map of defects:
http://www.btinternet.com/~anthony.seaton/Signs_fi...
A You Tube video with stills photos that explain these defects here:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uu0XtGYPaG0Complaint Letter: launched today 5.1.2009
This is a formal complaint to
Southampton City Council:
Hampshire County Council:
Safer Roads Partnership Hampshire:
Minister of Transport
Crown Prosecution Service
In November 2007 I submitted a police complaint Re practices at Safer Roads Partnership for Hampshire, formally Hampshire Safety Camera Partnership.
The standard of policing had fallen far below what is expected by:
Not setting up camera routes correctly.
Not performing 6 monthly checks on signing
Not performing daily checks on signing before enforcement
Producing statements to the court when signing defects had been identified stating that all the signing was in order.
Misleading the court that codes of practice, law and regulations are "just guidelines"
This has affected the credibility of the police.
After they lost 16 court cases in Fareham over 3 speed detection sites I requested an audit of all existing speed camera sites in Hampshire. Councillor Mel Kendal promised a review of all sites in Hampshire
The response to the police complaint was a whitewash and no action.
I have followed the process through the courts and the cps and asked the police to do an independent audit of the signing at camera all sites and asked for copies of the 6 month audits via a FOI. (This was fobbed of by “there are too many")
They have had one year to put their house in order. Hampshire police, Southampton City or Hampshire County Council can’t be bothered sending out a competent person to do the 6 monthly checks.
Four out of five speed cameras on Millbrook Road are not in a legally signed 50mph zone. There are many ways into the site that make the speed limit null and void. These cameras are only erected when there have been sufficient road deaths within 1km. You would think the speed limit would be properly signed at these danger spots. How many drivers have fines, points, bans and suspended novice licences due to these poorly signed limits? Not to mention the frustration of meeting a driver that thinks the limit is 40 0r even 30. This confusion is dangerous in its own right.
Some are blatantly wrong. I have listed the 21 serious defects and believe every one makes the limit invalid.
The law states that a motorist must be found not guilty of speeding if the signs are not correct.
The law and statutory instruments (tsrgd2002 & trsgd2008) lay out the correct signs, the colour and reflectivity of the signs and when they should be lit. If one sign on a junction is lit, all must be lit.
Basically there should be two terminal 50mph signs, which if on a principle road must be lit if they are in a street lit area. The circle must be a set colour red; the reflective material must meet a British standard.
There is one exception, going from a higher limit to a lower limit you can have one speed sign IF there are repeater 50 signs within 100m each direction.
I expect action within reasonable timescales by:
Safer Roads Partnership:
Bag & suspend the 4 affected speed cameras within 48 hours.
Refund every wrongful fixed penalty notice and start to correct every wrongful court case or submit a plan on how to do so within 28 days.
Members of The Partnership.
Hants Police, The Councils, the Courts, The NHS.
Members need to take their roles in The Partnership seriously and make sure Government directives are followed. That the LAW is followed.
Councils
Councils need to correct the signs very quickly. I am informed that a missing speed signs must be replaced within 24 hours. Obviously getting power and light to unlit signs will take longer. I expect a time scale within 28 days for these ALL defects to be rectified.
The Crown Prosecution Service.
I expect the CPS to stop all current prosecutions and lay a plan and timescale for the correction of wrongful prosecutions within 28 days.
Minister of Transport: If the councils cannot resolve theses issues within 28 days I want The Minister of Transport to rectify the defects as per the law.
I also believe that the leaders of The Camera Partnership are running an unelected quango and are being very well paid and are not doing the job that they are being paid to do. In the Crown v Colman case 8.10.2007 The court heard how Dr Marion Sinclair was informed by a police officer of signing defects and told the officer to continue enforcing a wrongly signed limit, Prosecutions followed despite her knowledge of the defects.
It is my conclusion that this should be investigated for malfalise in public office and perverting the course of justice.
A You Tube video with stills photos that explain these defects here:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=uu0XtGYPaG0Please spend 6 minutes as it is the easiest way to comprehend these defects
Southampton City Council Highways Authority area
Defect 1
Redbridge Lane/Millbrook Rd
There is only one sign leading in/out of Redbridge Lane there are not two repeaters within 100m.
Therefore there should be two lit terminal signs
Defect 2
Millbrook Rd/ Millbrook Point Road. Speed sign entering Millbrook Point Road is of the back lit design is faded. (In my opinion, beyond reasonable interpretation of red)
Defect 3
Oakley Road (east bound) onto Tebourba way (A35)
Right hand sign missing
Right hand sign was never lit
Left hand sign lit and present but bizarrely has had “roadworks” 50 sign place below it
(since roadworks in September 2008)
Defect 4
Oakley Road (west bound) onto Tebourba way (A35)
Right hand sign missing
Post and sign light present (since road works in September 2008)
Defect 5
Tebourba way (A35) 100m south of Romsey Road
Left hand sign missing at least two years
Powered sign pole exists bit no sign or light
Council have installed new street lights recently and painted the empty pole yet failed to spot the missing sign.
