England - land of the speed cam..


There was a time that the most prominent sight along England's highways and byways was the weird and wonderful display of pub and inn signs, something of a fascination to visiting Americans. Times have changed and know what you see every few hundred yards is this:




The British police's obsession with collecting money from motorists straying over the, sometimes ridiculously low, speed limits has got out of control. It's understandable in built-up areas and especially around schools and colleges but on the open road and on motorways?

This sign above is for the fixed cameras but there is also the "arrive alive" version which is basically a cop hiding in a hedge, behind an unmarked car or even in the back of a van with the dreaded camera. I was caught once doing 32mph in a 30mph zone, literally a couple of feet from the national speed limit zone. The camera had been placed to catch cars as they were increasing speed into the national speed zone. Is that fair?

I generally try to stick to the limits but sometimes you stray, especially if the road permits and the vehicle can do it. Yesterday I was driving to London. I was in a new BMW and following a Discovery, which I was keeping up with. Before long I realised I was doing 110mph (180kmh) and the Disco was showing no signs of slowing. I immediately dropped back down to the speed limit and off raced the Disco. Apart from being amazed at the speed of the Discovery I was surprised at how easy it was to reach such a speed on an A road. I just hope that there were no cameras on that particular stretch of road.

England - land of the speed cam..