Van driver caught doing 88mph tells police their speed guns are ‘stupid’
A VAN driver pulled over by police for doing 88mph in a 50mph zone told them their guns were ‘stupid'.
Jeremy Vine overtaken by speeding car whilst riding his bike
The speeding motorist was annoyed to be pulled over by Devon and Cornwall police on the A30 when they used a speed gun to clock him doing almost 40mph over the limit. He ended up being reported and cautioned by officers who were not phased by his comments.
Related articles
Although he was given a ticking off by the police at the scene, the driver remained unapologetic according to DevonLive.
Instead he claimed he had no idea police used the guns.
The speed gun can target a vehicle from a distance of 1000 feet and is portable so officers can use them from their patrol cars.
The van driver told the officers: “I didn’t realise you carry those stupid speed gun things."
READ MORE: Drivers warned of fines and vehicle damage from fuel saving technique
As tweeted by the Devon and Cornwall Roads Policing Team, the response the driver got was simply “Sorry to disappoint!”
The account added: “This van was stopped after being clocked at 88 MPH on A30 Cheriton Bishop.
“His response to caution included “I didn’t realise you carry those stupid speed gun things”.
“Driver reported."
DON'T MISS
Massive number plate changes to come into effect next month [INSIGHT]
Elderly drivers slam new EU speed limiters just months before launch [COMMENT]
Driver furious after being hit with ‘ridiculous’ parking fine [SHOCKING]
The location happened to be the same as the record speed clocked by police in the area back in 2018.
A driver was caught doing a staggering 136mph on the same stretch of road.
Mobile speed camera units use miniature Gatso cameras to catch drivers breaking limits.
These are often found parked in laybys or above dual-carriageway or motorway bridges and have a range of up to one mile.
According to Autocar, fines for speeding are based on wages.
For example, based on a driver earning the UK average income (2020-21) of £29,600:
Speeding at 81-90mph in a 60mph zone = £428-£713 fine plus 4-6 penalty points
Speeding at 66mph+ in a 40mph zone = £713-£998 fine plus 6 penalty points
Related articles
Despite this, The RAC Foundation said the hundreds of thousands of fines cancelled each year across England and Wales are evidence that the system for catching and prosecuting speeding motorists is not working.
RAC road safety spokesman Simon Williams said: “Despite more than half of drivers admitting to regularly exceeding the 70-mph speed limit, road safety statistics clearly show that motorways are our safest roads.
“Our research shows speed limit compliance on all types of road has improved on previous years, but as our study was carried out during the pandemic we suspect this has partly been brought about by the reduction in the number of journeys carried out for the purposes of commuting – or for other business purposes – where drivers feel greater time pressure and may be more tempted to break the law by speeding.”
