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Restoring public confidence in mobile speed camera enforcement - the way forward
In the light of the recent landmark case overturning a speeding conviction obtained using an erroneous reading from the LTI 20:20 laser device, and the continued abuse of 'prior opinion' by mobile camera operators, the ABD has received the following suggestion from a concerned serving police officer:
All speed enforcement equipment that requires a 'prior opinion' should be modified.
The modification is a simple one; before the equipment can be activated the operator must input, via a keypad, his/her estimate of the speed of the target vehicle.
Once this information has been entered then and only then will the device allow the operator to activate it.
The full session video would of course record this prior estimate of speed in the data field.
It will also clearly show anomalies when the reading is in excess or otherwise of the operators 'prior opinion.'
Alternatively, the operator simply having to press a button to 'enable' the camera when he sees a vehicle that he suspects is exceeding the speed limit, would prevent the practice of 'fishing' where even drivers who aren't obviously speeding are targeted.
This would reassure the public that the equipment is being used ethically.
Long-range speed measurement would be reduced, which could aid accuracy and the claimed purpose of slowing drivers down rather prosecuting them.
ABD Director of Policy Mark McArthur-Christie said,
"This idea would address some of the concerns about the way mobile speed camera enforcement is implemented in the UK.
Continued use of the LTI 20:20 under the current guidelines is likely to see many more speeding cases either overturned or dropped before reaching court."
Daily Mail article about driver David Lyall who had his speeding conviction quashed due to an 'error trapping' failure in the LTI 20:20 laser speed gun: Here
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