Slapping tourist with 20mph speeding ticket branded 'lunacy' by some but welcome by others
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?"
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