Motor Lawyers Blog – Motoring News

Motorists in East London now face a 7 mile speed check. After almost a year of intensive tests, the A13 SPECS average speed cameras have gone live in what is believed to be the UK’s longest non-motorway average speed check. From Barking to Canning Town, the A13 is now subject to the SPEC system which clocks vehicles entering any section of the road and then times them to any further point. The previous GATSO cameras have been taken out of service and the 40 mph speed limit has been raised to 50mph for the majority of the check. Efforts by motorists to confuse the cameras by changing lanes will be unsuccessful as the SPEC system is not lane specific.

It is generally anticipated that the check will be used by Transport for London as the template to monitor speed limits in numerous residential locations. With a growing number of 20 mph zones in the Capital, TFL has been experimenting with ways to enforce speed limits over wider areas. By successfully showing that a zone as long at the A13 can be managed by SPECS, it may now only be a matter of time before similar systems are used to police 20 mph urban zones, where further trials are already in place.

One company that looks set to capitalise on the A13 check is Stinger, a Netherlands based manufacturer of speed-trap detectors. Recently launched in the UK, the Stinger not only detects static and mobile cameras, but is particularly useful in SPECS zones as the dashboard-mounted screen advises the driver not only on average speed, but also how far into the zone they have travelled and how far they have left to complete.

There has always been some debate of the legality of such systems as radar detectors were initially believed to be illegal pursuant to the Wireless and Telegraphy Act 1949. However, following the 1999 decision that such devices were not used “to obtain information as to the contents, sender or addressee of any message” at present, they are legal and further proposals in the Road Safety Bill to outlaw detectors have not yet been formalised.

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A recent survey suggests that a high percentage of motorists could inadvertently commit road traffic contraventions purely because they do not recognise common road signs. Of those questioned by Tesco Car Insurance, the most common mistakes were:

	No motor vehicles allowed 26% thought this sign meant that all vehicles were allowed, which is in fact the exact opposite of the message.
	Road narrows 56% thought this road sign actually meant ‘dual carriageway ends’.
	Uneven road surface 28% wrongly identified this warning as the sign for a humpback bridge.

Although failure to comply with triangular warning signs would often go unpunished unless a further offence was committed, failing to comply with a traffic sign that gives an order can result in a fixed penalty of 3 points and £60 fine. Additionally, many local councils are now prosecuting motorists based on CCTV footage so there is an even greater risk of oversights resulting in punishment.

External Link
The Highway Code - Signs and Markings

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As part of the ongoing campaign against drink driving, the Police have released details of a recent study of “DIY” breath test kits. These devices, which have become increasingly popular over the last 12 months, range in price from as little as £3.50 to £16.00 and are intended to warn drivers on whether they are below the drink drive limit. However, the study suggests that of the devices tested, more than half were alleged to be inaccurate, indicating that a driver was safe when in fact the alcohol readings were above the legal limit. Further concerns were expressed as to the quality and longevity of the devices, which are currently unregulated.

Whilst the Police conceded that users of the devices did so with good intention, it was made clear that it would be unwise to rely upon same and certainly, it would not provide a defence in Court if a Police reading showed the driver was above the limit. Police are concerned that reliance upon such devices could provide drivers with a false sense of security and once again stressed that motorists should not drink any alcohol if intending to drive.

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Motor Lawyers would like to take this opportunity to wish all our clients and visitors to our website a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2009.

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