this in case they argue you had access to it before the court hearing and were therefore informed. There are also guidelines for the siting and installation of Gatso devices. If the Gatso camera has not been installed within the guidelines, and more than one guideline has been breached this can be taken into account by the court and can go in your favour, so check the following in relation to the Gatso evidence that is being used to prosecute you. • Gatsos should only be installed where eight or more accidents occurred over a three year period prior to installation. • The road that the Gatso is installed on must be a straight road at least 400 metres in lengtht. Gatso cameras should not be installed on bends. • Gatso installations are not within the guidelines if other speed restriction methods could have been used.
Myth: Camera warning signs are not necessary in order to carry out speed checks. It is not a defence to say there were no warning signs on the road. Last year Ambulance driver Paul Bex was transporting a transplant organ from one hospital to another when he was flashed by a speed camera, he was in a hurry because the surgeon had a patient booked for the operating table and needed the liver within 3 hours. His employer appealed, but the appeal fell on deaf ears, Paul has a clean licence and has never had points in his 30 plus years driving. He now faces losing his job and a 12 month driving ban plus a fine with penalty points on his clean licence. Myth: You can drive past a Gatso camera so fast that it will not be able to photograph you. In theory this is possible but the speed would have to be in excess of 170mph. 13