News Hound

Photographic evidence proves a speed camera issued a bogus ticket to a UK motorcyclist.

UK motorcyclist Bryn Carlyon, 47, found that the only way to find justice after he received a false speed camera ticket was not to go to court. Instead, he brought his evidence to Motorcycle News.

Carlyon had received a police notice in the mail claiming he was exceeding the speed limit at 46 MPH. After going through the convoluted process of obtaining photographs of the incident from the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, Carlyon calculated his speed.

The photos showed he had moved less than the space of three lines -- six meters -- in 0.5 seconds. This means he was traveling no faster than 12 meters per second, or 26.8 MPH.

Since the actual distance he travelled was less than six meters, he more likely was moving at 18 MPH.

Carlyon showed his calculation to the camera ticket partnership and they just told him he had to fight it in court on December 16. But as soon as Motorcycle News began making inquiries on Carlyon's behalf, the ticket partnership immediately dropped charges

"Before MCN stepped in, I didn't know what to do," said Carlyon. "How many people get these notices, don't know how fast they were going and just accept it?"

See other articles on speed cameras, parking tickets, the clampers, and those sodding speed ramps by CLICKING HERE

Or to enter the main forums CLICK HERE

I need to mention at this point, that the above links will open in a new window and that none of the above links will move you off our site


Source: Motorcycle News, 21st Dec, 2005

Attached Thumbnails

   

News Hound

Welsh speed camera calamity

DRIVERS caught speeding on camera were last night urged to challenge their convictions while nearly 1,000 motorists are to have their fines quashed.

One of Wales' leading transport experts said motorists who get fined after being caught speeding by safety cameras should check the conviction is correct.

Around 950 motorists will have speeding convictions overturned after it emerged that part of a road signposted as 30mph was in fact subject to a 60mph speed limit.

Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership ordered a full review of a mobile camera site in Cowbridge in the Vale of Glamorgan after a complaint was received about speed limit signs.

Now, hundreds of convictions are to be overturned amid concerns that some drivers should not have been prosecuted. One of Britain's leading anti-speed-camera campaigners said all speed cameras should be scrapped.

And Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership wants councils to check all speed limits so the mistake does not happen again.

The Association of British Drivers says it has put in a Freedom of Information Act request to find out what proportion of drivers have had their convictions overturned.

Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership has had to overturn convictions in the past, but this is one of its biggest cases.

Professor Garel Rhys, an expert in transport at Cardiff University, said last night, "It is always wise for an individual to check the conviction he or she is facing is in fact a safe one.

"There are many mistakes like this and most motorists simply take the penalty because they don't want to go to court because there is the threat of a bigger fine and more points if they fail.

"If you look at the number of people who contest these things, it is far from rare that the authorities drop their case."

The Partnership's review found that while all of Cardiff Road in Cowbridge was signposted as a 30mph limit, part of the road - known locally as Primrose Hill - was subject to a 60mph limit.

The Partnership said it was concerned some motorists may have been prosecuted for travelling above 30mph within a short section where they could have legally travelled at speeds of up to 60mph.

To introduce a 30mph speed limit on a road without street lighting, local authorities must signpost it and pass a traffic regulation order.

In 1990, the former South Glamorgan County Council extended the 30mph limit beyond the street lighting on Cardiff Road by signposting it but it has now been established that the necessary traffic regulation order was never passed. The site had not been enforced since May 2005 and the Camera Safety Partnership suspended it in July 2005 when a potential problem was identified.

The Vale of Glamorgan County Council has now put the 30mph traffic regulation order in place and motorists are advised that the section signed as 30mph is now legally set at 30mph.

The Partnership began operating a mobile camera at the site in April 2000 and up until May 2005, 949 motorists had accepted conditional offers of fixed penalties or been summoned to appear in court.

Footage from safety cameras is only retained for 18 months and without being able to identify which motorists have been affected, the Partnership says it is only fair all convictions are reversed.

Mark McArthur-Christie, policy director of the Association of British Drivers, said, "We have seen a lot of cases similar to this one this year.

"Local authorities are rushing through lower speed limits in the belief they will save lives but we don't really know the full effects of this and whether it really does make the roads safer.

"What we do know is that the numbers who are successfully overturning their conviction has gone up hugely, which is sad because it means people are now starting to view the law with some degree of contempt."

