Safe Speed Forums

I am sorry to say this but there is a system of street lamps on bassett green rd
look here You can see the street lights and thier shadows inbetween the trees.
Unless thay are not working repeaters are not required.
the terminal signs should be in good condition (red cricles, not pink or orange) not green with algee and as it is a principle road, have thier own personal light.
And not overgrown into the bushes. I was not aware that this road was covered by the "safer roads partnership". they have a new web site and google can't find it for me.
Vauge location might be interesting.

Anyway use your 28 days wisely.

Anton

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Hi Anton... thanks for the Google Map.. the part of Bassett Green Road shown is marked as a 40 limit with repeater signs... that's my point. The NiP says A27 Bassett Green Road, but Bassett Green Road is 1.4 miles long and it is only the last .4 mile that is covered by the 30 mph restriction. There are lights the entire length of Bassett Green Road, because it is a main route off the M3 into Southampton but the 30 limit does not take effect until after the junction with Bassett Green Village.

According to the NiP I am being prosecuted under S81(1) RTRA 84 Sch 2 RTOA 88 whatever that means! Any ideas? Do you still think the vague locus might be a good idea?

Mooncat! You need to bone up on the 1984 Road Traffic Regulations Act. Bookmark this link in your web browser.

In reality, your main interest will be in Part VI – Speed Limits. I would suggest printing this off so you can refer to it easily.

As you can see from your NIP, you are to be prosecuted under Section 81(1). As you can see, by following this link, this clause states ” It shall not be lawful for a person to drive a motor vehicle on a restricted road at a speed exceeding 30 miles per hour”. The definition of a “restricted road” is given within the act itself at Section 82(1)(a). A road is a “restricted road” if .

In short, you are being done on the grounds of the street lighting.

On an unrelated note I once had a tube fare partly consisting of ~30p in copper refused by a LU jobsworth. It happens!

I checked the street lighting on my way home tonight. It is the same the length of the road, i.e in the 40 mph limit section and in the 30 mph section which is the last quarter of a mile. Where do I go from here?

30 pee in copper is not legal tender, I think its 20 pee max, five pounds for silver coins.

Edit: sorry just caught the back of that, didn't realise it had been discussed already!

This just proves that when Scamera employee says something like: "It's easy to work out what the speed limit is! Just count the distance between the street lights and time your driving past them with a stopwatch" they are talking codswallop.

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Can you post pictures of the speed limit signs, and show how the 30 sign might have been obscured?

I don't think that will be necessary!!! A colleague who has just arrived in the office has just driven up that road (I came in by a different route) and informed me that today there are workmen putting up a new, bigger sign so clearly there have been a LOT of complaints.. probably as a result of their NIPfest on the 10th January.

I am going to send in NIP letter today stating "vague locus" so wish me luck!
The current 30 limit sign and the 40 limit sign seem very close together and, given that most of the road is 40 mph with lots of trees and vegetation, a bigger sign saying "PLEASE DRIVE CAREFULLY THROUGH THE VILLAGE" or "SLOW DOWN! YOU ARE ABOUT TO ENTER A 30 MPH ZONE" would me more appropriate than a roundel the size of a dinner plate stuck on a pole! For the record, the vegetation was not obscuring the sign and it was not green - it's just that with the bends in the road and the amount of trees, the sign (if you are travelling down towards Swaythling) is not immediately obvious.

Must admit, until this happened I'd never known exactly where the change over took place, because I'd always automatically slowed down to 30 to approach the pelican crossing as I stated in an earlier post, so I think they must have zapped me betwixt and between the 40 and 30 zones.. which is a bit unfair IMHO considering they allow hooligans and hoodies to roam the streets unchallenged.

Maybe you could ask the council some questions... (freedom of information act and all that)

Something like...

"I have noticed that the speed limit terminal signs at [location/direction] have recently been replaced with larger ones. I would like to know:
When was the decision made that they should be replaced?
What were the reasons for the replacement?
When were the signs actually replaced?"
Might be of no use but you never know. If the reason was because the old signs weren't visible enough that could be helpful. If the decision was made before your alleged offence took place then even better!

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Andrew.

MC - well good luck, but don't be disheartened if the write back to you, stating that it is their intention to "continue the prosecution". That's what happened to me when I sent in photos of the repeater signs on the road where I was alleged to have commited the heinous crime of exceeding the limit by <gasp> 7mph. Several of these signs were heavily or completely obscured by foliage.
I agree with all of this, but in itself it will not win your court case. As Ziltro suggests, if you can demonstrate that the speed limit sign was replaced BECAUSE a decision had been taken that the older sign was not fit for purpose, then I think you'd have a good chance, particularly in view of your exemplary driving record and the fact that you were only 6mph over the limit. If you go into court willing to eat a little humble pie, I'd say your chances would be better than 50-50.

I must say it does sound as if the had inside knowledge that the sign was defective, and was about to be replaced by a better one, and saw an opportunity to hand out one last batch of NIPs while they still had the chance.

What we really need here is a magistrate like fisherperson to offer his advice.
LOL

On the back of the new bigger sign there is usually a manufacture sticker with the date of manufacture of the new sign.

jon reeve at southampton echo would be very interested in this story!!!!

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code