Camera vigilantes. A worrying letter
Hello,
I recently came across a group in Askett, Chiltern District, Bucks, who were using a speed gun and appeared to be noting numbers. More importantly to me, they had put up their own 20mph signs, though the official sign clearly read 30mph. This caused me a sticky moment in which I nearly hit the brakes, and did throttle back. Fortunately, no-one was close behind.
After a few months chasing this up, the county council dept told me that the spurious signs had been taken down, and that it had been necessary to look up the Askett village website to reach those responsible.
I followed this website up further and discovered a network called When I tried to email them, I had the message returned with addressee non existent, so I forwarded to Rospa, as Speedwatch include links to Rospa on their webpage, and I await a reply.
What disturbs me here is that neighbourhood groups are apparently given police equipement and encouraged to take numbers, if this equipment gives the vehicle owner as speeding. By a process unexplained, addresses can be found, and the "culprits" receive a warning letter.
What guarantee is there of accurate measurement?
How do civilians taking numbers get addresses?
Where are these numbers recorded, by whom, and what happens to them?
I live in "village England", and know and respect the country lanes. I often proceed well below marked speed limits, and do not object to clamping down on rat runs through villages. But I do object to shadowy organisations, unaccountable to taxpayers, not seemingly under regulation like the rest of us.
What do you know about all this?
We are now taking this matter up. In the meantime we advise all drivers to stop where these groups are operating, with or without police officers and demand to know their identities. In the same way you are entitled to know the identity and base of a police officer, you are also entitled to know who is pointing a camera at you too.
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