Autoblog

Photo: Nicholas Bowman

Most people have pretty weak arguments for speeding. Everything from having a broken speedometer, going with the flow of traffic, or desperately needing to find a bathroom are usually feeble excuses that generally don't hold up. Simon Grills's case is unique. Despite being caught by a speed camera and slapped with a £60 fine, his case was dropped because the speed limit sign, which changes the allowed speed from 70 mph to 50 mph, isn't lit at night and was extremely difficult to see. While one case wouldn't necessarily make the news, it's been found that Simon isn't alone. The lights for the sign have been broken since November of 2005, and approximately 214,000 motorists have received tickets for speeding with the sign unlit. Despite the promise that the lights will be fixed, speed cameras are still ticketing motorists at a rate of 500 per day. Grills' legal battle, for which he has spent over 300 hours, has opened up the possibility of other motorists to receive refunds.

Thanks for the tip, Fernando!

[Source: SundayMirror.co.uk]