George Peck, a 70-year-old motorist from Kingsbridge, has been fined twice along one stretch of road whilst travelling towards the Billacombe roundabout in Plymouth in his Audi 25.

Mr Peck thought the speed limit was still 40mph as he travelled down the A379 on August 6, unaware that it had changed to 30mph. He received two speeding fines for the incident, even though the offences occurred only two minutes apart.

The first camera caught him going 36mph at 2.42pm, and the second clocked him at 37mph at 2.44pm. Police explained that the dual fines were a result of the two camera systems used on the same stretch of road, with one static camera, and one average speed check between the Billacombe and Saltram roundabout. The cameras are linked together, but the locations are considered separate.

Mr Peck said there is only one 30mph sign between these two roundabouts, which is placed far enough from the first that a majority speed would have already been recorded by the time motorists are reminded of the speed limit.

Mr Peck conveyed his frustration at the incident, saying he wants to “support the police and their efforts”, but wishes they would show “a little bit of common sense when dealing with what is a relatively minor offence”.

This is Mr Peck’s first offence, so he was initially offered a speed awareness course for the first violation. However, the second incident was then classed as a ‘repeated offence’, and he was given three points and a fixed penalty of £100 just moments later.

He said of the fines: “I couldn’t believe they wouldn’t agree that it was one offence, two minutes apart... I understand that having exceeded the speed limit once I was due for a summons but I couldn’t believe I was due for two.”

Mr Peck is retired and has been driving for 50 years. He feels as though it is a “waste of the court’s time” to be reprimanded for what he considers to be the same offence.

A spokesperson from the Devon and Cornwall Police’s Road Safety Team said, “Two systems means two speeding offences,” explaining that because of the roundabout between the two camera systems, motrists will get caught for speeding both times. 

Mr Peck is concerned that other motirsts may be caught out by the change in speed limit in this area. He said: “I can’t be the only one this has happened to...if somebody gets caught by one, they’re almost certainly going to get caught by the other.”

He suggested that a long term solution could be either “one set of average speed cameras or multiple static cameras” being introduced in the area, suggesting that the use of both kinds of speed camera “just cause(s) problems.”

For the meantime, he warns other motorsists to “keep their speed in check” when driving in this area to avoid the same situation happening to them.