Ford Focus Driver Issued Speeding Fine For Supposedly Doing 436mph

An Italian driver was no doubt shocked to receive an €863.60 speeding fine through the post recently, claiming she’d been driving at 703kmh (436mph) in a 70kmh zone. Along with the fine, 10 penalty points were issued, which on a clean Italian license is halfway toward a ban.

The figure was supposedly achieved in the province of Ancona, heading to the hamlet of Osimo. Since even people who are clueless about cars should know that a Ford Focus can’t match the cruising speed of a regional airliner, it should be clear this was the result of a camera glitch.

Giovanni Strologo of the Comitato per il rispetto del Codice della Strada (which roughly translates as ‘highways compliancy committee’) posted a photo of the fine and criticised the police for not checking the details of the improbable infraction before sending it out.

He advised that the driver accepts the charge and appeals for compensation, rather than try and have the fine cancelled. The organisation has offered legal aid to help the woman through this process.

Feeling a sense of deja vu? A couple of years ago a Belgian driver was sent a fine for apparently travelling at very nearly the same speed - 432mph. In his case, though, he wasn’t able to entirely escape being fined. His Opel Astra was, in fact, over the limit, albeit by a more modest amount.

Source: Autoappassionati via Motor 1