Anti-speeding cop banned - for speeding

[Steven Roy]

http://www.crash.net/motoring/roadcars/news/article/20106-0/med_hughes_banned.html

The former chair of road policing at the Association of Chief Police Officers has been banned from driving, after being caught doing 90mph in a 60mph zone.

Meredydd Hughes was on holiday when a speed camera caught him 33 per cent over the limit on the A5 at Chirk near Wrexham in May.

He did get off rather lightly though, with just a £350 fine and a 42 day ban being handed down at the local magistrates court hearing, which Hughes did not attend. He entered a guilty plea via his solicitor.


Hughes has previously argued for ‘less conspicuous’ speed cameras to slow people down.

Paul Smith, founder of SafeSpeed.org.uk, said: "Were you driving safely Mr Hughes? If you were, then you have been lying to us about the importance of sticking to the speed limit."

"We don't believe for a single second that Mr Hughes was driving dangerously and he must now tell us the truth about the role of speed limits in road safety."

"Speed enforcement has become a ridiculous obsession to the severe detriment of far more important aspects of road safety."

"The hypocrisy is breathtaking. Mr Hughes should clearly have been preaching what he practices - because clearly he knows that exceeding the speed limit isn't necessarily dangerous."

I am surprised he received any kind of penalty.  The last high profile cop on a speeding charge was doing 150mph in some new toy we paid for and got off on the basis that he had to know how it behaved at that speed.