Safe Speed Forums

Link to MCN

I'm dashing about ... someone paste the story please.

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

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Oct 11 Birmingham Half Marathon. I am running for the British Heart Foundation.
http://www.justgiving.com/Rob-Taylor

The original memo:



A brand new statement:



So the story is now: How many have been erroneously convicted with uncalibrated equipment?

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

Safe Speed issued the following PR at 19:10 this evening:

PR549: How many motorists erroneously convicted in Kent?

news: for immediate release

In a memo [1] leaked to MCN [2] Kent Police suspended speed enforcement based
on laser speed meters.

In a statement issued this evening, Inspector Geoff Wood from Kent Police said:
"There is no problem with the use of laser speed guns. The court case revolved
around a technical calibration issue which is being resolved. Police in the
South Kent area are to recalibrate their laser speed guns."

The clear - and certain - implication is that laser speed meters have been in
use in Kent while also failing to meet necessary legal calibration
requirements. This means that a large but unknown number of motorists in Kent
have been convicted - or paid fixed penalties - erroneously.

Paul Smith, founder of SafeSpeed.org.uk, said: "We demand that Kent Police
immediately contact all those wrongfully convicted and refund them and remove
points from their driving licences. Nothing less will do."

"Anyone who has lost their job or otherwise suffered as a result of an
erroneous conviction will be entitled to substantial compensation."

"Far too often speed enforcement is sloppy. It has become a ridiculous game of
cat and mouse where the authorities try to trap motorists who in turn are
attempting to avoid the traps. The tragedy is that the original objective of
safer roads was completely forgotten long ago."

"Speed cameras have proved to be a dangerous distraction. Far from making the
roads safer, they are contributing to an increase in road dangers. We won't get
road safety back on track until every last one has been scrapped."

<ends>

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

Interesting that a "lowly" PC issued the original suspension message and, from the tone of the letter, is in charge of speed enforcement policy. The rebuttal comes from a much more senior officer who seems to think that a technical calibration problem with the equipment is insignificant.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

i would imagine he is an instructor in laser devices for South Kent, we could all bombard him with phone calls !!!!,

IMO if there was a serious problem then all laser devices in Kent would be recalled, two possible answers

1. the equipment is out of calibration, but in reality i would imagine that South Kent has more the one laser device, so that knocks that theory in the water

2. a station based problem, does anyone know if the South Kent RPU are station based or if they have RPU unit, if the later is the case i am inclined to think that something like a fixed distance test that they do start / end of shift has not been independently verified

Anyone know what the calibration "problem" is?
Did they forget to calibrate it after a year?
Was it calibrated incorrectly or by someone who wasn't qualified or with un-calibrated equipment?
Do they have to calibrate it using a measured mile? If so was this not the right length?
DSCP were always on about getting the measured mile "near Monkey World" sorted out.

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Andrew.

I'm trying to find out. It didn't reach me until the end of the afternoon, so there weren't any 'office hours' left.

Steve Farrell at MCN is also trying to find out.

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

This is an utter disgrace.

They do not care.

If someone was doing DNA tests in a contaminated laboratory there would be merry hell to pay.

But duff speed equipment? Who cares?

They are making mock of the concept of justice.

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www.thatsnews.org.uk / www.thatsnews.blogspot.com / http://thatsmotoring.blogspot.com/

I wonder how many other police forces have calabration problems, but turn a blind eye?

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Useless laws weaken necessary laws.

Fair bet that all of them do.
After all, we cant question their accuracy and theyre only "guidelines" they follow.

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"Safety" Scamera Partnerships;
Profitting from death and misery since 1993.

Believe nothing- Question everything.

From what I have seen, Laser speed camera operators seldom properly check the beam alignment before an eforcement period and rely on the NIPs not being chalenged. This this does not seem to be enough to stop cases at the Magistrate's court, but with suitable legal representation it could stop the case at the appeal stage.

Hi,

Does anyone know if this issue applies to all of Kent or just South Kent ?
I was "clocked" by a polce hand held device at 45 in a 30 zone last week in Tunbridge Wells. I was given a fixed penalty notice.
I felt that it was inaccurate, and would like to defend it in court
What worse can happen if I lose ?

Thanks

Bigger fine plus costs. Same 3 points for that speed.

Welcome to SafeSpeed

Remember that, when it comes to speeding, it is not a case of showing reasonable doubt. You are guilty until proven innocent.

You will have to prove to the court that you were not speeding, so how will you do that, given that the speed guns are claimed to be infalible. It is anyway likely that unless you have a solicitor and expert witness to represent you, which means extra cost, the court is anyway likely to rule any evidence you present as inadmisible.

I pressume there was no video, or photographic, evidence of the event, other than what the PC said, so what evidence can you present that you were not speeding, or that the speed gun was not used properly.

By all means have a go, but don't expect too much to come from it, other than lots of time, effort, cost, a larger fine and extra court costs, but there is also a chance you may win. You will learn a lot from the experience for the next time around, particularly the tricks used by the police to obstruct your defence.
.

well well what mad hysteria again, eating my chips and saw the MCN headline under my sausage

so all laser speed guns have been withdrawn in Kent, because of a reason that nobody seems to know, or do they , an error on who's behalf, Kent's RPU, remember the call we want more RPU on the road ,

i wonder if Kent and Medway's vans have been grounded, what a coincidence that there just happens to be a certain 2 wheeled event on at Brands Hatch

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now retired