| Gatso UK Boss caught driving at 102mph on a 70mph road
 Story courtesy of the Telegraph.
The Chief Exec of Serco UK, the global service company that has contracts in Safety Cameras, defence, justice, healthcare and many more sectors has been arrested after being photographed driving at 102mph on the A11.
Tom Riall is due to appear before magistrates in Suffolk on Wednesday. If found guilty he faces a driving ban of up to two years and a £2,500 fine.
When asked about the incident he said "I was travelling from my home to a business meeting on a clear A-road and I was unaware of my speed."
His comments have provoked road safety campaigners into angry reactions with one questioning how a man responsible for many of the UK's safety cameras could claim to be 'unaware' that he was travelling at over 100mph.
Serco have been the UK agent for Gatso for many years and have contracts with most of the UK Safety Camera Partnerships for their supply and maintenance. In 2008 they lead a Government backed anti-speeding campaign called Safe Drive Stay Alive.
Strangley, Serco's UK website is shy about broadcasting their safety camera business. You'll find it mentioned in a single line under their Law Enforcement Markets section.
www.serco.co.uk
| Comments
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 Posted by Jellyroll on Mon May 04, 2009 8:44 am |
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Remember, folks, you don't need to be able to spell "schadenfreude" to experience it. 
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| Posted by mikealder on Mon May 04, 2009 8:54 am |
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| News Team Wrote: | | Tom Riall is due to appear before magistrates in Suffolk on Wednesday. If found guilty he faces a driving ban of up to two years and a £2,500 fine. |
The sad fact here is someone at the top of a large company such as this could pay the fine and simply employ a chauffeur so the punishment isn't really suitable, I hope the courts can come up with a different type of punishment if this chap is guilty.
| News Team Wrote: | | When asked about the incident he said "I was travelling from my home to a business meeting on a clear A-road and I was unaware of my speed." |
Anyone who drives at those speeds on a motorway is a danger to other road users, to then claim to be "unaware of their speed" is admitting stupidity. For the safety of all road users this chap should be banned from the road for life IMHO - Mike
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| Posted by gem on Mon May 04, 2009 10:05 am |
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Maybe his defense will be the equipment is faulty....ha ha. 
But as a previous perseon said, if he is banned (due to going over the total points limit) then he will simply hire a chauffeur which Joe Public cannot do.
Fair laws?
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| Posted by Jellyroll on Mon May 04, 2009 10:53 am |
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Joe Public can, if Joe Public wants, take out insurance to cover such an eventuality, but instead Joe Public generally has more sense than to drive at such an outrageous speed on an 'A' Road.
What Riall will lose is worth a lot more than his license. His reputation will be through the floor, and he may well find himself out of a job, ousted by the Board of his company. We can but hope.
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| Posted by Philip on Mon May 04, 2009 1:40 pm |
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| mikealder Wrote: | | Anyone who drives at those speeds on a motorway is a danger to other road users |
Here we go - another foaming at the mouth reaction from the sort of moron who believes the "Speed Kills" mantra without bothering to go and read the stupendous lack of evidence for it.
I used to live in East Anglia, and parts of the A11 are perfectly safe at 102mph (and faster), as are many of our motorways.
If this chap is guilty of anything, it's "not being aware of his speed", which is equally as unforgivable at 20mph as it is at 102mph.
Philip |
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| Posted by Border_Collie on Mon May 04, 2009 1:55 pm |
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| Quote: | | I used to live in East Anglia, and parts of the A11 are perfectly safe at 102mph (and faster), as are many of our motorways. |
Formerly known as Lost_Property
And NO that's NOT me in the Avatar. |
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| Posted by Border_Collie on Mon May 04, 2009 3:56 pm |
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I would like to advise the morons that to stop from 100 mph = 100 feet thinking distance (reaction time) + 500 feet stopping distance, total 600 feet (200 yards)
70 mph = 70 feet thinking distance + 245 feet stopping distance, total 315 feet (105yards).
60 mph = 60 + 180 = 240 i.e 80 yards.
You can double the above for when the roads are wet.
My personal view is, anyone travelling at 50% or more over the posted limit should have their vehicle crushed and ban them for life.
Formerly known as Lost_Property
And NO that's NOT me in the Avatar. |
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| Posted by Philip on Mon May 04, 2009 4:17 pm |
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My - what a lot of hypocrites we have in today, given that the only reason for PocketGPSWorld's continued existence is to provide the speed camera database, which is there to assist people in exceeding the speed limit without getting caught. And some of you are even "moderators" and "verifiers" - how do you sleep at night?!
How sad that you believe the government's "Speed Kills" mantra - despite it not being supported by the government's own evidence. How very sad that you cannot understand that "excessive speed" and "exceeding the posted speed limit" can be two very different things. And even sadder is that you do not seem to understand that improving driver education and allowing drivers to make proper risk assessments based on a whole range of factors (including weather, traffic density, vehicle performance, driver ability, etc) is eminently preferable to forcing people - through financial penalties - to obey a completely arbitrary and meaningless law.
@DennisN - I'll exclude you from this. You are obviously such a sad, bitter and twisted individual that I'll leave you to square your conscience about what you ask for in your prayers with your own God.
Philip |
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| Posted by Darren on Mon May 04, 2009 4:17 pm |
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| Philip Wrote: | | another foaming at the mouth reaction from the sort of moron who believes the "Speed Kills" mantra without bothering to go and read the stupendous lack of evidence for it. |
Drop the personal insults please or I'll adopt a foaming at the mouth attitude and ban you. No need for that kind of reply.
Our database does not exist to assist drivers speeding whatever you may believe. If you can't add to the debate without assuming such a vitriolic attitude then don't.
Darren Griffin |
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| Posted by Philip on Mon May 04, 2009 4:27 pm |
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| Darren Wrote: | | Drop the personal insults please or I'll adopt a foaming at the mouth attitude and ban you. No need for that kind of reply. |
Certainly - does that apply equally to DennisN and Lost_property?
| Darren Wrote: | | Our database does not exist to assist drivers speeding whatever you may believe. |
OK, I'll bite. What exactly does the PocketGPSWorld speed camera database exist for, then?
Philip |
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then. 102mph (and faster) is only safe on an empty road, excellent road surface, excellent weather, highly trained driver, mechanically faultless vehicle - how many empty roads are there in the UK nowadays? I suppose the 102mph (and faster) morons will soon make some gaps. 
Being unaware of your speed at 20mph is NOT equally as dangerous as the same moronic empty headedness at 102mph (and faster). Just exactly what does the 102mph (and faster) moron do about coming up behind me pootling along inside the speed limit whilst overtaking an old person aged 70? How much forward vision does he need to haul his speed down by 50mph or more? In my prayers tonight I must remember to ask for all 102mph (and faster) morons to be afflicted with something unpleasant.
