UK NEWS

LAMP POSTS LANDED ME WITH A £60 TICKET FOR SPEEDING

Friday June 8,2007

By Paul Jeeves

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(5)

A MOTORIST was caught by a speed camera because he did not know the distance between lampposts meant he was in a 30mph zone.

Ian Thomas is now fighting the £60 fine and three points on his licence.

He says it’s crazy – and could even be dangerous – to expect motorists to gauge whether lampposts are 200 yards or less apart.

Mr Thomas, 44, believed the limit on the single carriageway road was 40mph – the speed at which he was driving his X-type Jaguar last November.

He said: “It’s crazy. How am I supposed to judge the distance between lampposts and drive safely?

“I saw the camera flash but I was doing 40mph and had seen several signs further up saying there was a 40mph limit.

“I didn’t think any more of it until I got a letter saying I was being fined £60. I was incensed. If there had been signs I would have slowed down.”

How am I supposed to judge the distance between lampposts and drive safely?

Mr Thomas, who runs a window cleaning business, fell foul of the speed camera on the A629 Wortley Road in Rotherham, South Yorks.

He had a clean driving licence for 16 years until he was fined £60 for doing 33mph in a 30mph zone in Towyn, North Wales last year.

He said: “I went on a speed awareness course after that and it didn’t include counting the distance between lampposts.”

His case was adjourned when he appeared before Rotherham magistrates this week to deny speeding. Prosecutor
Roger Tricklebank said the case was being brought by “virtue of a system of street lamps no more than 200 yards apart”.

A Department of Transport spokesman confirmed that the lamppost legislation is part of the Road Traffic Regulations Act 1984.

He said: “Where you pass from a defined speed limit area to a 30mph limit there should be a sign at the start. There tend not to be repeater signs but a motorist can judge if it is 30mph or not by looking at the distance between the lampposts.”

LAMP POSTS.......................

09.06.07, 8:27am

Yes the suggestion that the motorists should be looking at lamposts instead of driving is crazy but how else is this dishonest, manipulative underhanded, sly, discriminatory Government going to steal more money from you all? It won't be long before we're 'fined' for breathing, expect it. If you have enough money, however, you will get off. That's the way the system now works in Britain.

• Posted by: judy • Report Comment

ALL ROADS SHOULD HAVE REPEATER SIGNS

09.06.07, 2:04am

I have always said all roads should have repeater signs and derestriction signs should be replaced with the sign stating the speed that applies for that road. The outdated method of distance between street lights is dangerous and may have worked years ago when only built up areas had street lighting but now it is everywhere including on motoways. If the driver is informed and reminded then it must make the roads safer, I also think the flashing displays warning speed limit exceeded or slow down when approaching dangerous junctions is a great system, I do tend to obey such warnings, if ignored then a speed cop with a gun does the trick and it's a fair cop then. Nu Labour would never do it this way as it would get results but less fines in their pockets.

• Posted by: CAN • Report Comment

LAMP POSTS

08.06.07, 11:04pm

i always thought were a fixed speed camera is or a mobile unitt there should be a sign stating the speed of the road ,if there is not on there and the road is not marked out properly i would contest the fine and tickett as its ilegal go to cort make them sweat not you .

• Posted by: melmorris • Report Comment

LAMP POST SAGA

08.06.07, 5:09pm

Of course they are not going to put up 30 mph signs at the start of the limit area and repeater signs thereafter as long as they can get away without doing so.

What they are really after is pulling as many Motorists as possible in order to swell coffers via the Fines that they can impose.

This is Britain today ! a culture bred and fostered by Blairs New Labour !

• Posted by: EmperorMing • Report Comment

ANOTHER OUT OF DATE RULE TO BRING IN THE MONEY

08.06.07, 1:28pm

The lamp post rule is an out dated speed limit "sign" to save councils money in putting up proper speed limit signs. The answer is simple - one warning sign - stating RESIDENTIAL AREA, which would automatically be 30mph. ALL side roads leading into housing estates, would also be 20 mph. So if you turn off the main residential road, you know you are in a 20 zone.
Where there are expected to be large numbers of kids, - especially school areas - TWENTY'S PLENTY!!

• Posted by: JAYDEE • Report Comment