Warning signs should be put up for drivers
FOLLOWING the report (Wednesday) about cabbie Dean Gillard getting three speeding fines in four hours, I have just received notification of a £60 fine and three points added to my driving licence.
This was for driving at 40mph in A374 Shapters Road heading into Gdynia Way Plymouth, recorded on an unmanned camera. This road used to have a speed limit of 40mph. I live in Laira and travel infrequently into the city centre via Alexandra Road, Mutley Plain and North Road. On this occasion I drove back to Laira via Shapters Road.
There are no 30mph speed limit signs on that road in that direction. It is not a built-up area, there are almost no pedestrians or children and it is not in the city centre. Granted there are street lights, but there are street lights along the Embankment and that is 40mph and heavily signed.
I drive through the Laira Narrows quite often, where there is a 20mph speed limit. Because of the very narrow road and pavements, and the predominance of adult and child pedestrians, I always drive at 20mph where the signs are evident. Driving towards me are cars driving at 30mph plus, and I am always being tailgated by vehicles that obviously don't want to drive at the speed limit through what is a short distance.
Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk
View detailsOur heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.
Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk
Contact: 01858 468192
Valid until: Wednesday, May 22 2013
As the speed limit along Shapters Road has been altered to 30mph I would have thought the very least the council would have done is to erect signs to that effect, to warn people of the change. I feel that fining me for driving at what I genuinely thought was the correct speed limit is very harsh, especially as there were no speed limit signs.
I do not drive for a living but I feel sympathetic with Mr Gillard's plight, especially as he might lose his job. I agree with Mr Gillard that this seems like a sly way of making money. There must have been hundreds of people fined for driving over 30mph on that road since November last year.
What about starting a petition to the council so that anyone fined for travelling between 30-40mph on that road since its instigation in November have their fines and points revoked, and also to get the council to erect 30mph speed limit signs on the road?
A L COLLINS
Laira
Comments
by BREGOR39
Monday, July 02 2012, 12:33PM
“Why on earth dont the highways authority along with the city council arrange for the speed limits to be painted on the roads like other areas in devon. This would solve all the problems of looking out for a small disc fixed to a lampost and dodging cyclists at the same time. The solution is simple”
by rob5gt
Monday, July 02 2012, 10:51AM
“If you don't want to get caught speeding then don't speed- simple. If you are not sure about the speed limit then do 30mph. Its not hard to work out! This taxi driver and the person writing this letter don't seem to see that if you do the crime you do the time !”
by moyztedbear
Monday, July 02 2012, 10:36AM
“ive been driving for 42 years now and still drive the way i was taught thre wernt so many cars on the road then but lots of people always seem to be in a hurry these days i know that feeling when you are doing the required speed limit and some idiot behind is trying to push you out of the way also most of them have never heard of indicators”
by derpville
Sunday, July 01 2012, 7:45PM
“on the subject of speed limits what is the speed limit for a car on a single carriageway with no street lights? Answers on a postcard to the DVLA licensing office please, and with any luck you can think about your answer on a bus after your licence is revoked.”
by nubnub
Sunday, July 01 2012, 7:27PM
“Serves you right for one not knowing the rules of the road and two for ignoring the large 30 signs at the start of the 30 limit. No sympathy at all.”
by TheMercenary
Sunday, July 01 2012, 7:11PM
“As a matter of interest, has anybody on here questioned the accuracy of these cameras? Following my experience on a road safety seminar where everybody I spoke to had been told they were doing 37mph in a 30 zone, it's made we wonder. Are they regularly calibrated and is a record kept of when they were checked? Bit of a silly question really I suppose. Can't beat Big Brother.”
by Nigbear
Sunday, July 01 2012, 5:40PM
“Apologies for the duplicated posts.”
by Nigbear
Sunday, July 01 2012, 5:39PM
“The 30Mph sign on Shapters Road can be seen at 2.09 in this video - it even has a speed camera warning sign above it.
http://tinyurl.com/73d2fj3
Video was uploaded on November 11th 2011, so that sign has been there for 8 months now....”
by Nigbear
Sunday, July 01 2012, 5:35PM
“The 30mph sign on Shapters Road can been seen in this video at 2.09.
http://tinyurl.com/73d2fj3
Video was uploaded on November 11th 2011, so that 30mph sign has been there for a while now....”
by Nigbear
Sunday, July 01 2012, 5:27PM
“On Shapters Rd heading towards the roundabout is a sign clearly stating 30mph.....”