Bentley driver caught speeding by volunteers reports them to police!
WHEN they saw the Bentley zoom past their speed camera, two road safety campaigners thought they had their target bang to rights.
But it was the volunteers themselves who ended up in hot water with police – after the motorist reported them for sitting in their car.
The tables were turned on the Community SpeedWatch team after they claimed to have clocked Jason Higgins doing 30mph in a 20mph zone.
But Mr Higgins, 44, challenged them, pointing out that they should have been more visible to drivers travelling through the Somerset village of Bathampton.
He said that by concealing themselves in a car up a driveway while pointing their black speed gun at motorists, they were more likely to cause an accident than prevent one.
The campaigners, who are supported and equipped by police and local authorities, cannot issue speeding tickets. Instead, motorists are sent a letter from police, with advice on how to improve their driving.
Further action can be taken by the police against persistent offenders or those caught driving excessively fast. Mr Higgins, from Bath, said: ‘I am all for speed awareness and people doing their bit to stop accidents, but I have been misrepresented by them. I was driving down the lane as my children go to school there, and the SpeedWatch volunteers were sat in a vehicle at the end of the driveway.
‘At first I stopped as I thought the car was pulling out, and then I noticed the black device.
‘I drove back to ask them what they were doing and whether they had permission.
‘I explained that instead of stopping an accident they could have caused one as they were at the end of the drive and holding a black object, which could cause someone to stop suddenly. police. The Later officer on, involved I spoke with to the group said they were not working in accordance with the law by being in their vehicle and he would have a word.
‘ The limit is 20mph and I think I was doing 24mph at the time. I did not argue with them – all I did was say they were causing the problem rather than solving it, and they were not doing it the right way as I couldn’t see their high-visibility jackets.’ Police guidance states that SpeedWatch volunteers must be ‘fully visible to drivers’ by standing at the side of the road in a fluorescent jacket.
Barry Southern and Kelvin Brunton – the two volunteers challenged by Mr Higgins – insisted they had been wearing reflective coats at the time.
Mr Southern said volunteers had not sat in a car to check speeds since the incident.
But he said Mr Higgins was driving far faster than the 24mph he claimed, adding: ‘We were wearing hi-vis, so were not exactly invisible. The guy went past us at 30mph and came back to ask us what we were doing as we had pointed something at him.’
‘We were not exactly invisible’