21 year old English driver Dale Lyle has beaten a speeding ticket by proving his car doesn’t go as fast as the Crown alleged on the ticket. Lyle was issued a ticket for 98 MPH taken by a speed camera. He was shocked to receive the ticket because he had sold his car, had a perfect driving record because he never drove that fast, and was pretty sure his car wouldn’t go that fast if he tried.

So he decided to collect empirical evidence of his innocence. He borrowed money to buy the car back from his friend, then gave it to an independent expert to verify its top speed. It was taken to Millbrook’s high speed banked oval, and the 1.3 liter engine took the car to a lightning top speed of 85 MPH. That is 13 MPH slower than the speed camera alleged, just for the record.

Presented with such evidence, the Crown had no option but to dismiss the charges.

This incident of course raises questions about the accuracy of the speed camera system as a whole, and on what recourse drivers have if they are charged with speeding. Unfortunately, most people probably just take the points and pay the fine, as it is not worth the hassle of fighting, much like traffic infractions in this country.