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NOT DANGEROUS DRIVING: 21-YEAR-OLD DOING 150MPH IN DAD'S PORSCHE
By Richard Smith And Allison Martin

A YOUNG driver clocked by police doing nearly 150mph in his dad's Porsche yesterday escaped jail after a judge ruled that his speeding was not dangerous.

Carpenter Nicholas Whittle, 21 - driving with no insurance - sped past a patrol car doing more than double the 60mph limit while overtaking.

The Vascar speeding device in the police Skoda registered the blue Y-reg Boxster travelling at 149.9mph over a distance of 0.227 miles.

But Recorder Caroline Lister threw the case out, saying: "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."

But road safety campaigners blasted her decision. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: "If driving at 150mph isn't dangerous driving we don't know what is."

Head of road safety Kevin Clinton said: "If he'd have had an accident at that sort of speed it would almost certainly have been fatal for him or anyone else involved."

Road charity group Brake went one step further, saying it would be putting in an official complaint about the ruling.

"Our jaws dropped at this case," said chief executive Mary Williams. "It has got to be one of the most horrendous speeding cases ever."

Winchester crown court heard Whittle was caught speeding on the "clear and unhampered" A3055 near his home on the Isle of Wight just before 9pm last May 27.

Speaking outside court, Whittle, of Totland, who was with his father Colin, 56, said: "I was really pleased with the outcome.

It's been very stressful leading up to the case." However, he will now face other charges of driving with excess speed and driving without insurance and could still lose his licence.

richard.smith@mirror.co.uk
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Personally I think it may well have been dangerous driving, but I'm delighted to se that 'speed alone' was insufficient to convince the bench.

But road safety campaigners blasted her decision. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said: "If driving at 150mph isn't dangerous driving we don't know what is.

Oh dear. How about hitting a pedestrian (who has been visible and obstructing for some time) at 30 mph?

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

The A3055 is an absolutely lovely road. I wouldn't think driving that fast is appropriate or necessary, but it really is a completely deserted bit of countryside with very good visibility for a couple of miles downhill on the straight stretches.

It's the best road on the Isle of Wight by a long way, and probably the only 60mph road where it is possible to safely exceed the limit. It's also the only 60mph road with a camera.

there is a degree of consistancy to this in that its much the same argument for why the police driving 'testing his car' at similar speeds wasnt convicted.......perhaps we are starting to drift (slowly) back to the idea that speed itself isnt inherently dangerous.

Oh dear. Bless their ignorant little souls, for they believe that speeding is more important than level of danger.

Please let me know when this view is adopted by North Wales Police, who think that doing 35 in a 30 area on a deserted road is worth £60 and 3 penalty points.

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Brian

do the police think that or does their automated camera system think that? besides he is still going to get done for speeding...........

Somone on Pistonheads pointed out that that's one hell of an admission...

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

What a perfectly sensible verdict.

Some interesting comments on this link:

http://www.police-recruitment.com/one2/ ... hp?t=13630

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Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.

One would suppose that you could take this to another extreme.
Braking. Absolutely essential process, but done in the wrong way at the wrong time, could put you into the path of a vehicle drivng the other way, and kill somebody.
Therefore, BRAKING could kill, and to do so would be dangerous driving.

Would that make BRAKE the arch nemesis of safe driving?
Interesting quote from them though....

I thought they were commenting on the DANGEROUS DRIVING case.

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Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!