[ABD Logo]The Association of British Drivers
Local Issues — Wiltshire
ABD Local co-ordinator: Email  

 
2008-10-24
Swindon Dumps Speed Cameras
Swindon has become the first council in the UK to drop support for fixed speed cameras. Councillors decided that the cost of cameras (1.5 times more than a real policeman) was excessive, and accident figures showed that they were not being effective. The council planns to use the money saved on more effective ways of improving road safety.
 
Beware the Pepperbox Talivan
'Wiltshire and Swindon Road Safety Partnership' have found the perfect spot to collect cash from drivers. The A36 either side of Pepperbox Hill between Salisbury and Southampton has climbing lanes on each uphill lane to allow overtaking. The problem is that some drivers do not realise that the road is still classed as a 'single carriageway' as there is no central reservation, it is thus subject to a 60mph speed limit, not 70mph. The Talivan sits in a layby at the top of the hill collecting donations from those ignorant of this, so beware!
Map
 
 
Correspondence received indicates a large amount of Talivan activity in the South Wiltshire Area, particularly on the A303 between Salisbury and Andover and the A36 Warminster bypass. As these are two of the few places drivers can actually overtake on these roads, drivers should be very cautious in these areas.
 
The well-known section of M4 between Swindon and Bath now has several sections of roadworks on it (at one stage under 50% of the distance between Bristol and Swindon was actually 70mph!!) and Gatsos have been noted in operation in these sections. Talivans have also been used to enforce these limits. Presumably with all the publicity not enough people were getting caught in the 70 sections, but be very careful as the 50 mph limits tend to be moved frequently and are not that easy to spot at night.
 
New Research Undermines M4 Cameras

'M' 4 Mugging
After being forced to refund fines illegally imposed on 6000 drivers using the A303, Wiltshire Safety Camera Partnership have cleared decided to teach us nasty drivers a lesson for our audacity. They plan to use mobile speed camera vans on the M4 to collect the money they need to refund their illegally imposed fines. It is reported that the trigger speed for the cameras will be set at 79mph.
 
Call the partnership and tell them what you think: 01249-449713 or 01249-449780
 
email them at safety.cameras@wiltshire.police.uk
 
Where are the prat perches?
If you spot a Talivan parked on a bridge over the M4 please send us a photo, and let us know the precise location.
 
 
Source: National Statistics — Road Casualties in Great Britain

 
NIMBYs threaten Castle Combe
The NIMBYs are at it again, they want Castle Combe circuit closed because of 'noise'. The circuit has existed since 1950, long before the NIMBYs moved in and started whinging.
Sign the online petition to keep it open.
See also the official website of Castle Combe Circuit who have a list of all local councillors.
 
 
A303 Scamera Folly Exposed
Gross incompetence by the Highways Agency and the Wiltshire & Swindon ‘Road Safety’ Partnership which led to the unlawful conviction of 5600 motorists has been exposed.
In 2003, roadworks lasting 16 months took place on the A303 at Folly Bottom and a temporary 40mph speed limit was put in place enforced by speed cameras.
Following advice from the ABD, Clair Allison and 27 other drivers took their cases to court after finding numerous illegalities with their prosecutions
Not only were the speed limit signs deficient, but the highway authority had made elementary mistakes in making the temporary traffic regulation orders: one piece of road did not have an order on it at all, and the order on the A303 itself was made under the section that applies to motorways, while the A303 is an all-purpose road.
However, the cases against Miss Allison and others were deliberately dropped so that the speed camera pratnership would not have to automatically refund the £336,000 in fines extorted from 5600 other drivers. This dishonest and corrupt practice has been observed before in other police forces.
If you were prosecuted for exceeding the temporary 40mph speed limit on the A303 in 2003/4, your conviction may well have been illegal, as no such speed limit existed in law.
 
Barry Culshaw, the defence solicitor in the cases, gave this advice to motorists fined or convicted at the site:
* If you pled guilty or paid a fixed penalty: apply to the magistrates court to have the conviction set aside.
* If you were found guilty after a trial: apply for leave to appeal against conviction out of time to the Crown Court.
 
Wiltshire Road 'Safety' Pratnership are now asking drivers to contact them. If you have suffered additional cost (e.g. insurance premiums) or hardship (e.g. disqualification, loss of job or business) as a result of their illegal action, be sure to speak to a solicitor about claiming compensation.
 
Copies of SafeSpeed press releases: Media coverage:

A Wiltshire Talivan on the A4 near Cherhill trying to catch drivers on a perfectly straight piece of road between open fields in the middle of nowhere. If there have been any accidents here, it's probably due to the white line in the distance inexplicably jumping 3 feet to the right. The greatest hazard present in this photo is the Talivan itself. The A4 through Wiltshire is littered with speed camera signs, but there are no fixed cameras.
A police car lurking in the hedgerow beside Silbury Hill Avebury. We couldn't see where the police officers were when we snapped this. Perhaps they were not carrying out a speed trap, or maybe they've taken stealth cameras to new heights.
Salisbury Parking Price Hike
Parking charges in Salisbury are set to increase by 10%. All day parking will increase by a staggering 39%, reaching £5 in some areas. Season tickets will rise by 30% to £950 per year.
"Salisbury Council is playing a dangerous game. Smaller businesses are operating in an increasingly competitive market against supermarkets and out of town shopping centres, both of which invariably offer free parking, and are also up against the internet. Hiking up the parking and park-and-ride charges is only going to give shoppers more of a reason not to come to Salisbury. This is an extremely ill-advised and short-sighted move."
Rita Pedersen, South East spokesperson, Forum of Private Business

 
Traffic Calming Litter Removed From Latton
A road safety experiment has begun in the village of Latton just of the A419 between Swindon And Cirencester. Following on from earlier experiments conducted in Norfolk, all conventional traffic calming has been removed from village roads, along with road markings. It is hoped that the measures will encourage drivers to pay more attention to the road. Modern fashionable traffic calming is often seen as intrusive by both drivers and residents, and may easily spoil the character of rural villages.

Wiltshire Illuminations
Some Wiltshire roads are now littered with flashing speed camera signs which light up as you approach them. Many of these signs are located on rural stretches of A roads which have a 60mph limit, yet the signs seem to be triggered at much lower speeds. There are also some bend warning signs which flash when approached. Whilst a good idea in principle, these too seem to be triggered at ridiculously low speeds, compromising their effectiveness.
 
 
Salisbury Bypass
The construction of the Salisbury Bypass has been temporarily delayed thanks to a concerted effort by green activists. This road is desperately needed to take through traffic on the A30 and A36 away from the town. Interfering fanatical greens who live nowhere near Wiltshire have forced local people to put up with years more traffic congestion.
 
A quick look at this map shows why Salisbury is obviously in need of a bypass.
Five trunk roads and four A roads converge on the town, and everything has to go through the town centre. This absurd situation has gone on too long. It the time the majority spoke out and demanded an end to the government pandering to the vociferous minority.
 
 
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