|
Motorists vent fury on speed cameras
By Athalie Matthews (Filed: 20/08/2001) ET FOUR speed cameras on the same stretch of road are bearing
the brunt of public resentment at the nationwide crackdown on speeding. The devices, which are on a 15-mile stretch of the A40 in
Gloucestershire where there is a 60mph limit, have been vandalised in recent
months by motorists furious at the growing number of cameras lurking on Britain's
roads, police believe. Three of the cameras - at Andoversford, Northleach and
Little Barrington - have apparently been rammed by vehicles, while a fourth,
at Burford, has had its pole bent using a rope or chain. A spokesman for Gloucestershire police said: "There can
be no doubt that these cameras were deliberately wrecked so we are probably
looking for motorists who regularly use this stretch of road and have had
enough." The attacks on the four cameras, which have left the taxpayer
with a bill of about £40,000, are the latest in a string of incidents in
which drivers have vented their fury at the proliferation of "big
brother" technology on the roadside. It has emerged that motorists may soon face fines for breaking the speed limit by as little as five miles per hour. Ministers are thought to be considering reprogramming cameras to lower the speed at which they are prompted to flash. |