First person charged with a speeding offence

On 28 January 1896, Walter Arnold (UK), drove his "horse-less carriage" through the village of Paddock Wood, Kent, at more than four times the speed limit – a reckless 8 mph (13 km/h)! He was chased down by a police officer on a bicycle who charged him with breaking the law on four counts: using a locomotive without a horse on a public road, allowing said locomotive to be operated by fewer than three persons, travelling at a greater rate than two miles per hour, and failing to clearly display his name and address on the locomotive. He was brought before a local magistrate on 30 January and found guilty on all four counts. He was fined £4 7s in total (about £260 in today's money) of which 10 shillings was for the speeding charge.

Walter Arnold earned his speeding ticket while driving a German-made Benz that he had imported to Britain the previous year. His daredevil ride down Paddock Wood High Street may have been a publicity stunt as his own company began marketing the Arnold Motor Carriage – a locally built variant of the Benz design – a few months later.