Fake speed camera slows down drivers

MUMBAI, Wednesday, April 12, 2006



Gordon Crosbie and his fake speed camera (circled)


Fake speed camera slows down drivers

Gordon Crosbie said he was so fed up with motorists driving at speeds of up to 70mph that he built the replica speed camera using a plastic board and some reflective tape

Agencies

Glentham,Lincolnshire: A villager who lives near one of the most dangerous roads in Britain has erected his own speed camera in a bid to slow motorists down.

Gordon Crosbie said he was so fed up with drivers who hurtle along the narrow country road at speeds of up to 70mph that he built the replica Gatso using a plastic board and some reflective tape.

The 63-year-old oil worker, from Glentham, Lincolnshire, said the camera was so effective at slowing cars down that the villagers could once again move around the tiny village without fear of being mown down.

“It has had a 100 per cent success rate so far,” Mr Crosbie said.

“You can see it working and if it saves just one child's life then it’s more than worth it.”

The notorious A631 Gainsborough to Market Rasen road, which runs through Glentham, is 17th in the AA’s survey of Britain's most dangerous A roads.

With the number of serious and fatal accidents on the stretch being three times the national average, it is hailed as the worst road in the East Midlands.

But despite this, Mr Crosbie claimed his campaign to have fixed speed cameras installed in the village had fallen on deaf ears.

He said: “I have lived in this village for 35 years and it really is one of the worst roads in the whole of Great Britain.

“It’s been noted by the AA and the RAC as having more accidents than any other villages. I’ve spent 20 years complaining about the traffic to the Road Safety Partnership and the police.

“All they do is come out checking the road but nothing gets done.”

Mr Crosbie said signs put up along the A631 warning that speed cameras were in the area were ineffective because motorists rarely slowed down until they actually see a camera.

“It’s all well and good putting up signs, but the nearest camera is three miles away from the village. No one pays attention to them - at the end of the day if you see a sign warning about deep water and there’s no lake you just ignore the sign. “So I thought the only way to do something about it is to put my own camera up”.

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