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Rollerblader sets off speed camera with 40mph dash (but police can't prosecute him for breaking speed limit)
By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 12:20 PM on 5th May 2011

Road safety campaigners have criticised a stunt skater who set off a speed camera by racing along a public road at almost 40mph at night without lights, brakes or safety equipment.

Professional rollerblader Sam Tuffnell took four attempts to make the camera flash - but police can not prosecute him because he was not in a motorised vehicle.

Mr Tuffnell, 28, from Brighton, believes he reached 40mph skating on the road in Hastings, East Sussex.

Night skater: Rollerblader Sam Tuffnell is shown setting off a Hastings camera as he speeds past at 40mph
'I want to go faster': Despite breaking the speed limit, police cannot prosecute Mr Tuffnell
'I may have been going a bit faster than that.' he said. 'I have been towed by a car at 65mph and it didn't feel far off that. I was trying to go faster.'

Video footage of his dangerous speed camera stunt has been watched more than 4,000 times on YouTube since it was posted a week ago.
He said: 'Everyone loves the video. They think it's brilliant. Some people think it's quite mad.'

His friend, Jake Eley, who runs a skate shop in Eastbourne, warned amateurs not to attempt the stunt.
'Sam Tuffnell is a rollerblading machine,' he commented. 'Other people would not be able to stand the speed or pressure.'

The video, posted on YouTube by Mr Eley, shows a fire engine racing along the Hastings road and setting off the speed camera before Mr Tuffnell begins his high-risk stunt.
Mr Tuffnel wore a high visibility waistcoat to make sure the camera picked him after two attempts dressed entirely in black with no lights.

He was not wearing a helmet or knee and elbow pads and had no brakes on his in-line skates. He had been diagnosed with a broken coccyx just four days earlier.
He's a maniac: Thousands have watched an online video of Sam's late night speed-skating

You can't catch me: Tuffnell will not be charged as the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 says non-motorised vehicles can not be prosecuted for speeding

The hair-raising video shows him skating in the dark, dressed in black, on a road with other traffic.
His gang of friends can be heard whooping when the camera flashes twice with no other vehicles in sight.
One comment on the YouTube video says: 'I would love to see the expression on the faces of the people in the camera control center!!"'

While they may have seen a photo of Tuffnell pumping his hands in the air as he passed, they will not be able to fine him because the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 says non-motorised vehicles can not be prosecuted for speeding.

Despite its online popularity, Mr Tufnell's stunt has been labelled 'nothing short of extremely foolish' by road safety campaigners.
'It is almost inconceivable that anyone would attempt such a dangerous stunt at night, dressed mostly in black, on a road that's in use, just to prove a point,' said Neil Hopkins of the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership.
'This sort of activity should always take place off the road under supervised conditions and ideally with protective clothing being used.
'Motorists also won't be expecting to see someone on roller blades in the road, and other road users would find it incredibly difficult to accurately judge speed.'
Speeding into the night: The speed camera's light flashes as Sam Tuffnell dashes away after breaking the speed limit
The need for speed: Sam Tuffnell took on his high-velocity stunt despite recently suffering a broken coccyx with on tour
Video online ... on their site.

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