http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/303005.stm
UK
145mph not dangerous driving - court
A driver caught by police doing 145mph on a motorway has escaped a ban after a court accepted that the speed did not represent dangerous driving.
Police recorded the speed of company director Ian Tyre's Honda NSX sports car on the M4 motorway at more than double the legal limit.
Cardiff Crown Court was told that the car, which is capable of 180mph, was going so fast that a patrol car could not keep up.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees told the court that Mr Tyre accelerated from 95mph to 145mph on a downhill stretch of road.
"At that point he pulled away," she explained. "The top speed of the police car was only 140mph."
Speed monitored
Police monitored the car's speed using an onboard computer.
Miss Rees said: "The officer kept his siren off to make sure he recorded an accurate reading of the speed.
"He was finally stopped on an A-road after pulling off the motorway three junctions on."
Mr Tyre, 43, of Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, was charged with speeding and dangerous driving.
He chose to go to a crown court trial to contest the charge of dangerous driving.
Defence barrister Nicholas Jones said his client admitted driving at 95mph but said: "This was not dangerous driving.
"Even if Mr Tyre was driving at 140mph, that is not dangerous either.
"It is a case of a very experienced driver in a car in very good condition, not drunk and displaying no loss of control".
The jury took an hour to find Mr Tyre not guilty of dangerous driving.
He will appear before magistrates at a later date to face a charge of speeding.
UK
145mph not dangerous driving - court
A driver caught by police doing 145mph on a motorway has escaped a ban after a court accepted that the speed did not represent dangerous driving.
Police recorded the speed of company director Ian Tyre's Honda NSX sports car on the M4 motorway at more than double the legal limit.
Cardiff Crown Court was told that the car, which is capable of 180mph, was going so fast that a patrol car could not keep up.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees told the court that Mr Tyre accelerated from 95mph to 145mph on a downhill stretch of road.
"At that point he pulled away," she explained. "The top speed of the police car was only 140mph."
Speed monitored
Police monitored the car's speed using an onboard computer.
Miss Rees said: "The officer kept his siren off to make sure he recorded an accurate reading of the speed.
"He was finally stopped on an A-road after pulling off the motorway three junctions on."
Mr Tyre, 43, of Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, was charged with speeding and dangerous driving.
He chose to go to a crown court trial to contest the charge of dangerous driving.
Defence barrister Nicholas Jones said his client admitted driving at 95mph but said: "This was not dangerous driving.
"Even if Mr Tyre was driving at 140mph, that is not dangerous either.
"It is a case of a very experienced driver in a car in very good condition, not drunk and displaying no loss of control".
The jury took an hour to find Mr Tyre not guilty of dangerous driving.
He will appear before magistrates at a later date to face a charge of speeding.
