5,300 drivers caught speeding per year on A358 into Henlade (From Somerset County Gazette)
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5,300 drivers caught speeding per year on A358 into Henlade
9:20am Thursday 5th July 2012 in News
David Fothergill at the site
CONCERNED magistrates have intervened after it emerged 100 motorists a week are caught speeding on a busy road on the outskirts of Taunton which many are unaware is a 30mph zone.
A staggering 5,336 drivers – over 14 per day – were filmed by mobile police cameras speeding in the year to the end of April on the A358 dual carriageway near the park and ride.
To date, 2,542 have been successfully prosecuted at Taunton Deane Magistrates’ Court, with fines totalling £152,250 going to the Treasury.
County councillor David Fothergill said the problem is caused by 30mph signs on the roads approaching the M5 roundabout, which are not repeated but are still in force when traffic joins the A358 into Henlade.
Mr Fothergill said: “It’s clear that since the park and ride was built, something’s seriously wrong.
“The problem is clearly not a lack of enforcement, but apparent low awareness of the speed limit by drivers.”
Legislation means 30mph signs can only be installed at the start of a speed limit zone – so if drivers miss a sign, they remain unaware of the limit.
Mr Fothergill wants the limit increased to 40mph from the roundabout to Henlade to allow more signs and painted warnings on the road surface.
Lesley Mackay, chairman of the bench at Taunton Deane Magistrates’ Court, said: “We’re aware of concerns over the speed signage at Henlade.
“While we know the signage is legal, after working with police and the traffic team at County Hall, we understand a consultation period is to take place during the coming months about increasing the speed limit.
“In the meantime, motorists are advised to observe the current 30mph limit.”
Martin Davies, who was caught doing 40mph, said: “I was unaware of the 30mph limit.
“I got a £60 fine and three points and my insurance goes up.”
Harvey Siggs, cabinet member for highways, said “a number of small measures”
would probably be taken to solve the problem, adding: “But the most challenging thing is changing motorists’ behaviour.”
Comments(24)
creecher
says...
9:57am Thu 5 Jul 12
Mi_Coc
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10:45am Thu 5 Jul 12
Hence it is a tax on motorist nothing more nothing less. If they used to the money for road safety more signs better surfacing then great. It is to fill the treasury coffers.
dubnuts
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11:04am Thu 5 Jul 12
"Legislation means 30mph signs can only be installed at the start of a speed limit zone – so if drivers miss a sign, they remain unaware of the limit."
Direction 11 of The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 (TSRGD 2002) defines the requirements for the placing of speed-limit repeater signs. This states that speed-limit repeater signs cannot be placed along a road on which there is carriageway lighting not more than 183 metres apart and which is subject to a 30 mph speed limit.
If you know your highway code, then you should already know that if there are street lights but no repeater signs then its most likely to be a 30 limit!!
124
You MUST NOT exceed the maximum speed limits for the road and for your vehicle (see the table above). The presence of street lights generally means that there is a 30 mph (48 km/h) speed limit unless otherwise specified.
MrSlightlyAnnoyed
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1:13pm Thu 5 Jul 12
GlenTavener
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5:02pm Thu 5 Jul 12
IQ
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5:02pm Thu 5 Jul 12
MrSlightlyAnnoyed wrote:By people who will be those caught speeding?
If you drive at 30mph into Taunton you are certain to be overtaken as soon as the road opens up into two lanes by the Park & Ride !!!!
But it is clearly a combination of idiotic road design and inappropriate speed limits that is responsible rather than any real 'danger'.
snowboarder
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7:25pm Thu 5 Jul 12
I had exited the M5 at junction 25, with a lorry in front of me - this obscured the 30 speed limit sign which was set on the slip road ahead of the lights. Obviously the once the lights changed, I was concentrating on changing gear and moving.
I have had a clean licence all my 25 years of driving, and was really upset - especially as I had set my speed limiter to 39, so as not to break the 40 limit that it used to be.
Speed school educated me that the lamp post dictate the speed by the park & ride ,but if you really want to control speeding in this area - signs are need by the 'merge in turn signs' as you join the road from the motorway - at least you'd stand a chance of seeing them.
souwesterly
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8:01pm Thu 5 Jul 12
It's a stupid bit of road - badly thought out planning and with no consideration for the motorist - who in all probability has just come off a motorway where he's been driving at 70 mph.
Ok - we should all stick to the speed limits but they're unrealistic here.
Mi_Coc
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11:48am Fri 6 Jul 12
souwesterly wrote:I have been out here with a former advanced polcie driving instructor who couldnt believe it was a 30mph limit here. Your not the only one.
