Travel to and from the Broads

[Timbo]

Just thought I would pop a little warning here to all those driving through Norwich to the Broads. Even though my car has traffic sign recognition and limits the speed of the car to avoid speeding, those cheeky beatles at Norfolk Constabulary have sent me a speeding ticket for doing 35 in a 30 limit this last weekend. When I pointed out that the road signs says 40 limit and I was doing 35 in that stretch...they told me that in that specific stretch of road through Norwich to Wroxham the road sign says 40mph but the spacing between lampposts in the short stretch where they have a 'convenient' camera is indeed 30 mph and doesn't require a sign to tell drivers of the 10 mph reduction in speed at that point.

 

I will give some advance warning to members of when I will be travelling to Norfolk as there may be some future tailbacks through Norwich as I will be disregarding any road signage and travelling at 25 mph at all times as well as stopping every few hundred yards to measure the distance between the lampposts...just in case.

 

I have to say the chap on the end of the phone was very pleasant indeed. A welcome difference from the police back home, you see everyone is nice in Norfolk...even when they are nicking you!

[BroadScot]

Oh dear Timbo, does that mean we have a criminal in our midst?  I too have speed camera recognition on my satnav and it buzzes even at removed speed cameras.

Joking apart, you thought you were driving legaly, sadly these police types can be sneeky and do require to keep up their fines kitty box! Grrrrrr!

We have a speed camera going into Ayr, its situated outside an undertakers! 

 

Iain.

[Paladin]

Timbo, I'm sorry you've been caught in a tax trap, but the explanation that has been given to you doesn't make sense to me at the moment. It would be helpful if you could give the exact location of your alleged offence (it should be on the FPN), as there are about 7 miles of road between Norwich and Wroxham. Was this a fixed camera, or one being operated by an officer?

 

Without knowing where you were and the layout of the street lights, it seems that, with a street light system which would normally indicate a 30 mph limit, there is a 40mph limit. You then enter a stretch where the limit is 30 mph, but there is no signage to tell you this. If the sign says 40 mph, the sign over-rides the presumption of a 30 mph limit, regardless of the positioning of the street lights, until that limit is changed by another sign.

[Timbo]

After another phone call and a trip down to my garage for a print out of my Navvy computer apparently my offence took place on the  A1074 Dereham Rd at 09:43, now the only camera I can think of is the one by the BP garage. The print out from my navvy does show that I was doing 33 MPH at 09:42 at that point so yes I am guilty, however the last speed sign read by the car was a 40 MPH. I shall take my slapped wrist, points and fine...or a lecture.

 

What bugs me is that I traded in my big engined car, after not getting a ticket at all while I had it, for something more sedate and 'wallop' ticket first trip out. I shall have to employ one of those chaps to walk in front with a red flag although he'd need to be a bit nippy for when I travel the M62.

[Paladin]

Thank you for the information, Timbo. It seems you are in good company. Take a look here.

[Timbo]

Thanks for the link Paladin...at least I'm not the only numpty that's been caught out!

 

Hi Jonzo, it's the new Qashqai system.

 

Although it does make me wonder how these new self driving cars the government are planning for in 2015 are going to work...particularly in Norwich. 

 

"Yes Mr R2D2 I know there was no sign, have three points on your digital license and install this software on stealth taxation!"

[Siddy]

Well news to me that a street light over rides a shown speed limit sign. Up here M1/M62 side of Leeds the light are now more spaced out and now turn off at midnight (so is that steel poll?) Also the size of speed signs have got smaller.

 

If you are on Facebook join highway code site and get daily updates of do's and don'ts.

[Timbo]

So this morning I received another letter from Norfolk Plod...apologising for a mistake they had made.

'Yipee!' thinks I. I just knew I wasn't speeding. But no, that was not the mistake. Comparing both notices of intention to prosecute it seems they have mistaken the direction in which I was travelling.

 

In other words it seems they don't know whether I was coming or going...or indeed, upon reflection, it seems whether they themselves are coming or going.