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign, said, "It is disappointing that road safety has turned into a war of technicalities. The authorities are enforcing technical regulations against motorists and motorists are enforcing technical regulations against them.

"The speed camera issue has run completely out of control and I don't think we are going to enforce proper road safety until we scrap the lot of them."

In May, more than 1,000 drivers had their speeding convictions overturned because temporary speed limit warning signs had been put in the wrong place.

Drivers who had been caught on the A483 northbound road works near Wrexham had their fines repaid - costing the authorities nearly £68,000.

Phil Davies, manager of the Partnership, said, "We are determined to resolve this situation as quickly and fairly as possible.

"As we are unable to identify which section of Cardiff Road motorists were travelling on, we feel it is only right that we reverse all the convictions.

"We stopped enforcing here as soon as we realised there may be a problem and I have asked all local authorities within Mid and South Wales to review their traffic regulation orders."

Source
Aled Blake, Western Mail
icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

News Hound

Drivers in the USA have been well aware of whats been termed the 'bologna slice' effect for many years and have been quashing many convictions.

Have a look at this website based in the USA http://www.quattro123.com/NH93NewHa...reaAnalysis.htm

If you need more information over another not apparently as accurate speed camera as the partnerships would have you believe have a look over this website http://www.geocities.com/stop_abuse...20/OpinionE.htm

Click on the thumbnail below of the 'bologna slice' to understand the effect.

Attached Thumbnails

 

News Hound

IF YOU LIVE IN NOTTS READ THIS......

Notts Safety Camera Partnership FOI webpage 'Material we will not publish' states -

Additionally, the above exemption procedures have been negotiated nationally by Safety Camera Partnerships with the Information Commissioner who has subsequently authorised such information as exempt.

Not according to the ICO. Notts SCP still have to process the requests, apply the public interest test in every case and give the applicant the right to complain and appeal. There are no block exemptions, particularly to SCPs who are not even public authorities under the terms of FOI 2000.

If Notts SCP are prepared to lie to you about something as simple as this what else aren't they telling you?

Source
http://pepipoo.com/NewForums2/viewtopic.php?t=9061

News Hound

Driver proves the camera can lie

A FATHER-OF-TWO is demanding an apology after proving a speed camera had almost trebled his actual speed.

Engineer Bryn Carlyon was recorded at doing an apparent 46mph in a 30mph zone near the Gabalfa flyover in Cardiff.

But after fighting a seven-month campaign to clear his name, the 47-year-old motorcyclist has proved his innocence with the help of photographic evidence from the camera which falsely recorded his speed.

He used the road markings to measure how far he had travelled in the time that elapsed between the taking of the two pictures and found that his approximate speed was just 18mph.

The father of two was summoned to Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, but had to request the photographic images after the prosecution failed to produce them in court.

Although he has now received a formal apology from the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, he is still working to overturn a decision that his case was dropped only due to insufficient evidence.

“I need the verdict to say that this was not dropped through lack of evidence – it was dropped because it was a false prosecution,” said Mr Carlyon.

“So many people could be in the same situation. It costs so much time and effort to get these cases proved, and I feel so sorry for others who fail to prove this. It could cost someone their job at the end of the day.”

The Safety Camera Partnership admitted that a bus on the opposite side of the road could have caused the camera which recorded Mr Carlyon’s speed to produce a false reading.

Mr Carlyon also demanded an apology from South Wales Police Chief Constable Barbara Wilding.

He said: “I have heard nothing from her – and I know she received my letter because I sent it recorded delivery.

“At the moment, this is still a stain on my character as the court case was simply dropped for lack of evidence.

Source
South Wales Echo
icwales.icnetwork.co.uk

__________________
Don't suffer crap service in silence - Post your complaint on here www.crapservice.co.uk

grmc

Well, I received a similar notice of intended prosecution (NIP) from Staffordshire Safety Camera Partnership "Life Savers On Duty" back in September 2005.

In it, they said my car had been observed travelling at 40mph in a 30 zone.

I'm not one to speed in restricted areas, and also I don't believe in having the "Hobson's Choice" forced upon me of "Admit it or go to Court" so I requested proof of an offence before providing any information.

I was sent two photographs of a car similar to mine (for obvious legal reasons I cannot say that it was mine, merely one that looked like mine). In any case, they can't really prove it was mine as the sniper that took the photographs didn't have the guts to stop the car to find out who was driving - this in itself proves to me that the "Life Saver" aspect of the role is pure bo**ocks as surely the most effective way of saving lives from speeders is to stop the speeders in the act? Nah, how would they make the £1000's in fines if they did that? Silly me.

