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Average Speed Cameras Add Insult To Injury
Article by: rob brady
Date: 22 Jul 2015
Following a freedom of information request by the BBC, it has been revealed that 100's of hours are "wasted" by Ambulance Trusts who find they have to appeal speeding tickets.
Almost 25,000 tickets were issued to ambulances responding to 999 calls between 2009 and 2014, but only 400 were upheld.
Before they can appeal against a PCN (penalty charge notice), employees at Ambulance Trusts currently have to manually check vehicle registrations against the emergency call logs for the date and time of the ticket.
There has now been a call for automatic exemption on emergency vehicles to be better enforced.
A spokesman for the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, argued that "common sense should be applied - notices should only be sent out if no blue lights can be seen flashing". He added "After the appropriate checks have been made the PCN should be waived."
That would appear to be what usually happens in the case of fixed speed cameras, but not for average speed cameras.
A spokesman for the National Police Chiefs' Council commented: "When an emergency vehicle clearly displaying blue lights triggers a camera, but the police can see that it was being driven safely in accordance with the law with blue lights displayed, they would generally stop notices from being sent out. This has been made more difficult with the introduction of average speed checks in recent years, which usually capture the speed and number plate of the vehicle but not necessarily an image."
The law states: "No statutory provision imposing a speed limit on motor vehicles shall apply to any vehicle on an occasion when it is being used for fire and rescue authority purposes. If blue lights are displayed, then police will assume, in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, that the exemption is valid and no further action will be taken. No paperwork will be sent to the organisation concerned."
Source
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| Comments
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 Posted by Kremmen on Wed Jul 22, 2015 12:18 pm |
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How stupid.
Once the vehicle is identified as a rapid response Ambulance then it should be automatically quashed.
This could put lives at risk if they start to obey cameras.
Satnav:
Garmin 2599 LMT-D (Indoor test rig)
DashCam:
Viofo A119 V3
Car Average MPG :
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| Posted by JimmyTheHand on Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:00 pm |
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| Kremmen Wrote: | How stupid.
Once the vehicle is identified as a rapid response Ambulance then it should be automatically quashed.
This could put lives at risk if they start to obey cameras. |
Since it appears 400 tickets were not dismissed - I think the drivers should be held accountable like the rest of us, exceptions where required to save lives. What is needed is a much easier way of checking and avoiding sending tickets when an ambulance is on call through average speed cameras (e.g. photos showing actual vehicles at time would show blue lights).
Of course "Brake" and like would argue speeding puts lives at risk
J. |
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| Posted by Wazza_G on Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:13 pm |
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It would be nice if it were found that a critically ill or injured member of a so called safety camera partnership needed an ambulance that the crew promptly stuck to the speed limits.
Might change the attitude then.
Be alert.. This country needs more lerts. |
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| Posted by DennisN on Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:44 am |
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The current method of doing this is clearly faulty. Either ambulance staff spend 100s of hours checking their logs, or enforcement staff spend 100s of hours checking the vehicles are emergency response with blue lights.
Time to use the potential of ANPR methinks.
Dennis
If it tastes good - it's fattening.
Two of them are obesiting!! |
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| Posted by sussamb on Thu Jul 23, 2015 7:38 am |
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It's why blue lights on emergency vehicles flash alternately, so one is visibly on when flashed by speed cameras. The problem comes when photos of the vehicle aren't available for some reason, or the vehicle is on an emergency call but not running under blue lights.
Where there's a will ... there's a way. |
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| Posted by technik on Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:06 am |
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| Kremmen Wrote: | | Once the vehicle is identified as a rapid response Ambulance then it should be automatically quashed. |
I disagree.
A blue light driver has to prove a valid reason for breaking speed limits, otherwise it will put innocent motorists at unnecessary risk of accidents.
GO 620, Tomtom Android EU,
Garmin 2548LMT-D; 2599LMT-D |
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| Posted by sussamb on Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:53 am |
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| technik Wrote: | | Kremmen Wrote: | | Once the vehicle is identified as a rapid response Ambulance then it should be automatically quashed. |
I disagree.
A blue light driver has to prove a valid reason for breaking speed limits, otherwise it will put innocent motorists at unnecessary risk of accidents. |
Quite right. We have exemptions but they must be for valid reasons. Note too that not every vehicle driving on blue lights has a speed exemption, so simply being on blue lights does not necessarily mean the vehicle can ignore the speed limits.
Where there's a will ... there's a way. |
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| Posted by DennisN on Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:00 pm |
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And here's me thinking these new fangled computer thingies were magic, clever and the business.
My dear old granny used to say "Them new fangled computer thingies will be a load of rubbish".
Dennis
If it tastes good - it's fattening.
Two of them are obesiting!! |
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, if not then get let's get the driver, take him outside and shoot him (or maybe just fine him) 
