WITH regard to being fined for speeding along Birchfield Road (Letters, July 23). It is not necessarily a fixed camera that caught the correspondent, it could have been the Speed Check Van.

These are springing up everywhere, including the A435 approaching The Dog island, where they park on the verge, sometimes facing the opposite way to the flow of traffic.

Having held a licence for more than 40 years and having spent many years driving in the UK, latterly professionally, Europe and the USA, I'm afraid I have no sympathy for anyone caught speeding. Speed limits are posted for the guidance of fools and the observance of the wise man, or woman.

Complaining about the plethora of speed cameras comes down to the fault of the majority of motorists at large. Stick to the limit and you can't go far wrong.

OK, you may take a little longer to get to your destination but better five minutes late in this world instead of 20, or more, years early in the next.

The "rule of thumb" I have always used is, in a "built up" area the limit is 30mph unless there is a sign stating otherwise.

Where there are street lamps, at regular intervals, regardless of the distance in between, and no sign otherwise, the speed limit is 30mph.

I have never had my "picture" taken as a result of observing this simple "rule".

You should also take into account that on single carriageways with a "de-restricted" sign, the speed limit is 60mph unless posted otherwise.

With a trailer, even a small one, and especially a caravan, the speed limit is 50mph.

In my experience, those who disregard this are usually the ones who turn their units over and cause hold-ups for all the other road users

RJ HARRISON

Church Hill