- Van driver Michael Carrick thought he was driving under the limit when caught
- ‘In a brief moment of stupidity’, Mr Carrick gave a traffic officer the w***er sign
- He received a letter from the police as well as a picture of his rude gesture
- Mr Carrick, a roofer, received a £315 fine and was handed three penalty points
A cheeky van driver was charged with speeding and not controlling his vehicle — when he was snapped making a rude gesture at a speed cop.
Michael Carrick thought he was driving at a safe limit when he spotted the traffic officer holding a speeding gun and gave him the w***er sign.
But the 27-year-old was stunned when he was received a letter with the snap and detailing that he had not only been caught speeding but also driving without a seatbelt and ‘not being in full control of a vehicle.’
The roofer claims he then paid the £315 fine and received 3 penalty points on his license for the speeding offence near Bishop Auckland, County Durham, and in return police dropped the other charges.
Michael Carrick thought he was driving at a safe limit when he spotted the traffic officer holding a speeding gun and gave him the w***er sign
Michael said: ‘It was a brief moment of stupidity though it is all a bit over the top. I did see the camera but I didn’t think I’d been done.
‘I suppose I saw it at the last minute — then I get a letter through the post two weeks later. They said I was speeding and also that I wasn’t in proper control of my vehicle.
‘It was a w***er I was calling them. It was all very harsh.’
Michael was caught doing 58mph in a national speed limit zone – which drops from 60mph for cars, to 50mph for vans – because he didn’t realise the lane had shifted from a dual to a single carriageway in August.
The roofer then shared the post on social media in an attempt to raise awareness that vans can only do 50mph on a single lane national speed limit road
The 27-year-old said: ‘It was a brief moment of stupidity though it is all a bit over the top. I did see the camera but I didn’t think I’d been done’
He then shared the post on social media in an attempt to raise awareness that vans can only do 50mph on a single lane national speed limit road.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: ‘North Yorkshire Police’s fleet of mobile safety cameras are deployed to sites where there is a history of speed-related collisions.
‘Where the local community have raised concerns about speeding in their neighbourhood, and to routes where drivers or motorcyclists have been killed or seriously injured.
‘They also detect other offences such as the illegal use of mobile phones and seat belt offences.
‘Road safety is a major priority for North Yorkshire Police and its partners.
‘Safety cameras are part of a range of tactics – from enforcement to education – that we use to help us in our commitment to protect all road users and keep our roads as safe as possible.’