Speed camera catches 2500 legal motorists

A safety camera on the M4 has photographed 2500 motorists who were fined despite driving legally.

The camera was placed to catch speeding cars, bikes and trucks in a temporary 50mph limit in road works around junction 24 of the M4 outside Newport. Instead it flashed people who left the 50mph zone and were legally increasing their pace to the national motorway limit. The camera has been in place from July 2002 until October 2003.

The innocent drivers have paid fines totalling approximately £150,000 and are entitled to ask for their money back and penalty points to be removed from their licence. However, the camera partnership states it will not contact the drivers to inform them of their mistake. Instead it will consider appeals from individual drivers. So far only 10 people have appealed and all have had their convictions overturned.

” The camera was wrongly sited for over a year. The costs do not stop with fines as many drivers will have had to pay more in higher insurance premiums. It is a complete disgrace. No wonder the partnership is keeping quiet about it when they could face huge compensation claims for lost licences and ruined careers, ” said Mark McArthur-Christie from the Association of British Drivers.

Any motorists who think they may have been wrongly penalised are urged to contact the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, PO Box 360Cardiff, CF10 3ZR, or phone: 01443 743772 or 743776.

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