Speed camera detector supplier pays 170 motorists’ speeding fines

One hundred and seventy motorists have had the £60 cost of their speeding fines paid by a supplier of a speed camera detector.

The supplier of the Quintezz speed camera spotter offered to pay the cost of motorists’ £60 speeding tickets if they received one after purchasing their unit. The supplier may have made a blundering mistake and admits it underestimated the number of live speed cameras and the fact that motorists would claim even if they did not have their device switched on.

The Quintezz speed camera spotter detects all Gatso speed cameras, both static and fixed as well as speed laser guns used by the Police. The supplier, mail order specialists carparts-direct.co.uk has admitted to paying out over £10,000 in claims to its customers.

Speeding motorist, Quentin Prynne of Essex said "I own a Quintezz and had a rush to drive a friend to Gatwick Airport. I forgot to switch on my camera detector and stupidly picked up a speeding ticket – Car Parts Direct paid my £60 claim. Now I always switch on before I leave home."

Mark Cornwall of carparts-direct.co.uk said: "Most of our customers are careful drivers who use the Quintezz to assist them to keep within the speed limits. Whilst the number of claims has been larger than we anticipated, this is mainly due to a massive increase in mobile speed cameras and that some customers have failed to switch on their Quintezz – without it they have no chance. They get the points and we have to pay them £60 cashback – that’s the deal."

Regular Quintezz user, Chris Woodhall said "I had nine points on my licence when I purchased a Quintezz speed camera detector a year ago. I always keep it switched on, and whilst I find the false alerts a little annoying I think it has made me a much safer driver. The device has saved me picking up a speeding ticket several times. I travel around 35,000 miles a year so the law of averages says without a speed camera detector I will pick up a ticket – it’s the best £199 I’ve ever spent."

According to a Mori poll, radar detector users are 28% less likely to have an accident than a non user. One in three motorists has had a speeding fine since cameras were introduced. Around £700 million has been paid out in speeding fines in the last 12 years and motorists are now more likely than ever to lose their driving licence as a result of speed cameras.

The Government tried to ban speed camera spotters last year on the basis that a motorist would know which cameras were live and which were not. Many motorists and suppliers believe the Government wanted to increase speeding fine revenue by banning the devices. The Government failed to change the law which means the Quintezz speed camera detector remains both legal to buy and use in the UK.

Mark Cornwall was asked if CPD will continue to pay motorists’ £60 fines; he said: "We have sold over 11,000 Quintezz units in the last two years.That means that 98.5% of our customers have not needed to claim – they have stayed within the law. That’s good news for us, our customers, other road users and pedestrians – we will continue to supply the Quintezz complete with our £60 cashback guarantee and review our claims situation in January 2006."