HGV driver who blocked speed camera with his vehicle facing dismissal

The man, in his 50s, deliberately parked his vehicle in front of the mobile safety camera van parked on Dunstan Road in Maltby on Tuesday, February 20 and was reported on summons for obstructing a member of police staff in the execution of his duty.

Safety Camera Partnership staff are granted delegated powers when conducting their duty – the same as operational police officers – and it is a criminal offence to obstruct them in their duties.

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “When questioned and asked to move on, the driver became obnoxious and began filming the events to share on social media.

“His behaviour was particularly disappointing given he drives for a living and spends a greater amount of time on the road, so we fed this back to his employer, which was easy given it was a vehicle liveried with the company’s details.

“His employer, who has no doubt that these actions were deliberate and unnecessary said action will be taken.”

Matthew Collings, roads policing inspector, said: “Unfortunately we see incidents like this far too often.

“We know that speed cameras lead to conversations about money generation – however, this is actually about making South Yorkshire’s roads safer.

“We have sadly experienced nine fatal collisions within South Yorkshire this year and a large number resulting in seriously injured drivers and passengers.

“Speed cameras are there to change drivers' behaviour and ultimately save lives.

“Speed kills. A few miles per hour over the speed limit can be the difference between life and death.”