Safe Speed Forums

IN-CAR COMPUTER BLAMED FOR FIRST SPEEDING TICKETS

11:40 - 18 January 2008

A businessman caught speeding four times in three days says a faulty in-car computer made his speedometer go haywire.

Paul Kirby, 52, had never had a speeding ticket before he was snapped by cameras four times on the same fishing trip including at Exeter on the M5 and Fingle Glen on the A30.

Exeter Magistrates' Court heard he had to send his Mercedes 220 CDI to a specialist dealer for the onboard computer to be fixed after receiving all four speeding notices on the same day.

Training consultant Kirby said the computer on his eight-year-old Mercedes also gave fuel consumption readings of 83 miles a gallon and caused the boot to open on its own.

His car had both a digital speed reading and a traditional speedometer and it was only after he was caught he realised they had different readings.

He submitted two technical reports and an invoice for £626 for repairing the faulty computer.

Kirby, of Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham, admitted four speeding offences but told magistrates there were special reasons why he should not be disqualified.

They accepted the car had a fault but said he was already aware of it and should have realised he was driving at 25mph over the limit. He was banned for six months, fined £800 and ordered to pay £50 costs yesterday.

Ben Winzer, prosecuting, said Kirby's Mercedes was caught by cameras on the M5 on April 2, last year, as he headed for Cornwall, at Newquay the next day, and twice in the space of 23 minutes as he returned home on the A 30 the following day. He was caught going at 40mph in a 30mph limit, 73mph and 76mph in a 50mph zone and 95mph in a 70mph limit.

He said: "The defendant says an electrical fault meant he did not appreciate his speed. On three occasions, he was more than 20mph over the limit and he should have realised he was travelling at excessive speed.

"He was aware the car was experiencing electrical faults and in these circumstances he should not have relied on the speedometer alone."

Kirby said he thought the computer had been fixed before he went on his fishing weekend with his son, 15.

He said: "I knew the car had gremlins but I did not realise I was speeding. It was not like a rocket versus a pram. If I had been stopped by the police I would have known something was wrong but I was caught by cameras all four times.

"I have been driving for 35 years without a single offence. The digital reading was not consistent with the speedometer but I was looking at the needle and going by that.

"When I got home I received four notices of impending prosecution and immediately took the car off the road so it could be examined and fixed."

He was caught going at 40mph in a 30mph limit, 73mph and 76mph in a 50mph zone and 95mph in a 70mph limit.

He said: "The defendant says an electrical fault meant he did not appreciate his speed. On three occasions, he was more than 20mph over the limit and he should have realised he was travelling at excessive speed.

whilst excessive speed is the wrong term as we're not able to tell if the speed was excessive or dangerous, i'm inclined to agree hw should have noticed 20mph discrepancy.

But if your car drives smoothly, how would you be expected to know?

gear. engine revs. visual perception.

( that and catching other traffic with a 20mph differential speed )

Possibly, but on a motorway of 70mph I think you'd find an awful lot of traffic doing the same 90mph as this chap was doing. Ditto for most 50mph areas.

A mate of mine -he is American- loaned his elderly parents his car whilst their car was in the shop. Their car? Elderly knacker, if it got anywhere near 50mph, everything started rattling and shaking.

His car? New Corvette Stingray. Smooth as anything, so it was only when his mom glanced at the speedo that she noticed they were driving along at 120mph!

So I can well believe the chap was doing 10/20mph over the limit and not noticed.

The DB9 digital speedo lags behind as speed changes as the electronics does seem to make it respond sluggishly.

The digital reading was not consistent with the speedometer but I was looking at the needle and going by that

We are now looking at someone being banned from driving for driving that may well not have been dangerous or inconsiderate.

On re-reading the OP i notice it says



Sounds like he was watching an analogue type speedo.

His car had both a digital speed reading and a traditional speedometer and it was only after he was caught he realised they had different readings.