Speeding fines refunded

Folly Bottom folly is to be reversed

By PH Staff / Monday, 25 July 2005 / Loading comments

A303 at Folly Bottom

The Crown Prosecution Service has called for all fines issued for speeding at the road works at Folly Bottom on the A303 in Wiltshire to be refunded. This follows a drawn out battle where many motorists were wrongly fined for allegedly exceeding a speed limit they couldn't have known was there.

Some 6,200 motorists are affected, with the fines amounting to more than £372,000.

The speed limit laws are strict: if a speed limit isn't properly signed, then no one can be convicted for exceeding it. Road safety campaign Safe Speed pointed out that this aspect of the law is fair and necessary, because no one can reasonably be expected to observe a speed limit if they didn't have any way of knowing that it existed.

Paul Smith, founder of the campaign said: "I hope any motorist who has suffered any loss as a result of this wrongful application of the law will be able to obtain proper compensation without too much difficulty. Of course, if anyone lost their driving licence and their job as a consequence then the compensation could be considerable.

"It was soon after the court cases exposing the Folly Bottom 'folly' that the Wiltshire and Swindon Camera Partnership announced that they would be placing camera vans on the M4 motorway. I wonder if they have made up the deficit yet?"

Safe Speed has made the recommendation that that motorists should ensure that any alleged case against them is accurate, complete and legal before they pay any fixed penalty -- a piece of advice that of course applies to any dealings with the law.