What are the laws on camera signposting? Options

[Sohail Saied]

Hi there,
New to the forum, just wanted to know:
what is the law regarding placement of speed limit and speed camera warning signs?

I was caught doing 44mph on a 30mph restricted zone; the reason for me having committed the offence was that there was inadequate signposting for the oncoming camera, as well as speed limit restriction.

I appealed to Thames Valley police with photographic/video evidence twice, trying to argue that there was not enough prior warning to the camera and poor placement of the warning signs.

The magistrate has now summoned me, and i intend to plead guilty at the Court providing the magistrate with the evidence i have.

Thanks in advance,
Sohail

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[Pete D]

Do you mean Not Guilty. What evidence, they do not need to have a camera sign at all and if the street lamps are spaced less that 183 m ( 200 yards ) and it was not a dual carriageway with repeater signs then it is a 30 limit. Try telling us more. Pete D

[Sohail Saied]

I cannot plead Not Guilty because i was actually doing 44mph. however there are 2 more choices on the summons. either plead guilty by post or appear at the court and plead guilty after showing the judge your reasons/ evidence for speeding. the evidence that I have shows that the 1st 30 mph restriction sign is placed about 50 yds or so before the round about and this sign is accompanied under neath it on the same pole, by another sign saying roundabout slow down. motorists would consider it as a warning sign for the roundabout. after the round about the second sign is about 50 yds from it showing speed camera with no speed restriction sign on it. The third sign post is only 20 yds from the camera that has both speed limit and speed camera signs yet it is placed on the gate of an ambulance station and is placed on such a height that it can be easily obscured by an ambulance parked in front of it. as far as the street lighting goes there are perhaps 3 such poles in the area. This roar after 200 yards becomes a 50 mph zone. I may as well tell you that before the round about the road is dual carriage way and has no speed restriction signs or cameras. I also have information that there has been no change in the status of serious accidents or fatalities since the instillation of this camera. Of course as one would expect, there has been some reduction of minor incidences in the region. Under these circumstances what would be the right thing to do? The above mentioned correspondance has been the basis of my x 2 appeal to the thames valley police before the matter was forwarded to the magistrates court.

[BaggieBoy]

You can always plead not guity, regardless of the offence and whether you think you were speeding or not. There is no concept of pleading guilty after showing evidence, you can plead guilty and then introduce mitigation to try to reduce the sentence. You don't say if the section of road was covered by regular streetlamps, if it was the it sound like you are stuffed on a signage defence. If the speed limit was reduced to 30MPH before the roundabout and there was no futher speed limit signs, then the speed limit will be 30MPH if there are streetlamps. There are no requirements for speed camera warning signs at all.

So all in all I don't see you getting much joy in court based on what you have told us.