Anyway, looking at the images, the elapsed times and the surroundings, I quickly realised that something was VERY wrong.

The reported distance was way off. I know this because I went out and measured it. Based on my calculations my average speed was between 18 and 20 MPH between the two points.

Where I think it went wrong was that the laser beam that was tracking the car crossed the pole supporting a road sign. This gave the gun the impression that the object it was tracking had 'leapt' forwards about 50 metres in two seconds, giving the operator the required 'hit'. Bingo, log it, post the summons.

Of course, my observations were fed right back to the head "Life Saver" and their response was that they "are looking into it". It's been 8 weeks and not one more love letter from them (which they were arrogantly sending at a rate of one per week up until that point).

My advice to ANYONE getting one of these things is simply to request proof of an offence. It takes the same amount of time as it does to send the response back, and you have a RIGHT to see evidence. After all, would you admit to committing a burglary simply based on allegations in a letter sent to you? Of course not, so why should you for an alleged road traffic offence? It's all the same basic law.

When you get it, THINK about all of the possible mistakes that could have been made. I am in the advantageous position of being both an ex policeman and working in the IT industry so I know that when you put coppers and technology together it's a recipe for disaster. The chances are that something wasn't done right.

In any case, make sure it costs them more in administration to get your £60 fine by simply being awkward. Soon enough they will realise that these things aren't making them any money and THEN we'll see how keen they are on "Casualty Reduction".

nightmare

grmc, im with you on this one.

Its high time this scam was ended, it's been proved again and again around the world that these devices are inaccurate, in Australia they have been refunding fines caused by these inaccurate cameras.

Its time that "Art & Holes" the safety camera operators lost their jobs

I recovered the image from this post http://www.crapservice.co.uk/forum/...light=art+holes

Click on the thumbnail below, its a classic

Attached Thumbnails

 

News Hound

Speed refunds after camera mix-up

More than 900 drivers will have speeding fines refunded and convictions quashed after it emerged part of a road signposted as 30mph had a 60mph limit.

Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership reviewed a camera site at Primrose Hill in Cowbridge.

It is now writing to 949 motorists telling them how to reclaim fines and have points removed from their licence.

It emerged that the traffic regulation order needed to change a speed limit was never passed at the site.

The partnership said that in 1990, the former South Glamorgan County Council extended the 30mph on Cardiff Road in Cowbridge limit 260 metres to Primrose Hill and signposted it.

But the partnership said it had now found that the necessary traffic regulation order was never passed to make the new speed limit lawful and the limit on the Primrose Hill section should have remained 60mph.

A mobile camera operated at Primrose Hill between April 2000 and May 2005, during which time 949 motorists accepted fixed penalties or were summoned to appear in court.

All the affected motorists will have their convictions reversed and their fines refunded.

'Reverse convictions'

Phil Davies, manager of Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, said: "We are determined to resolve this situation as quickly and fairly as possible. "We feel it is only right that we reverse all the convictions.

"We stopped enforcing here as soon as we realised there may be a problem and I have asked all local authorities within mid and south Wales to review their traffic regulation orders."

He added: "We will be refunding all those that have been prosecuted in that area since the partnership started in 2000.

"It's embarrassing and we are concerned it has arisen.

"We are grateful a member of the public has drawn our attention to it."

Motorist John Davies, who complained about the speed signs, told BBC Radio Wales that he was pleased with the outcome.

He added: "I'm very very pleased that justice has been done.

"Rather than pay the £40, I paid a couple of hundred pounds on research and fees to make it correct."

Vale of Glamorgan council has now put a traffic regulation order in place and the entire section has a legal 30mph speed limit.

Source
bbc.co.uk

Image: Primrose Hill, Cowbridge

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Don't suffer crap service in silence - Post your complaint on here www.crapservice.co.uk

News Hound

See other articles on speed cameras, parking tickets, the clampers, and those sodding speed ramps by CLICKING HERE

Or to enter the main forums CLICK HERE

It's no longer about safety, safety cameras are about extracting as much money from the motorist as is humanly possible, and this legal scam has got to stop

__________________
Don't suffer crap service in silence - Post your complaint on here www.crapservice.co.uk