>TfL reviewed the signage at this location and found that an incorrect 50mph sign had been recently placed at this location by an unauthorised third party. This has been replaced with the correct 40mph signage and TfL is investigating how the incorrect sign was installed
Interesting that TFL are investigating how the sign was installed, but make no comments of the victims of the incorrect sign.
It reminds me of the post office strategy of protecting the brand at all costs. What is it with these sociopathic methods employed by public bodies. It’s bizarre.
> but were unaware of the reduction in the speed limit from 70mph and 50mph to 40mph on this stretch of the A20.
The article, and it seems the sources are very careful not to indicate why the sign is there, it looks like just the article calling it fake.
It’s possible that is was someone doing it for a ‘prank’, but given the road was a 50 until recently perhaps it was a genuine contractor running late with a job or it was previously scheduled work which was not cancelled when the limit changed.
Either way those drivers need to fight their case.
This particular speed sign of 50 mph was placed a few hundred yards before an average speed camera on this road section, this road section has 2 average speed cameras and the signs before the 50mph sign do say 40mph.
So the moment you reach the first average speed camera on this road it is advertised at 40 which is for a few miles but then a few hundred yards before the next average speed camera there was a 50mph sign placed, a few hundred yards before the 2/2 average speed camera.
They will argue there should have been 2 signs, one either side showing as a gateway to 50mph and that drivers should be aware of the gateway signage requirements
I’d suggest asking the first person who got caught here.
My money would be on them having 9 points and after being caught they had the bright idea of putting the sign up so they could point to that as an excuse.
As well they should. If the sign was good enough to pass as real and the road itself was previously a 50 (they say it’s a temporary speed reduction) then fining them seems totally unreasonable. Drivers aren’t telepathic and they aren’t going to pause to inspect every single speed limit sign that they come across.
I guess my concern is that this might cause a slew of copycat false speed limits to start popping up around the place – until some moron puts something like a 40 in front of a school and a kid dies.
Unless TfL can prove the sign was legitimate however it got there (late running work already booked in, or incorrect instructions given to a contractor etc.), I don’t think they have much of a case.
Say for the sake of argument that the sign was fake, TfL knew it was there and knew it was fake, but TfL decided to rinse people for speeding fines anyway, that’s a big problem for them. I do hope that’s not what they’ve actually done.
7 comments
>TfL reviewed the signage at this location and found that an incorrect 50mph sign had been recently placed at this location by an unauthorised third party. This has been replaced with the correct 40mph signage and TfL is investigating how the incorrect sign was installed
Interesting that TFL are investigating how the sign was installed, but make no comments of the victims of the incorrect sign.
It reminds me of the post office strategy of protecting the brand at all costs. What is it with these sociopathic methods employed by public bodies. It’s bizarre.
> but were unaware of the reduction in the speed limit from 70mph and 50mph to 40mph on this stretch of the A20.
The article, and it seems the sources are very careful not to indicate why the sign is there, it looks like just the article calling it fake.
It’s possible that is was someone doing it for a ‘prank’, but given the road was a 50 until recently perhaps it was a genuine contractor running late with a job or it was previously scheduled work which was not cancelled when the limit changed.
Either way those drivers need to fight their case.
This particular speed sign of 50 mph was placed a few hundred yards before an average speed camera on this road section, this road section has 2 average speed cameras and the signs before the 50mph sign do say 40mph.
So the moment you reach the first average speed camera on this road it is advertised at 40 which is for a few miles but then a few hundred yards before the next average speed camera there was a 50mph sign placed, a few hundred yards before the 2/2 average speed camera.
They will argue there should have been 2 signs, one either side showing as a gateway to 50mph and that drivers should be aware of the gateway signage requirements
I’d suggest asking the first person who got caught here.
My money would be on them having 9 points and after being caught they had the bright idea of putting the sign up so they could point to that as an excuse.
As well they should. If the sign was good enough to pass as real and the road itself was previously a 50 (they say it’s a temporary speed reduction) then fining them seems totally unreasonable. Drivers aren’t telepathic and they aren’t going to pause to inspect every single speed limit sign that they come across.
I guess my concern is that this might cause a slew of copycat false speed limits to start popping up around the place – until some moron puts something like a 40 in front of a school and a kid dies.
Unless TfL can prove the sign was legitimate however it got there (late running work already booked in, or incorrect instructions given to a contractor etc.), I don’t think they have much of a case.
Say for the sake of argument that the sign was fake, TfL knew it was there and knew it was fake, but TfL decided to rinse people for speeding fines anyway, that’s a big problem for them. I do hope that’s not what they’ve actually done.