The RAC has reported a speed camera that was found to be faulty in the Southampton area. £5m of revenue was reportedly received over a two year period.
Disgruntled motorists have quite rightly asked for speeding fines and the cost of speed awareness courses to be refunded. The cost of the motorists car insurance, through drivers gaining points also would have gone up for a number of years causing more loss.
Hampshire police have admitted that one of their speed cameras (or ‘Britain’s busiest’ speed camera) has been recording incorrect readings of vehicles with a ‘high flat rear’ on one of their cameras. So presumably vans, lorries, trailers and caravans rather than car aerofoils or the Porsche ‘whale tale’.
Traditionally it has been very difficult to argue that cameras are faulty in court. This is because of the fact that Magistrates (somewhat understandably) have to have faith in those who sell the technology to the police. It’s all about the evidence provided to the judiciary and until recently it has been difficult to argue against unless what is provided to the prosecuting authorities. Or in legal speak provide an evidence by way of rebuttal that would make a conviction unsafe. However with the advent of dashcam footage and the fact that it is now mainstream because it is cheap and accessible and accurate this can be used to question the evidence that the police rely on and has been seen to be infallible.
Ironically the police use this type of evidence (dashcam footage) to do their jobs for them as there are a number of websites where drivers are invited to upload footage of bad driving for them to consider prosecutions. It makes you wonder whether Harry Hill could volunteer as a Special Constable, if Penny Lancaster can find the time.
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