Slapping tourist with 20mph speeding ticket branded 'lunacy' by some but welcome by others
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North Wales Live readers have been having their say after a tourist was caught speeding on a Welsh road that could soon see its speed limit increased. Martin Toms, 74, from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, was visiting North Wales when he was snapped doing 31mph in a 20mph zone on the A548 at Greenfield.
It was the first ticket for Mr Toms, who has been driving since 17. Mr Toms thought he was in a 30mph area due to the lack of built-up surroundings and was shocked to receive a fine a week later. He reluctantly forked out £95 for a three-hour speed awareness course.
Adding insult to injury, the road is tipped to revert to a 30mph limit soon after a Welsh Government review.
Totemlad1 simply says: "Welcome to Wales, we are all fed up by this lunacy."
ThePickledLiver writes: "So he didn't spot the big 20 sign with a day-glo yellow border, roughly the size of a washing machine then?"
Geedeebee adds: "Stop whinging, I've been driving nearly as long and I manage to determine the speed limits of roads I'm unfamiliar with."
Bungle110 says: "He defeats his own argument. If he thought it was a 30 why was he caught at 31?"
Haroc comments: "Like most tourists…the rules don't apply to them! The camera read his speed at 31 mph but car speedometer readings are usually higher than your actual speed by about 5 miles, so his may have read 36 mph which certainly isn't in either speed parameters of 20 or 30 mph."
RSDENNIS adds: "No brainer, everyone is well aware of the default speed limit in Wales, which has been in force for a while. Get yourself to the SPEED AWARENESS course and you will actually learn something. It's better than points on your licence,as you confirmed doing 11 over the speed limit."
RealityCheck remarks: "I don't think it matters in the eyes of the law if the speed limit is changing soon. The fact is very obvious - it was 20 mph when he was speeding - simple as that."
Ofcourseitis disagrees: "That's not the issue, it's the motivation behind the enforcement, this man has paid £95 for a speed awareness course for a stretch of road that within weeks he would not be speeding and would not require the course, it's nothing to do with safety, he has a case against the unfair action taken against him, which cannot be justified as any other than profiteering."
Iannwales believes: "Driving without due care & attention, driver needs further training."
Kinaston says: "He was even over the 30 limit. What's the issue? Is it because he was speeding and was caught? I, too, have attended a speed awareness course. I think I was 3 or 4 mph over. I seem to remember that we were informed that a course was unavailable if you are excessively over. 11mph over is that excessive?"
Do you have any sympathy for the speeding tourist or not? Join in the conversation HERE or in the comments below.
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