They Only Want Your Money

[Hymie]

I’m surprised this news story hasn’t been posted on AB, where over 500 have been caught speeding due to a fake 50MPH sign – it looks pretty genuine to me in the photo.

The authorities are saying that the speeding fines are valid (despite the fake sign).

Of course some of those caught speeding may lose their licence due to reaching 12 points.

NJ might have something to say about this.

 

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/a20-fake-speed-50mph-sign-fines-met-police-london-sadiq-khan-b1139032.html

[jno]

can't see how they can get away with that. Speed limits have to be properly posted; posting a 50mph sign is in effect overriding a 40mph one.

[10ClarionSt]

Anyone who has driven in America will tell you how confusing the speed limit can be on some roads, especially the interstates. The limit changes from town to town on the I-75: 50 on one stretch, 70 on the next, then 65, then 55. Sheesh!

[jno]

at least they're real signs, Clarion!

I once got stopped in Maryland, which is full of signs saying "We NEVER issue warnings." Fortunately, finding I was an alien, they did.

[barry1010]

The police insist that the fake sign has not impacted on the overall drivers average speed.

Have they calculated that over the set distance, which would have varying speed limits, those drivers would have still been speeding if the limit on that particular stretch was 50mph, not 40?

Just how long was the affected bit of road and how many miles does the average speed limit cover?

[barry1010]

10C, that is very common here, too.

[Hymie]

If you drive over a distance at a constant 40mph, your average speed will be 40mph.  But if during that constant 40mph distance, you travel at 50mph for part of it (but otherwise maintain 40mph) your average speed will be more than 40mph.  That fact is very simple maths.

[barry1010]

Hymie, the stretch of road could have several different speed limits at varying lengths. 

It is simple maths but we don't have the information to do the calculations 

[newmodarmy]

^ But if the distance between the next 50 sign and the next 40 sign was only small -say 200 yards- and the average speed was measured over a long ditance- say 3 miles- then it would depend on the threshold. If they were only prosecuting at an average of 45 then could someone argue they did 50 for a while so really only averaged 44 for the rest....I doubt it would be a valid defence as they still exceeded 40.

Someone could always get a solicitor and challenge it.

I'm not sure which way it would go.

[newmodarmy]

^ 50 sign not next 50 sign

Barry, mine was to Hymie

[Hymie]

The authorities said that the fake speed limit sign was only there for a very short time (taken down immediately they knew about it) – if this is so, how come so many were caught speeding during such a short time?

[newmodarmy]

Because a lot of people were speeding?

We simply don't know how many were caught each day under either regime.

[davebro3]

Just cancel the fines - waste of time & money if these cases all have to go through the courts.

[davebro3]

and the points of course

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe if those in charge had sorted what must have been a long standing issue with the drainage system instead of simply imposing a speed limit and thinking, "That'll do", there wouldn't be any issue. But authorities doing their job properly for the citizens is likely to be nation newspaper headline news.

[10ClarionSt]

Barry @ 05.37:

//10C, that is very common here, too.//

I don't think so, Barry. You see it where there are so-called smart motorways, but generally the limit is 70 for most stretches of motorway.

[ToraToraTora]

Surely any half decent lawyer would blow this out of the water. This is not even a loop hole is it?

[Old_Geezer]

Since the ridiculous introduction of the 20mph limit such changes have become all too common. It was the case for ages that major roads & carriageways with higher limits "liked" to switch from one limit to another willy nilly, but now urban area roads do so regularly; (supported by idiots that think it hilarious to rhyme "twenty" with "plenty" in the belief that it somehow makes things right) and looking at the places where they switch limits the only rational explanation has to be a desire catch folk, either for the "fun" of it or for some financial reason they can deny.

[New Judge]

The sign isn't genuine and any photos I've seen of it are not even of a sign in the location alleged. More later.

[davebro3]

If you travel the A5/A38 the speed limits are up/down/up/down every few hundred yards with no real change in the road conditions. I often feel at risk of inadvertently exceeeding a limit on that route.

[ToraToraTora]

"The police insist that the fake sign has not impacted on the overall drivers average speed." - Then they are plonkers. If there is a section that says 50 then drivers are going to do that. If it should be 30 then obviously the speed is going to be higher than it would be if they were obeying a 30 limit.