have been dropped to 30 for no apparent reason around here.
It's getting very hard to drive at a speed that seems appropriate to the road. If you do then it it will be just a question of time before you get scammed.
I'm not too worried by some apparently alarming examples. E.G. cars being overtaken by frustrated quarry lorries in a 40 because the example is on a very long straight with wide verges and without even a single farm entrance.
What really worries me is that the inappropriate application of speed limits around here is significantly reducing hazard awareness because the speed limits are no longer slowing traffic down for a village or accident black spot.
Some interesting comments in the Bristol URL...
I wonder whether they would have been sympathetic with normal people? The article states that the 30 signs were in place, with the 40s crossed out. That sounds much more constructive than in other places where the limit is changed and there is no indication at all.
Let's get their quotes then!
The local police force is a full and active partner in each partnership. They can't avoid blame like this.
Does this mean that there are no camera signs on that road? If so then surely using a scamera van is against the regulations? I realise that's not relevant to being done for speeding, but an admission like that would be "of interest" to the paper if the implications were pointed out.
On the whole, though, it's a lesson the councillor should learn. He sounds like a decent chap, just like most other motorists. The trouble is, that's the sort of person that the scamera partnerships are out to get.
Bristol said:
Mr Bateman said: "The magistrates were very sympathetic when I told them about the signs in Winterstoke Road..."
I wonder whether they would have been sympathetic with normal people? The article states that the 30 signs were in place, with the 40s crossed out. That sounds much more constructive than in other places where the limit is changed and there is no indication at all.
Bristol said:
Mr Bateman said police officers he had spoken to were unhappy about the use of speed cameras.
Let's get their quotes then!
Bristol said:
"People will not help them fight crime because they think they do them for speeding. They blame the police but it's not them, it's the camera partnership.
The local police force is a full and active partner in each partnership. They can't avoid blame like this.
Bristol said:
North Somerset spokeswoman Zoe Briffitt said... "We are considering putting up some camera signs along Winterstoke Road with 30mph below the picture of the camera."
Does this mean that there are no camera signs on that road? If so then surely using a scamera van is against the regulations? I realise that's not relevant to being done for speeding, but an admission like that would be "of interest" to the paper if the implications were pointed out.
On the whole, though, it's a lesson the councillor should learn. He sounds like a decent chap, just like most other motorists. The trouble is, that's the sort of person that the scamera partnerships are out to get.
I would like to know this councillors politics regarding speed and scamera's before I laugh my tits off at him, as he may very well be just be a normal guy getting stung like the rest of us.
The issue here is that a previous 40mph zone has been reduced to 30 mph, WHY?, and there is unclear signage leding people as well as this councillor to end the day as criminals, WHY?.
The issue of speeding no longer appears to have any connection with crime fighting and justice whatsoever.
When even the Mag's are suggesting he use his position to address the lack of signage but still sting him for 11 points and £250 when it appears he may have good excuse for doing the speed he was. Crazy.
The issue here is that a previous 40mph zone has been reduced to 30 mph, WHY?, and there is unclear signage leding people as well as this councillor to end the day as criminals, WHY?.
The issue of speeding no longer appears to have any connection with crime fighting and justice whatsoever.
When even the Mag's are suggesting he use his position to address the lack of signage but still sting him for 11 points and £250 when it appears he may have good excuse for doing the speed he was. Crazy.
r.
Surely his well-honed insticts as a motorist should have told him that travelling at 40mph was extremely dangerous to both himself and all those around him.
As a councillor, he surely didn't need telling that 30mph was much safer.
It kind of makes a mockery of the new, very likely too low, speed limit.
As a councillor, he surely didn't need telling that 30mph was much safer.
It kind of makes a mockery of the new, very likely too low, speed limit.
WildCat said:
Gather from the article that there were 40mph signs with a line slashed through them! (Very professional of the Scam Partnership concerned!
If the'yre anyhting like the ones round here, they're specially made signs, not altered originals. Normally have the old limit crossed out and the new limit below.
Us Brits are unlike any other developed country in the world. If we have a problem either ban it or tax it. We certainly don't want to make people better and safer drivers by training them, otherwise we would loose a tremendous amount of revenue for the government to spend on something or other. How have I managed to drive all these miles and not kill anyone?
Frenchie
Frenchie
Scameras are a bad idea, but if we are to suffer them I think it’s high time we had 30mph repeater signs.
The Highway Code was written in very different times (just look the stopping distances)
I was very nearly was ‘got’ this weekend travelling down a road that was 40 but changed to 30 at a junction - (My excuse is I missed the sign as I was looking out for cars using the junction).
The road did not change in any way, still dual carriageway with lampposts and I spotted the scamera but only slowed when I realised that cars behind me were slowing. OK I made a mistake and got away with it.
If speeding is so important in reducing accidents then law abiding drivers need to quickly know what the speed limit is on the stretch of road they are using.
But that would defeat the object of the scam.
I and many others are desperately trying to keep our licence and job, against tricks that would make the sheriff of Hazard county blush.
(I have not commented on the numpties who slam on the anchors at the first sign of a camera irrespective of the limit, or the sorry state of most repeater signs – green with tree mould and peeling numbers)
Yours
Very fed up of Cheshire
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