Boksburg Magistrate’s Court senior public prosecutor, advocate Henk Strydom, reminds motorists to adhere to the prescribed speed limits.
This follows the police’s application to renew authorisation for deployment of mobile speed cameras in Boksburg being approved.
“I have personally inspected each and every one of the spots to check if they comply with all the prerequisites in justifying a recommendation to institute speed camera prosecution on those sites,” said Strydom.
“The public would have noticed over a period of several months preceding the authorisation, several or multiple speed camera signs have been installed at these areas at different lanes apart from each other warning motorists to expect cameras at those areas.
“I have, during the inspection, found ample warnings to road users are supplied, therefore, road users cannot come with an excuse to say they were unaware because I have, additionally to the multiple camera signs, taken the initiative to make them aware,” said Strydom.
Strydom, however, said motorists should always remember that a speed limit applies to all areas, even where there is no sign or where there is a speed sign without the camera sign on it.
“If you see a speed sign without a camera sign, it doesn’t mean you can now drive the way you want because then it means a laser speed camera prosecution can be instituted there through manned speed traps.
“If there is a speed sign indicating or bearing a camera sign, you can expect a speed camera in the vicinity of more or less 150m from the last camera sign. Where a speed sign is erected without a camera sign expect a laser camera speed prosecution there.”
According to Strydom, those are not permanently fixed cameras, the police can operate them as they please, meaning they can in one day put it at a location and the other day put it at another location.
“Those are just signs to warn you to expect cameras at those areas at any given time.”
Strydom said he has since discovered there is an absolute blatant disregard for any speed signs in Boksburg, and he based this on the amount of people who are approaching his office with no admissions of guilt on camera prosecution.
This is in cases where they have exceeded the speed limit excessively in a 60km/h zone or even 120km/h zone.
“The National Road Traffic Act (No 93 of 1996) says if a road user exceeds the speed limit in an urban area of more than 30km/h, there are no admission of guilt and upon conviction the driver’s licence may be suspended for a period of six months and you earn yourself a previous conviction.
“I’m using this platform to inform the public where these cameras are to stop opportunistic high-speed offences from being committed.
“People taking chances says I’m quickly dropping my child at school so let me quickly dash, to dash from point one to point two, to dash from home to work might see you up in jail. You might be lucky by getting a camera notification in the mail, but tomorrow there is a manned laser camera prosecution and you will be arrested.
“That’s the downfall of a manned camera (a physical traffic speed trap), where there is a speed sign without the camera sign and you are stopped by a traffic officer jumping in front of your car alleging that you have travelled 91 in a 60 zone.
“You will be arrested on the spot and it means you will go to the police cells and be brought to court in custody unless you get after-hour bail for exceeding the speed limit.
“The law says if you exceed the speed limit in a 60km/h and 80km/h zone by 31 there is no admission of guilt, you must be arrested.”
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