dailymail.co.uk/news/articl … stake.html
In a nutshell, HE set the speed limit to 20mph on the m5 after a serious collision. They then left it on for FOURTEEN hours. 97 drivers were prosecuted. After one complained, HE admitted they made a mistake, but the prosecutions will still stand.
The motorways may be “smart”, but the people controlling them aren’t!
Now that this has been made public, it’s quite likely the prosecutions will be dropped due to pressure/backlash.
However, the prosecutions as they are, are totally correct. Even though the speed limit was posted in error, it is still in effect. The drivers who were caught had no idea that there was no incident ahead and therefore should have been following the indicated speed limit.
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CookieMonster:
Now that this has been made public, it’s quite likely the prosecutions will be dropped due to pressure/backlash.
However, the prosecutions as they are, are totally correct. Even though the speed limit was posted in error, it is still in effect. The drivers who were caught had no idea that there was no incident ahead and therefore should have been following the indicated speed limit.Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
Exactly. Just driving with the attitude of I can’t see a reason for the speed limit so I’m not going to do it.
But they only prosecuted 97 out of 439.
Perhaps not all of them could afford Mr Loophole?
But this is what happens when those who operate the signs cry wolf too many times. I’m sure lessons will be learned from this. I’m just concerned what lessons though.
WhiteTruckMan:
But they only prosecuted 97 out of 439.
The truck driver whose complaining led to this coming out was done for doing 42mph so I suspect they set the prosecution bar at twice the 20mph limit or something like that.
If he can afford the gamble or get a suitable no win/ no fee arrangement he might be able to get something back for all the stress and hassle it might have caused him as the highways agency have basically admitted they were wrong :-
'Had we been aware of the error at the time it occurred, we may have considered inviting Avon & Somerset Police to consider whether issuing NIPs was appropriate.
‘However, doing so four months after the incident when some prosecutions have no doubt already been dealt with is a different matter.’
Despite admitting the mistake Highways England say they ‘do not believe our failure’ to remove the 20mph limit renders the restriction ‘legally unenforceable’.
Highways England issued Mr Richards with an apology and a £50 goodwill gesture, which he says he rejected.
WhiteTruckMan:
But they only prosecuted 97 out of 439.Perhaps not all of them could afford Mr Loophole?
But this is what happens when those who operate the signs cry wolf too many times. I’m sure lessons will be learned from this. I’m just concerned what lessons though.
It will be the ones that were significantly over the limit who they prosecuted, such as the truck driver who was going at over double. As a previous post says, whilst highways were wrong it was still the limit shown and those motorists who went through at double what it says didn’t know there wasn’t an accident or broken down vehicle or pedestrians in the road a head. They all Made a decision the sign was wrong without having that information, so the fact there could have been something ahead it’s probably right they are all taught a lesson for it.
How many of us have “emergency got over” when they see the gantrys suddenly light up something like
20 50 50 50
You’re not gonna slow down from 56 to 20 that easily, with a full load on, and some TNT up your chuff in “live lane one” - are you?
I always got told you should “brake” or “swerve” but never both at the same time.
AFAIR, it wasn’t just a fixed pint camera but they are usually average speed so its over a distance rather than for the moment.
Its a pretty sad indictment on the HE that it took 4 MONTHS after they had been told about it before they found the cause. Durrrrr.
But having said that, just the other day’s report on smart motorways suggested it takes something like 20 minutes to realise traffic has stopped.
Winseer:
How many of us have “emergency got over” when they see the gantrys suddenly light up something like20 50 50 50
You’re not gonna slow down from 56 to 20 that easily, with a full load on, and some TNT up your chuff in “live lane one” - are you?
I always got told you should “brake” or “swerve” but never both at the same time.
You will never see such a set of signals “suddenly light up”. First off, you’ll never see a 30 mph differential between adjacent lanes on a regular 3 or 4 lane Motorway - the system that drives the signals simply won’t allow it. The only time you’ll ever see such a markedly different speed on adjacent lanes is where Motorways split and the incident/congestion only affects one of the diverging Motorways (in which case you’d hopefully already be driving in the lane that matched your chosen route…). The system also will not allow an immediate 20 mph restriction to be set with no prior warning. If a 20 mph restriction were to be called for (and such a low limit can only be set by a human operator - the automatic equipment cannot AIUI apply a lower limit than 50) it would start off as a 50 limit, and then be reduced in stages (with earlier signs set accordingly) to reach 20 mph. The general principle being that a motorist should never be faced with an immediate reduction in limit of more than 20 mph (unless of course he’s not paying attention…). Even the most gung-ho of steering wheel attendants can surely deal with shedding 20 mph in a reasonable distance…?
Acorn:
AFAIR, it wasn’t just a fixed pint camera but they are usually average speed so its over a distance rather than for the moment.
Nope - the lorry driver concerned stated he was “flashed” by the speed camera. The enforcement cameras on these “smart” Motorways are set at fixed points. You’ll normally only find average speed cameras on roadworks etc.