Judge rules: "Driving at 150mph not dangerous"

[MikeMike]

150mph ?not dangerous? says judge

By Henry Biggs,
last updated January 27 2006

An uninsured 21 year old caught doing more than twice the legal limit in his father?s Porsche has walked free from court after the judge ruled his actions weren?t dangerous.

Nicholas Whittle was clocked at 149.9mph on a short stretch of the A3055 near his Isle of Wight home but Recorder Caroline Lister ordered the Jury at Winchester Crown Court to return a not guilty verdict to the charge of dangerous driving.

The court was told that Whittle, driving a Porsche Boxster, was speeding on a straight road free of other traffic on it in an area with few houses and that he braked for bends.

The judge said: "He went fast for a short time only on a straight road with excellent visibility. I have to rule whether speed alone can be the basis of a dangerous driving case. I reach the conclusion that it cannot."

However The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents slammed the decision saying: "If driving at 150mph isn't dangerous driving we don't know what is."

Whittle will now face charges of driving with excess speed and driving without insurance at a later date.

http://cars.msn.co.uk/carnews/news15027jan06/

/me waits for JLGatsby

 

[Cattlegod]

I agree with the judge's conclusion

 

[stan394]

Similar News

 

[ElFenix]

iirc, clarkson has isle of wight plates on his ford GT. guess they're on there for a reason

 

[DannyLove]

i love this judge

danny~!

 

[Eli]

:thumbsup:

 

[destrekor]

it is true. if its at night, high traffic, populated area, drizzle/rain, or even not a straight road... then it would be dangerous.. but its a porsche, better be going fast in that thing, or its not worth owning

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: Cattlegod
I agree with the judge's conclusion

:thumbsup:

 

[DivideBYZero]

Sweet! I'll use this if I ever get caught.

 

[Insane3D]

Too bad you would never see a US judge rule this way...IMO.

 

[Oscar1613]

However The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents slammed the decision saying: "If driving at 150mph isn't dangerous driving we don't know what is."

i guess they dont then

 

[Baked]

I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
iirc, clarkson has isle of wight plates on his ford GT. guess they're on there for a reason

Isle of Man, No speed limits at all, perfectly legal to speed on the mountain road.

Isle of Wight, Illegal to speed, he's just a lucky sod.

 

[Trikat]

Yay common sense wins the day!

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

its dangerous to the driver, but no one else, hence why it isnt "dangerous" all you are risking is your own life, not that of others

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: ElFenix
iirc, clarkson has isle of wight plates on his ford GT. guess they're on there for a reason

Isle of Man, No speed limits at all, perfectly legal to speed on the mountain road.

Isle of Wight, Illegal to speed, he's just a lucky sod.

oh right, that was it.

 

[pontifex]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

its dangerous to the driver, but no one else, hence why it isnt "dangerous" all you are risking is your own life, not that of others

it doesn't say that though.
if he wrecked and they had to call in the police, fire dept. ambulance, tow truck, and close off the road for several hours, would it still be considered safe?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

its dangerous to the driver, but no one else, hence why it isnt "dangerous" all you are risking is your own life, not that of others

it doesn't say that though.
if he wrecked and they had to call in the police, fire dept. ambulance, tow truck, and close off the road for several hours, would it still be considered safe?

Are you serious? It's an inconvenience, but how could somebody get hurt if the road was closed off?

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

its dangerous to the driver, but no one else, hence why it isnt "dangerous" all you are risking is your own life, not that of others

Suicide is illegal, hard core drugs are illegal...puting yourself in danger is not legal, him putting only himself in danger isn't the reason why he's off the hook.

We can't have everyone thinking they're allowed to do stupid stuff because they get themselves into situations where others might have to risk themselves to rescue the idiots.

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

its dangerous to the driver, but no one else, hence why it isnt "dangerous" all you are risking is your own life, not that of others

it doesn't say that though.
if he wrecked and they had to call in the police, fire dept. ambulance, tow truck, and close off the road for several hours, would it still be considered safe?

He took into consideration the conditions, the type of car and th way the car was being driven. It's a sane judgement.

Your knee jerk reaction is normal, however. You have been taught that anything over the speed limit is dangerous. It isn't. Speeding where the conditions allow it, and if your car is capable and well maintained, is safe. Speeding where the conditions do not allow, in a regular car with a shady maintenance record, is dangerous.

 

[Shawn]

good news

 

[DivideBYZero]

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

its dangerous to the driver, but no one else, hence why it isnt "dangerous" all you are risking is your own life, not that of others

Suicide is illegal, hard core drugs are illegal...puting yourself in danger is not legal, him putting only himself in danger isn't the reason why he's off the hook.

YES IT IS!! ffs!

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

its dangerous to the driver, but no one else, hence why it isnt "dangerous" all you are risking is your own life, not that of others

Suicide is illegal, hard core drugs are illegal...puting yourself in danger is not legal, him putting only himself in danger isn't the reason why he's off the hook.

YES IT IS!! ffs!

You're not allowed to feed the animals for a reason.

 

[MikeMike]

Originally posted by: DivideBYZero

Originally posted by: bunnyfubbles

Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE

Originally posted by: pontifex

Originally posted by: Baked
I too would love to be a judge who gets paid for his rulings.

you mean paid a little extra out back behind the courthouse by the kid's father?

i don't see how that can not be dangerous. i can imagine any number of things going wrong while driving at that speed. for instance, an animal beloved patriot a deer runs out in front of him and he hits it, he hits a pothole and sends the thing flying through the air, he hits an icy/wet patch and slides out of control and hits a telephone pole or something. driving at that speed is dangerous unless you're in a controlled track, and even then things can happen.

its dangerous to the driver, but no one else, hence why it isnt "dangerous" all you are risking is your own life, not that of others

Suicide is illegal, hard core drugs are illegal...puting yourself in danger is not legal, him putting only himself in danger isn't the reason why he's off the hook.

YES IT IS!! ffs!

driving is dangerous, playing football is dangerous, boxing is dangerous

they are all legal...