Dorset Safety Camera Partnership on the Hook for $2.97m
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.
Glenn is a baby-boomer, born in 1954. Along with his wife, he makes his home in Connecticut. Employed in the public sector as an Information Tedchnology Specialist, Glenn has long been a car fan. Past rides have included heavy iron such as a 1967 GTO, to a V8 T-Bird. In between those high-horsepower cars, he's owned a pair of BMW 320i's. Now, with a daily commute of 40 miles, his concession to MPG dictates the ownership of a 2006 Honda Civic coupe which, while fun to drive, is a modest car for a pistonhead. As an avid reader, Glenn enjoys TTAC, along with many other auto-realated sites, and the occasional good book. As an avid electronic junkie, Glenn holds an Advanced Class amateur ("ham") radio license, and is into many things electronic. From a satellite radio and portable GPS unit in the cars, to a modest home theater system and radio-intercom in his home, if it's run by the movement of electrons, he's interested. :-)
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Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching, Ka-Ching. Interesting camera in the article's photo. Might last twenty minutes here in the USA.
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.
speedlaw: check it out http://www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2.htm
Quack, quack! The irony is that stanchion supporting the camera makes for a nice roadside hazard -- hit that at speed and you're toast!