Judge says speeding at 180km/h not 'as bad' in miles - 112mph

A judge said yesterday that a speeding driver's 180km/h did not sound "as bad" when converted to miles - 112mph.

A judge said yesterday that a speeding driver's 180km/h did not sound "as bad" when converted to miles - 112mph.

After hearing that a driving ban would end the man's current employment, the judge reduced a charge of dangerous driving to one of careless driving.

Judge Denis McLoughlin was told that 31-year-old David Clark, Marfield Court, Kiltipper, Tallaght, Dublin, was recorded driving over the speed limit at 11.25am on October 13th.

The court was told Clark was on his way to a a wedding in Killybegs when detected driving on the Bundoran-Ballyshannon bypass at Finner at 80km/h above the 100km/h limit.

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Donegal District Court heard it was a dry, bright morning and that traffic was light at the time.

The court also heard that Clark, an IT worker with a national company, had a clean driving record, and that he covered territory all over the country "from Bandon to Letterkenny" in the course of his work.

A driving ban would end his employment, his counsel Damien Crawford said.

Judge McLoughlin agreed that on the face of it, the speed seemed "very excessive" but it did not sound "as bad" when converted to 112 miles per hour.

After confirming that no member of the public had been in danger or discommoded in any way, he agreed with the evidence that the incident occurred on an extremely straight road.

The judge said he knew that stretch of road and had driven on it and he admitted that it was "a fantastic piece of engineering". But he added: "I am not excusing his driving. He should not have been travelling at that speed but I would have taken a completely different point of view if he had been travelling in rush-hour traffic or overtaking."

He reduced the dangerous driving charge to one of careless driving and imposed a €1,000 fine on Clark.