Road safety crime tsar is caught speeding AND gets a parking ticket just 24 hours apart
- Alison Hernandez, 44, confessed that she got a parking fine a day after speeding
- She ran a poll just weeks ago on whether there should be higher fines for drivers
- Tory PCC for Devon and Cornwall will have to pay £25 fine within next two weeks
Alison Hernandez is the crime tsar for road policing who just weeks ago warned of ‘dangerous drivers’ who ignore the law
She is the crime tsar for road policing who just weeks ago warned of ‘dangerous drivers’ who ignore the law.
But now Alison Hernandez has been left red-faced after revealing that she has been caught speeding.
She made the confession just a day after admitting she had got a parking fine.
The roads policing lead for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, Ms Hernandez tweeted: ‘Even police and crime commissioners get distracted on the road. Caught by a camera in my home town.’
Ms Hernandez, the Conservative PCC for Devon and Cornwall, added: ‘Have a week off now, so will be reflecting on my driving behaviour.’
Asked by a Twitter user if she would take a speed awareness course, thus avoiding a fine and points on her driving licence, Ms Hernandez replied: ‘Am hoping to. Got to send the initial form back first to confirm I was the driver.’
She posted a photo of the Notice of Intended Prosecution she had received in the post after breaking the speed limit.
The previous day, she had put online a photo of a Penalty Charge Notice stuck to the windscreen of her car.
She captioned the picture ‘Happy Valentine’s Day Alison’ and explained that a ‘community meeting over-ran’. The PCC said the fine would be £25 if she paid up within a fortnight.
Ms Hernandez, the Conservative PCC for Devon and Cornwall, added: ‘Have a week off now, so will be reflecting on my driving behaviour’
Just weeks ago, Ms Hernandez polled residents to see if they supported her plan – revealed in The Mail on Sunday – for higher fines for speeding drivers.
She wrote: ‘Far too many lives are being risked or ruined due to inconsiderate, dangerous drivers who have a blatant disregard for their own safety and that of others.
‘The results of this survey send a clear message that road safety is important to our communities and they want to see more rigorous enforcement of our traffic laws.’
Ms Hernandez is not the first PCC to fall foul of motoring laws. Kent’s gaffe-prone Ann Barnes crashed her car on the way to a meeting – and was investigated by the police watchdog over allegations she was not insured for business driving.
Christopher Salmon was fined £586 for driving a car with bald tyres – even though the vehicle belonged to Dyfed-Powys Police.
And both Humberside PCC Matthew Grove and his deputy Paul Robinson were caught speeding in the space of a few weeks.