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DIY Speed Camera Slows Traffic
Article by: robert
Date: 15 Oct 2009
 The Daily Mail has reported that 60-year-old builder Tony Allen has constructed a fake speed camera in an attempt to slow down passing motorists. He certainly wasn't the first to build a fake one and he won't be the last. Even the authorities are prone to fielding dummy boxes.
In this case, Tony was already sick of seeing motorists speeding though his village, Moulton Seas End, Lincolnshire, but when one driver ploughed through his garden wall causing £3,500 damage, that was the last straw. He set about building his own speed camera replica and positioned it in his front garden.
It's reported that traffic is now moving slower past his house, but police have warned him there may be consequences. Although technically Mr. Allen is doing nothing illegal, police spokesman James Newell is quoted as saying: 'If there's a serious crash there and someone claims they were distracted by the speed camera, he could be liable for civil action."
| Comments
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 Posted by GerryC on Thu Oct 15, 2009 1:58 pm |
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He should put some water and nuts in the top and call it a bird table.
I like some of the comments wondering what the difference between this and a real one is as far as being a distraction is concerned.
Gerry
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| Posted by Darren on Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:00 pm |
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I tweeted a similar comment yesterday. If he can be warned that he risks prosecution for distracting a driver, what's to stop the same warning to safetycam partnerships.
Tongue in cheek of course, I expect it's the flash that is of concern in his dummy cam but there are cases where drivers have been surprised by genuine speed cams. One of note resulted in a fatal accident.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by Trevor on Thu Oct 15, 2009 6:50 pm |
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If speed cameras can cause a distraction perhaps people should speed up to get past the distraction quickly and if they then get flashed and fined take out a civil action against the council that put it there.
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| Posted by UKSNAPPER on Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:16 am |
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The comment that the fake camera could lead to litigation if someone claims it was a distraction is spurious.
Any road sign,bill board or for us men,nice pair of legs, could be called a distraction to a road user,as could information signs on motorways.
Its just another jobs-worth talking and being paid to do so by us tax payers.
If a fake speed camera does slow down drivers that are speeding inappropriately that's fine with me,there are plenty of roads where exceeding the posted speed limit poses no danger to anyone
Id rather be riding a Motorcycle 4 wheels are the norm Subaru Forester |
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| Posted by culzean on Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:01 am |
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So according to police, if I get distracted by a speed camera and crash I can take action against the people who put it there - the local authority or county council.
I can see how far I would get with that one, they would spend £100's of thousands of pounds (of tax and council taxpayers money) defending the case rather than risk 'setting a precedent' for others to do the same.
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| Posted by NickG on Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:55 am |
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Other than the fact that it's yellow, that box in no way resembles a speed camera so I doubt anyone would actually be fooled. For one thing, it's about half the height of a speed camera, which are all installed with the bottom of the box being just over 8ft off the ground. His looks chest-height.
Twitter: @nickg_uk |
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| Posted by Shinymera on Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:54 am |
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One of the best things he could do is to leave a child's ride-on toy or small bike near at the curbside.
I once saw it on a program and virtually all cars slowed when they thought a small child was near by.
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| Posted by Darren on Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:15 pm |
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| Shinymera Wrote: | One of the best things he could do is to leave a child's ride-on toy or small bike near at the curbside.
I once saw it on a program and virtually all cars slowed when they thought a small child was near by. |
In France they have black silhouettes of people at the roadside where a fatal accident has occurred.
It's very effective at making you think about your speed. I'd suggest we replace cameras with them but there would be no income and of course for many cameras, they aren't located at the sites of fatal accidents anyway.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by freedy50 on Fri Oct 16, 2009 4:27 pm |
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Theyre only jealous because they wont be receiving any money from their own cameras, if they have any down the road from this one, as everyone will be slowing down for this one first!!!!!! 
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| Posted by tsdinos on Fri Oct 16, 2009 5:59 pm |
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In Greece they put some miniature churches (like scale models) in places of the road where a fatal or a serious accident happened. In fact some of them they have a candle inside and the family that put it there goes and lit the candle every night (if the accident happened recently)
You can see them very often on countryside roads on dangerous bends!
For the comment that "the fake camera may distract the drives and cause an accident" I can't see how it can be any different from the other cameras installed by the local authorities?
I think this is plain hypocrisy as obviously this camera will not generate any income to the authorities 
nuvi 350 |
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