Skater set off speed camera doing 40mph in 30mph zone

A skater caught on a speed camera doing 40mph on roller blades in a 30mph zone escaped prosecution because he was not in a motor vehicle. Sam Tuffnell, 28, was pictured in his home town of Hastings, East Sussex. The stunt was filmed by a friend.



But, despite setting off a speed camera, Mr Tuffnell will not be prosecuted, as roller–skaters cannot be punished for speeding. He said: "We had always talked about whether it was possible to be caught speeding on blades, but we have only just got around to doing it. We chose the camera we did because it was at the bottom of a hill so I could build some speed up.

"I found out I had broken my coccyx a few days before and the rollerblades also had no brakes - but I was trying to go even faster than 50. Like everyone, we do have a bit of a grudge against speed cameras, but this was not some kind of protest, it was just a stunt."


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A spokesman for Sussex Safer Roads Partnership confirmed Sam would not face any punishment. He said: "The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 states that speed limits are designed for motor vehicles. As such, roller-bladers are not designated as motor vehicles. Therefore they cannot commit the offence of speeding.