In one of the little villages on the road between Abergavenny and Chepstow, there used to be 'home made' 30 signs just after the 40 signs as you entered the village. Obviously put up by concerned locals who wanted the limit lowered (I think it has been now).
Whats the deal with these? They were as good an imitation as you could make with a piece of hardboard and a red magic marker. Surely there must be some rules against displaying signage designed to mimicks official signage?
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Probably not - any road sign must be as prescribed in the Road Traffic Act and must be "lawfully" placed. Presumably an imitation one would be "unlawfully" placed but not illegal. (IFYKWIM). A speed limit needs a traffic order, but I'm jiggered to think of an offence.
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There may be something in Sections 64 - 72 Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 which deals with Traffic Signs. Unfortunately I do not have access to the full Act. I have a short reference at Section 69 giving LA power to require owner of land to take down a sign and if he doesn't they will and recover costs as a civil debt.
Cannot find anything under Highways Acts to prohibit an erection...
DVD
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That's because they don't legislate for erections...
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On the back road from Bicester to Church Enstone is a village (I forget the name but will no doubt be reminded in a minute!) with a home made scamera in a front garden that's been there for years. From the back, it briefly looks quite authentic, and the skidmarks on the road prove testament to this, but from the front, it's complete pants!
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front garden that's been there for years
Yes, the garden has been there for years, and so has the scamera! (just read my post back...)
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I have seen this one and nearly rear ended the car in front who was fooled by it.
Gagingwell, one of the Bartons or Heyford?
I use this road to get to the A43 on occasion.
StarGazer
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I seem to remember a previous thread with a link to a website that featured "scameras" like this one. Some very good ones, and some not so good. I think there were also photos of burnt out speed cameras, some of which had been dealt to several times. Thoroughly entertaining.
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DVD see R v.iagara (1967)
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Imitation sign might be grounds for complaint to advertising standards authority? :)
WTM
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There is a local company that produces fake speed cameras and according to the newspaper article do quite alot of business. The owner of the company (a metal works I think) made one up to slow traffic that used to speed past his place, other residents saw it and wanted their own.
I don't know if it is illegal or not to set-up phony cameras, but when I first read the article I could just imagine a keen lawyer cashing in on the company/customer the first time someone lost control while braking for the phony camera and hurt or killed someone.
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This happened in West Malling a few years ago and they were instructed to take them down or face prosecution. Most dissapeared but a few tatty bits of cardboard remained for ages.
Jim
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Wetwang (the village) used to have an imitation bobby in a bright yellow safety vest holding his pushbike near the village entrance and 30 sign. Judging by the brakelights it had an effect.
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I would have said that is a more serious crime in itself. If he is parading around as an imitation police officer.
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
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I suspect that it was not a real person and more likely a dummy. If that is the case, then prosecution of such a dummy or scarecrow could be worth watching.
On the other hand, that would make "parading" a little scary.
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Seriously its probably planning regs that they fall foul of.
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If you put a sign or camera on your own land planning regs shouldn't matter.
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If you put a sign or camera on your own land planning regs shouldn't matter.
Oh, they very much do. Much aggro from farmers about not being able to have advertising boards alongside roads, on their land, suplementing their income.
p.s. Wetwang imitation plod a couple of posts up was a straw-stuffed dummy.
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Ahhh, found a copy of the stuffed plod in question!
www.autoexpress.co.uk/evo/news/37232/speeders_scar...l
Martin
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