Defect 6
Repeater signs Tebourba way (A35) 200m south of Oakley Road still bagged from roadworks completed in September 2008
Repeater sign 300m south of Oakley Road faded beyond reasonable interpretation of red.
Defect 7
Regents Park Road JCN Millbrook Rd
Signed twice on left hand side, not signed on right
Where exactly does the limit start?
Defect 8
100m past the Roseland’s petrol station on a green sign there is still a greyed out repeater sign on trunk road sign pole.
Defect 9
At the southern end of the M271 the 50 terminal sign is hidden behind the end of motorway sign preventing it from being visible for 50m it is barely visible for 100m/s
As seen in this video clip
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TrJtyAOZI3Q M271 to Ashurst
Defect 10.
Allington Way/Millbrook Rd only one sign and no repeaters within 100m
Defect 11,
Millbrook Rd speed camera east bound just before Parkside Rd (McDonalds) has the camera symbol on one side and the repeater on the other; they must be on the same side of the road.
Southampton & Hants
Defect 12.
From the M271 round the roundabout over the bridge to Totton there are no repeaters or camera signs before the speed camera. No repeater signs for 1800m See clip
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TrJtyAOZI3Q M271 to Ashurst
If there is a lorry in lane 3 of the m271 at the roundabout it is totally possible to reach the speed camera without seeing a single speed limit sign and continue 1.2 miles before the first repeater!
Hampshire County Council Highways Area
Defect 13
A36 Commercial Rd Totton
Speed limit start left hand sign fails on 3 points.
The terminal sign is faded beyond any reasonable interpretation of red.
The sign is obstructed by a triangular warning sign (which is also faded beyond belief)
the sign is not lit
this sign has been defective for a very long time
Defect 14
A35 Spicer’s hill JCN The Drive.
No signs at all. I cannot believe that the tiny residential road “The Drive” is a 50mph limit. It has street lights but no 50 repeaters, so cannot comply with any law.
Defect 15
A35 Hunters Hill
The western start of the limit, the signs is not lit but street lights exist and it is a principle road. (The 40 signs preceding the limit are lit!)
Defect 16
Rushington lane/ A35.
The 30 entering Rushington Lane is a 100% fail due to the sign being green with verdegree. The 50 sign on the other side is a 50% fail for the same reason. These signs may just need to be maintained (cleaned). They are not lit.
Defect 17
Rushington Avenue A35 Totton Bypass.
Left hand sign lit, Right hand not lit.
Defect 18
Rumbridge Street /Totton Bypass
This is weird! The two signs are there one about 50m from the duel carriageway the other about 130m from the duel carriageway. They cannot comply with the law or the traffic order.
Defect 19
Bartram Road (northern section)/Totton Bypass (east bound side)
No Signs, Defiantly leading to a 30mph shopping zone.
Defect 20 Spicer’s Way / Spicer’s Hill A35
Left hand sign unlit, Right hand Lit
Defect 21
100m east of High Street on Totton Bypass a very lonely faded repeater sign. It appears non reflective and faded. I haven’t got good enough feet to check and measure 5 miles of road for the repeater signs. I expect it needs quit a few more than exist.
It worries me that the camera partnership have never checked the sites as per the netting off agreement they signed, The checking the site on a 6 month cycle as they were instructed to do by the home office was a condition and in return they were allowed to produce a certificate of FACT stating the signs were correct to the courts.
It worries me that they are still producing certificates to the court stating that all the signing is correct.
The will to spend £120,000 on speed cameras without making sure the signing is up to a reasonable standard tells a lot about your integrity. The poor state of the street signing gives Southampton a grubby worn out image. The will to prosecute motorists without taking the care to get the signs right does not encourage respect for the law.
All the authority bodies involved are not fit for purpose and incompetent. The management of the camera partnership are being well paid but not doing the job and allowing wrongful prosecutions.
Appendix.
The Law.
Legal requirements to install and maintain speed limit signs
The primary legislation which sets out the powers of highway authorities to introduce speed limits, and the requirements on those authorities to erect signs to advise drivers of the limits, is the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (which will be referred to as 'the Act' from now on). The legal requirements for the signing of speed limits are set out in section 85 of the Act, and the relevant subsections are as follows:
(1) For the purpose of securing that adequate guidance is given to drivers of motor vehicles as to whether any, and if so what, limit of speed is to be observed on any road, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of State, in the case of a trunk road, to erect and maintain the prescribed traffic signs in such positions as may be requisite for that purpose.
(2) In the case of any road which is not a trunk road, it shall be the duty of the local authority -
(a) to erect and maintain the prescribed traffic signs in such positions as may be requisite in order to give effect to general or other directions given by the Secretary of State for the purpose mentioned in subsection (1) above, and
(b) to alter or remove traffic signs as may be requisite in order to give effect to such directions, either in consequence of the making of an order by the Secretary of State or otherwise.
