Is there any legally acceptable excuse for speeding?
A. Technically, no. As a practical matter, a court may accept an excuse of medical necessity. For example, if, upon being pulled over by the police officer you immediately demanded medical attention for yourself or a passenger and asked the officer to call an ambulance and there was indeed a genuine medical emergency, this may be accepted by a judge as a defense. Having to go to the bathroom really, really bad is generally not accepted as a medical necessity defense. The following excuses are routinely heard in traffic court and routinely rejected by traffic court judges: I was passing a tractor-trailer. I was just driving with the flow of traffic. I was driving someone elses car that I wasnt accustomed to. I had the cruise control set at a lower speed than what Im charged with. And, of course, I just didnt realize I was speeding.
