Back to news  |
RadarExpress Support
|
|
Shopping Cart |  |
 |
|
|
Shopping Cart | |
|
Speeding Drivers could escape fines and penalty points by completing a course on the dangers of driving too quickly. This option could help overcome the public's resentment of speed cameras, hopes the Association of Chief Police Officers.
The 'education' option will apply for first time offenders in England and Wales, but only if they are caught speeding by less than nine miles an hour.
The one day course will be run by local councils, with the cost being borne by the offending motorist. The cost is likely to be equal to a standard speeding fine.
Derbyshire Police force have controversially let-off 59 of its own speeding drivers in a move that has been criticised as exhibiting a 'double standard'. The marked police vehicles, which were being used for operational purposes, were caught by mobile speed traps in and around Derbyshire. Police bosses scrapped the tickets even though in at least 14 of the cases, no blue flashing lights were detected by the camera system.
Nearly 5,600 motorists caught by speed cameras in London's Upper Thames Street have had their fines returned and penalty points removed because a speed limit sign was installed in the wrong place. The London Safety Camera Partnership has been forced to hand back £335,880 to drivers caught exceeding the 20mph speed limit.
Speeding motorists in West Sussex could be caught by their own neighbours as part of a new police initiative — entitled 'Speedwatch'.
Villagers in the West Sussex villages of West Hoathly and Sharpthorne have been given training in how to use police laser speed guns and will report any vehicle traveling at more than double the 30mph posted limit. Police will then decide on whether action will be taken, in the form of fines and penalty points.
Interestingly, the 22 volunteers have also been given tuition in anger management and health and safety.
A survey last year found that the need for stronger measures to deal with speeding drivers was the residents' biggest concern, ranking higher than other types of crime.
During the first few months of the scheme, over 1,000 warning letters have been sent to drivers.
Similar initiatives are now being launched across the country.
Police forces are to be given new guidelines on using mobile laser based speed cameras because of concerns that they are breaking the law by trapping motorists at too great a distance. Laser based devices, which can be handheld, tripod mounted or located in 'Safety Vans', are certified by the Home Office for use at a range of up to 1000m (3281ft). However the law states that a camera operator must be able to form a "prior opinion" that a vehicle is breaking the limit before using the system to record its speed.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|