Forgive me for admitting something and for being fairly honest....but I have exceeded the speed limit on that stretch of road on a number of occasions. I won't say how fast I've travelled, but when faced with a dual-carriageway seemingly well away from any houses; a line of slow-moving lorries in the left lane and a bevy of overtaking cars in the right lane, what real choice is there but to join in. It's a stupid bit of road - badly thought out planning and with no consideration for the motorist - who in all probability has just come off a motorway where he's been driving at 70 mph. Ok - we should all stick to the speed limits but they're unrealistic here.
No doubt the residents would have it 15mph and trained snippers for anyone that exceeded it.
Meanwhile the 150k should help some MP's pay the morgages on their london toan houses. Or friends houses, or even gay lovers if your from yeovil.
localmcnocal
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3:03pm Fri 6 Jul 12
Mi Croc, you want the costs of sign-age here but not at Corfe? Sorry to be petty, but same principle.
The road lay out off the M5 roundabout is also pretty poor, two lanes into one immediately off the roundabout, then back into two again.
Too many traffic lights, and yet again a poor ill thought out road lay out.
localmcnocal
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3:27pm Fri 6 Jul 12
Mi_Coc
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3:43pm Fri 6 Jul 12
localmcnocal wrote:Yes some time ago there was a spate of nose to tail shunts at rush hour, hence the seperation chevrons which many ignore.
I think the main issue here is the poor road lay out, not the speed limit. I think people are paying more attention to the lane they should be in rather than the speed they should be travelling at. The limit was reduced due to the level of shunts along this road i believe.
30 mph seems but there is a fixed camera and lots of safety camera vans spots.
boliston
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6:41pm Fri 6 Jul 12
Wellington Shrek
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2:22am Mon 9 Jul 12
FreeSpeech?
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6:19am Mon 9 Jul 12
Cannot say whether the cameras at traffic lights were switched off but perhaps someone else will know the answer to that.
*Flick*
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8:59am Mon 9 Jul 12
FreeSpeech?
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8:14pm Mon 9 Jul 12
Mi_Coc
says...
3:34pm Tue 10 Jul 12
FreeSpeech? wrote:So are all ther cameras dead then? Even the one at the end of the east reach?
Wet film stocks ran out in February last year and the contract with BT for the digital cameras such as the Henlade site ran out in April 2011.
FreeSpeech?
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4:42pm Tue 10 Jul 12
FreeSpeech?
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8:01am Wed 11 Jul 12
Mi_Coc
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8:44am Wed 11 Jul 12
FreeSpeech? wrote:Exactly, I am all for saving lifes but in alot of cases speed cameras aren't the tool for the job. Theyy just raise revenue.
Further to my last comment i would like to add that since the cameras were switched off the amount of accidents in the A&S area that could be attributed to speed fell by 31%, sort of puts the arguments for more speed cameras off the agenda.
MATT7250
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6:11pm Mon 16 Jul 12
t4Chippy
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3:19pm Wed 18 Jul 12
Mi_Coc wrote:"Legislation means 30mph signs can only be installed at the start of a speed limit zone – so if drivers miss a sign, they remain unaware of the limit."
40mph limit properly inforced seems an ideal solution unless yolur the treasury. 30mph is to slow and from memory it used to be 40mph.
"Legislation means 30mph signs can only be installed at the start of a speed limit zone – so if drivers miss a sign, they remain unaware of the limit." This is exactly why they make £150k from roads like this. Making any clearer might lower fine revenue. This is nothing to with road safety. Its simple if the limti was clearer then people wouldnt speed. I have done 30mph on thsi stretch and it tends to cause tail gating and frustration but I have been well aware its a 30 for sometime.
Could they not paint repeater 30 or 40 on the road surface. Sorry dont be silly that would fines revenue which is not eing ploughed back into to road safety.
If you join the A358 from the Southbound M5 there are no speed limit signs at all, only the "you have now left the motorway" and "national speed limit" signs on the slip road"
legislation also says that "For dual carriageways and motorways the speed limit is 70mph. (being a dual carriageway as it has two lanes of traffic either side separated by a barrier)
These speed limits apply at all times, whether during the rush hour or the dead of night and are overridden only if a road sign indicates a different speed limit"
So as you come off the M5 and turn left at present, the speed limit is 60mph which then turns into a 70mph at the dual carriageway, this should then be superseded by a speed sign changing down to 30 once merged but alas, there is no signage what so ever.
Just got a fine for doing 40mph, will be appealing.
Mi_Coc says...
9:33am Thu 5 Jul 12
"Legislation means 30mph signs can only be installed at the start of a speed limit zone – so if drivers miss a sign, they remain unaware of the limit." This is exactly why they make £150k from roads like this. Making any clearer might lower fine revenue. This is nothing to with road safety. Its simple if the limti was clearer then people wouldnt speed. I have done 30mph on thsi stretch and it tends to cause tail gating and frustration but I have been well aware its a 30 for sometime.
Could they not paint repeater 30 or 40 on the road surface. Sorry dont be silly that would fines revenue which is not eing ploughed back into to road safety.