By Glenn Swanson
March 5, 2008 -
In the past 10 years, more than twenty-five thousand drivers have been caught by a speed camera in Chideock (pronounced ‘Chiddick’). According to the UK's Daily Mail, a location marking one part of the road’s 30mph zone was defined as “Seatown Road.” Problem: there’s no such place. The road’s real name is “Duck Street.” The discrepancy came to light when Alan Dawe appealed his speeding conviction. The judge in the case threw out the ticket, ruling that "We cannot be sure the stretch of road is [speed] restricted.” The Dorset Safety Camera Partnership (DSCP) has admitted that thousands of motorists were fined £60 in error. If all of those drivers appeal, the partnership would owe them £1.5m (U.S. $2.97m). Shouldn't the points be removed from offenders' licenses and the money be refunded automatically? And what about raised insurance premiums? And let me guess where the refunds will come from (now that the money's already spent): taxpayers. Meanwhile, guess what Auto Express discovered when they asked 100 city councils how they were spending the money from a multi-million pound “road safety grant?" Yup, speed cameras.
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POWERED
March 5th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching.
Interesting camera in the article’s photo. Might last twenty minutes here in the USA.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:16 am
25,000 on one camera - that a hell of a ROI for the thieving so-and-sos.
Having managed to send a speeding ticket in the first place I don’t think it’s unrealistic to expect them to use the same system to refund the money, points and an amount of money in damages for the increased insurance premium the non-guilty drivers have been subjected to.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:26 am
speedlaw:
check it out
http://www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2.htm
March 5th, 2008 at 10:26 am
Quack, quack!
The irony is that stanchion supporting the camera makes for a nice roadside hazard — hit that at speed and you’re toast!