Hundreds nicked by rogue road sign
HUNDREDS of motorists caught speeding down Halifax Road, Brighouse, could have evaded prosecution on a technicality.
Road signs advising drivers they are going into a 30mph area are not legal meaning that drivers who have forked out to pay hefty fines could have saved their cash.
The sign, just before the Dusty Miller pub at Hove Edge, has a large square yellow background with the 30mph sign in the centre. The border around the yellow board is black – and to make the sign legal, it should have a red border.
Other routes throughout Calderdale are also believed to also have illegal signs.
Sgt Garry Alderson, of Calderdale road traffic police, said the error with the Halifax Road sign came to light when police stopped a driver for speeding.
The driver realised the sign was not legal and used it in his defence at court.
"He got away with it and it could have affected many other drivers," said Sgt Alderson.
"It basically means that any drivers stopped by the police for speeding where there is an illegal sign cannot be prosecuted. There are other similar signs throughout Calderdale."
He said unless the signs had a red border around the large yellow board they were not legal.
"The sign approaching Hove Edge from Hipperholme has a black border, which is wrong," he said.
Calderdale Council road safety officer Peter Shepherdson said he was puzzled by the information.
Sgt Alderson said the council had been made aware of the situation and he understood steps were being made to replace the wrong signs as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, he did not want a situation where drivers were speeding down Halifax Road because the signs were not legal.
News that illegal signs were in place throughout Calderdale did not come as a surprise to Mr Andy Langton, West Yorkshire co-ordinator with the Association of British Drivers.
Mr Langton, who lives in Brighouse, said he was aware of similar situations throughout the country and there was no excuse for local authorities getting it wrong.
"There are guidelines in place for local councils and there is no reason for illegal signs to be in place," he said. "This is not a loophole – it is incompetence by local authorities."
He said the Association of British Drivers was not in favour of speeding motorists and didn't agree with drivers getting off speeding fines. The association did not want to encourage that type of driving.
"It is local authorities who are in the wrong here," said Mr Langton, a software engineer, who has been driving for 28 years and has been a member of the association for 18 months.
He said former police officer Richard Bentley specialised in illegal road signs. He had advised people in different parts of the country and made sure existing signs were legal.
A spokesman for Calderdale Council said the situation had been brought to the council's attention.
"We are in the process of waiting for replacement signs," he said.
In the meantime, Brighouse Road Safety Committee is continuing to push for extra signs down Halifax Road to slow down drivers. Residents in the area would like speed cameras.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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