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SOUTH Yorkshire’s chief constable admitted today he has been hit with two speeding tickets from roadside cameras.
And his official chauffeur was also convicted of speeding at court earlier this month.
Chief Constable Med Hughes was handed three penalty points and a £60 fine after speeding past one camera in South Yorkshire.
He was caught on another occasion by a portable camera while on a trip to south Wales, he said.
Mr Hughes picked up the Sheffield ticket as he drove into work around 6am, when the roads were empty of both heavy traffic and pedestrians.
His driver was caught breaking the speed limit while driving former Chief Constable Mike Hedges and went to court.
But despite falling foul of the current speeding law himself, Mr Hughes would like to see a harsh crackdown on speeding – with all cameras both completely hidden and mobile.
Current rules dictate cameras must be highly visible, with most in South Yorkshire housed in fixed roadside boxes.
Mr Hughes insists his own errors give his radical standpoint credibility.
He said: “At least you can’t call me a hypocrite. If I had my way all speed cameras would be completely hidden and mobile.
“If we are serious about speed cameras, we will have to think about that.”
In addition to stricter speed enforcement he is also suggesting a total overhaul of national speed limits and the way they are signposted on the roads.
“I want to take forward the wider agenda. Signage used to identify correct speeds needs to be reviewed nationally,” he said.
“I am looking to ensure motorists get more consistent signage warning when they are entering a restricted zone. There are more opportunities to remind motorists of the speed limit.
“I am interested in the broad picture of accident reduction and I think people fix too much on speed cameras. We have to change the culture of drivers in th e UK.
“Many people are still killed on the roads and speed cameras are just one way of enforcing the law.
“If I didn’t have speed cameras I would be obliged to put officers at accident hotspots and that would mean fewer resources to investigate burglaries or deal with other serious crime in South Yorkshire.
“Speed cameras release officers for other activities.”19 November 2004
Rebel with a cause!
The roads are my race track!!
LOVE IS GIVING SOMEONE THE POWER TO DESTROY YOU, BUT TRUSTING THEM NOT TO DO IT.
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