(4) Where no system of street lighting furnished by means of lamps placed not more than 200 yards apart is provided on a road, but a limit of speed is to be observed on the road, a person shall not be convicted of driving a motor vehicle on the road at a speed exceeding the limit unless the limit is indicated by means of such traffic signs as are mentioned in subsection (1) or subsection (2) above.
Here is how it should be signed start at page 105
TRAFFIC SIGNS MANUAL
Note diagram 14-5 If there is a single speed limit entering a minor road, there MUST be two repeaters within 100m on the major rd.
Traffic signs manual: ILLUMINATION OF SIGNS
14.54 Traffic signs must be illuminated in accordance
with regulation 18. Specific requirements for speed
limit signs are set out in Schedule 17, items 10 and
11. Item 10 requires terminal signs to diagrams 670,
671, 672 and 673 sited on trunk and principal roads
(other “A” roads) to be illuminated by internal or
external lighting throughout the hours of darkness
when they are located within 50 m of a street lamp
(which does not have to form part of a system of
street lighting). It is insufficient to place a sign on a
lighting column; a separate means of illuminating
the sign face directly must be provided. However,
during any time overnight that the street lamp is
switched off, the sign need only be reflectorised
(i.e. the sign lighting may be turned off at the same
time as the street lamp). Even where the street lamp
is illuminated throughout the hours of darkness,
it is recommended that the sign is reflectorised in
addition to being directly lit, as a precaution against
a power failure.
Quote:
PERMITTED VARIATIONS, The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002
NOTE: Where the height of letters or numbers is expressed as a range within maximum and minimum dimensions the permitted variations indicated in this Table shall apply to those dimensions shown as the maximum and minimum.
Table 2 Diagrams in Schedule 6 - All dimensions
(1) (2) (3)
Item Dimensions shown in diagrams Permitted variations
1. 3 metres or more (i) Up to 15% of the dimension where the varied dimension is greater than the specified dimension; or
(ii) Up to 10% of the dimension where the varied dimension is less than the specified dimension
2. 300 millimetres or more, but less than 3 metres (i) Up to 20% of the dimension where the varied dimension is greater than the specified dimension; or
(ii) Up to 10% of the dimension where the varied dimension is less than the specified dimension
3. 50 millimetres or more but less than 300 millimetres (i) Up to 30% of the dimension where the varied dimension is greater than the specified dimension; or
(ii) Up to 10% of the dimension where the varied dimension is less than the specified dimension
NOTE: Where a dimension denoting the length or width of a road marking is varied in accordance with this Table, and there is a space between two parts of the marking, the dimensions of that space may be varied as required to accommodate the variation of the length or width of the marking, provided that the character of the marking is maintained.
Table 4 All dimensions other than those in Tables 1, 2 and 3
(1) (2) (3)
Item Dimensions shown in diagrams Permitted variations
1. 300 millimetres or more Up to 5% of the dimension
2. 50 millimetres or more, but less than 300 millimetres Up to 7.5% of the dimension
3. Less than 50 millimetres Up to 10% of the dimension
Quotes of interest… 
The daily echo reported "Judge Gillibrand urgently called on the county council to put right the signs across Hampshire to avoid future cases being thrown out in the same way
But last night the Hampshire's Safer Roads Partnership insisted that despite his ruling, it believes the signs are fine and refused to rule out continuing to issue penalties in the effected areas."
Cllr Kendal said: "The whole partnership thought we were actually within the law." (PC Harrison did not!)
"It is very complicated, but of course, we will now look at it as a matter of urgency once we have received the judge's report."
http://www.dft.gov.uk/press/releases/pressarchive/...
News Release 517:
3 December 2001
Transport Minister John Spellar today announced that safety cameras will in future have to be bright yellow to maximise their visibility to motorists, and he set out strict new guidelines for the visibility and signing of cameras and camera sites.
The new rules state that:
Camera housings must be yellow
No camera housing should be obscured by bridges, signs, trees or bushes
Cameras must be visible from 60 metres away in 40 mph or less areas and 100 metres for all other limits
Camera warning and speed limit reminders must be placed within one kilometre of fixed and mobile camera sites
Signs must only be placed in areas where camera housings are placed or where mobile cameras are used
Mobile speed camera users must be highly visible by wearing fluorescent clothing and their vehicles marked with reflective strips
Camera sites must be reviewed at least every six months to ensure that visibility and signing conditions are being met
The rules will be binding for every police force in and applying to join the netting-off scheme, where money from fines is re-invested in more cameras at dangerous places. National guidelines for other police force areas will be published in the new year by the DTLR and the Home Office.
Home Officer Minister John Denham said:
"By giving ample warning to motorists as to where cameras are located, we aim to deter excessive and inappropriate speeds on our roads. Our aim is not to catch speeding motorists but to reduce injuries and crashes at known accident hotspots. These new rules on camera visibility will ensure that motorists know exactly what the speed limit is, and there is now no excuse for getting a ticket
To ensure that no one can claim that they did not know that this site and other sites are defective a copy of this report to the following list:
All southampton & hampshire councilors (about 140!)
police, cps,safer roads partnership, minister for transport, home secretary, local press
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Members
now it is public
?
