Meet the PC taking aim at speeders
Thanet - Mobile speed camera - Clive Taylor and reporter Jodie McKernan
Friday, January 21, 2011, 08:00
"WHAT people have to remember is that I'm not out to get anyone. What is important to me is road safety," says PC Clive Taylor. "At the end of the day all I want is for drivers just to comply with the law."
Father-of-three Clive, a policeman for 32 years, is passionate about road safety.
Having spent 28 years with the traffic police, nine working with the speed cameras, the 58-year-old is now expert at identifying rogue drivers through the lens of his £30,000 safety camera.
From his safety camera van, Clive can capture speeding motorists on both sides of the road, monitor speeds and zoom in on drivers using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts – all while recording it on DVD.
Monitoring seatbelts and mobile phone usage is a relatively new process, and many motorists are still unaware the camera vans look for offences other than speeding. Depending on weather, time of day and location, Clive can capture anything from 30 to 100 cars a day, about ten an hour.
Clive feels little sympathy for drivers he catches, saying: "We are clearly visible. It is not as though we're hiding behind bushes.
"I do sometimes get approached by members of the public in the van. Some just want to be put out of their misery and know if they've been caught, but some can be quite abusive, as you can imagine."
Among those he has caught speeding during his years operating the cameras are emergency vehicles and buses.
Van drivers, he explains, are particularly bad offenders. "I don't mean to stereotype anyone, but most van drivers think they're above the law," he says. "Many don't wear seatbelts and don't realise that maximum speed limits don't always apply to them, so they often exceed the speed limit."
One of the most shocking driving offences Clive has witnessed happened a few years ago.
"A man in a Ford convertible, who had his car roof down, was travelling at 80mph in a 60mph zone, while talking on his phone and without wearing a seatbelt. Because of the noise, the driver took his hand off the steering wheel, held his hand over his other ear and steered the car with his knees. Me and the other officers were in disbelief."
Despite some people's belief that speed cameras are useless in slowing drivers, Clive believes they do work: "It's all about visibility. If we have a visible presence, it does deter drivers from breaking the law and I think it stays with them for weeks if they think they have been caught."
Talking on mobile phones is Clive's biggest driving peeve, as motorists lose all concentration and are unaware of their speed.
As a result, drivers will often be charged with two offences, receiving six points on their licence and a £120 fine.
Clive hopes the squeeze on public-sector budgets, will not affect the work of Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership.
"I sincerely hope it wouldn't affect us, it would be a massive step back if it did," he says.
"We are proving that we are achieving something. Some things are not measurable, but this is, and it is working."
Clive would probably be the first to admit that his job doesn't make him the most popular man in the world but, after seeing twisted car frames and the tragedies caused by careless driving, he says: "All I want is for drivers to comply with the law."
What do you think? E-mail your views to
newsdesk.thanet@KRNmedia.co.uk or write to the address on page 2.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
Members
Malcolm.
last night”
does not address why it is! So their only defence is on false safety grounds and lies, instead of facts, and that's makes for much more entertainment and money..