Safe Speed Forums

PR Issued at 11:40am this morning. (Embargoed for Friday)

PR251: Motorists: you must see Tonight tonight

news: STRICT EMBARGO 12:01am Friday 4th November 2005

Tonight with Trevor Macdonald on ITV this evening (8pm ,all regions) has
crucial information for all motorists. Do not miss it.

The programme addresses motorists fighting back against misused and misapplied
laws. In particular and importantly it addresses problems with an extremely
commonplace laser speed meter.

The film will explain how easy it is for the equipment to give an erroneous
reading.

Safe Speed believes that errors in laser speed meter readings are commonplace.
When errors are commonplace the equipment has been proved to be incapable of
gathering evidence 'beyond a reasonable doubt' as required by law.

With at least 5 million motorists convicted using this equipment in the last
five years the stakes are sky high. Many will have suffered considerable
hardship - ranging from increased insurance premiums to loss of driving
licence. At the high end of the scale people will have lost their jobs and
their homes as a direct consequence.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "I was present as an observer when the team from
Tonight with Trevor MacDonald were testing the LTI2020 laser speed meter. It
is clear to me that the equipment is unsuitable for obtaining legal evidence
against motorists because of the ease with which it can be confused."

"Clearly the Home Office did not adequately test the device before issuing
type approval. That type approval must now be withdrawn immediately. Pending
convictions must be dropped. The present situation is totally unacceptable."

"My advice to motorists is:

* Write to your MP demanding that type approval of the LTI2020 is suspended.
* See a solicitor if you have been accused or convicted based on laser speed
meter evidence.
* Challenge every ongoing case.
* Do not pay the fixed penalty ticket.
* If you have been convicted in the last five years, try to get the case re-
opened.
* If you have suffered losses because of faulty laser speed meter evidence
make a compensation claim."

<ends>

Notes for editors
=================

Tonight with Trevor MacDonald have repeated tests carried out by BBC 'Inside
Out' and The Daily Mail. The findings are always the same. The device makes
mistakes.
=================

It is now OK to forward this anywhere / everywhere

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Hmmm,

When tomorow comes can you change the thread title to Don't Miss Tonight Tonight?

Then on saturday it can say 'hope you didn't miss tonight yesterday'

I was planning to.

I'm sure I had an even more pleasingly convoluted version, but I couldn't remember it when I posted.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Disappointing. They had SO MUCH more material that they didn't use. And they could have made MUCH stronger statements.

Oh well. At least it's all coming out slowly.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

The implication of the programme was that motorists were getting off by using loopholes and technicalities rather than that the whole system was flawed.

And nobody made the point sufficiently strongly that, if the authorities expect motorists to adhere to the law in precise detail, then they must do the same.

That 30 at Starcross looked utterly ridiculous, btw

_________________
"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Think I'm going to download the RTA 1991 and start spotting illegal signs It is a shame they went back to the slip effect and didn't mention how easy it is to target the wrong vehicle entirely. Video evidence combined with in car evidence to prove how the laser is hitting the wrong car really needs to get into general circulation.

The new RTA is going through parliament at the moment isn't it? What's the betting all the strict laws are replaced with slack ones for the authorities?

I wonder if the parking regs apply to private land where parking is enforced by a company who are effectively a highways authority?

This page could be fun if these signs are still hanging around
http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/d ... 32474.hcsp

I hate to say it but I agree - that was somewhat disappointing, I was hoping for so much more. At least the case has been proven!

Is it possible to get hold of the remaining material?

_________________
Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

I doubt it, but I will ask.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Yep, definitely "fizzled", didn't it?

_________________
CSCP Latin for beginners...
Ticketo ergo sum : I scam therefore I am!

Brilliant for encouraging bad parking. Not that fantastic on the speed camera issue.

I suppose the disabled bays will be full of chancers now.
wot a wasted opportunity.

Well thanks for those who tried

_________________
Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

never mind next week fathers for justice undercover reporter showing one of their law abiding fathers threatening to do his ex wife in

whats the history in this starcross story from what was shown looked like a rural road, no lighting just 30mph repeaters is there an actual 30mph traffic order.

the lady with the hair, changing signage in roadworks 70mph in a 40, the datalog showed 2003 bit out of date, considering for at least the last 2 years any roadwork signage is videoed at the start of the work and after any major alterations ie change in contraflow, nevertheless whoever enforced that site should have before enforecment started checked the signs were correct and in place, we are required to do this every site with the information recorded on the operators notes sheet

How very uninsipiring.

Just like everthing else it simply comes down to if your ilk can be bothered too. Then if they don't and they can freely do it without repercussion there is the great possibility that it could take months of court apperances and threats before they hear the not guilty verdict.

I assume your great at your job but honestly, working for such a sick profession whom p*ss about with peoples lives I don't feel its a job I could stand doing.

sorry for going on but why the change on the slip effect 'demonstration' from the side of the vehicle to now the bonnet, better viewing

That stupid graphic? Who the HELL did that? It was meaningless!

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

well if i say that the signs were present and correct at the start of enforcement and i had not checked them, subsequently i report someone for speeding and evidence shows that the signs were incorrect, i think one thing perverting the course of justice it works both ways

It took her many hearings and adjournments before they caved in and apparently the signage contractors and the police men did not make sufficent records. That is how the case was won.

_________________
Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

I wonder if the program was nobbled... it may as well have been... very disapointed

_________________
Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Really, so going by even half of the absolute cock ups that have been occuring by these so called 'safety partnershps' through your ilk I assume there must be hordes of them facing a court apperance for perverting the course of justice and in the meantime many of the pratnerships are facing a chronic shortage of employees.

Somehow I doubt this is the case.