Driver proves old car couldn't do 98mph

Driver proves old car couldn't do 98mph

A motorist accused of speeding at 98mph beat the rap after spending £1,200 to prove his 14-year-old car could only reach 85mph.

Dale Lyle, 21, from Bristol, was amazed when told a mobile speed camera had clocked his 1.3 litre Honda Civic at nearly 100mph.

He contested the case and magistrates told him to provide evidence to support his claim, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Mr Lyle said: "I was in total disbelief when I opened the letter. I have never driven any car at 98mph. It is such a small car I would not feel safe. It is a glorified Japanese shopping trolley."

So he bought back the car from the friend he had sold it to for £600, and paid an independent driving specialist another £600 to speed test it on a two-mile circuit.

The results showed the Honda could only travel at a maximum of 85.4mph in fourth gear and 81.3mph in fifth gear.

After producing the evidence at Plymouth magistrates' court, the Crown Prosecution Service decided to offer no evidence against him. Mr Lyle now plans to ask the court for £1,200 in compensation to cover his costs.

After obtaining the mobile speed camera footage of his alleged offence, Mr Lyle said he believed the speed camera was confused because there were three cars in the frame.

Mr Lyle faced a fine and possible ban if he had been convicted of speeding on the A38 near Plymouth, Devon.

Couple Get Car Back After 14 Years

Couple Get Car Back After 14 Years

A couple have been given back their VW Golf car - 14 years after it was stolen.

Milos and Spomenka Jokic, from Setic in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, had their Mark II Golf stolen after they parked it on a street in Belgrade during a holiday in 1994.

They returned a few hours later to find it gone, but were more surprised when a policeman knocked on their door this week and told them they had found the car.

Spomenka Jokic, 51, said: "Me and my husband thought it was a joke at first but the police told us they had stopped a driver during a routine roadside check and realised it was stolen and then traced it back through old records to us.

"It seems it had actually been stolen a few times since we had it taken from us and they can't say if the mileage on the clock is accurate as it had probably been turned back a few times but it's definitely our car.

"It still drives well and in fact my husband says it feels as good as it did 14 years ago. The insurance company that had already paid out compensation say they don't want the car as it's not worth anything now."