by Sean O’Hare
seanohare@trinitysouth.co.uk
A NOTORIOUS speed camera caught 583 drivers in four days, generating approximately £35,000.
The offences were captured between December 7 and 11, 2006 by the Gravel Hill speed camera on the London Road between Chalfont St Giles and Chalfont St Peter.
The information was revealed in a police witness statement following a 69-year-old pharmacist’s refusal to pay after she was caught travelling at 36mph in the 30mph zone.
Elizabeth Hopkins, from Beaufort Close, Ealing, who will now have to appear in court, said: “I will lose my case but I think I’m fighting what is a dangerous precedent. Some 583 people were criminalised in four days for absolute nonsense, it is just a complete money-spinner."
“That part of the road has a short length speed restriction of 50 to 30mph.
“To avoid an accident it is not always possible to reduce speed that quickly if a car is following at a greater speed.
“There should be a gradual reduction in the speed limit.”
The £40,000 Truvelo speedmeter was installed at the foot of Gravel Hill on July 10, 2002.
In the three years prior to the installation, two people were killed or seriously injured on the road while nine people were involved in personal injury collisions.
From 2003-06 no one was killed or seriously injured on the road while three people were involved in personal injury collisions.
A spokesman for Buckinghamshire County Council said: “If you are travelling from Amersham you have 360 metres to slow down before you get to the speed camera and 270 metres from the Denham direction, including a major roundabout which slows people down anyway. We believe this is plenty of time to slow down.
“There was a history of accidents at this site which is why a speed camera w
"I'm all for speed cameras but this particular came..."