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10mph motorway driver given ban | 10mph motorway driver given ban |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A woman has been banned from driving for seven days after she drove along a motorway at speeds lower than 10mph. | A woman has been banned from driving for seven days after she drove along a motorway at speeds lower than 10mph. |
Stephanie Cole, 58, of Fishponds, Bristol, repeatedly braked as she straddled the hard shoulder of the M32. | Stephanie Cole, 58, of Fishponds, Bristol, repeatedly braked as she straddled the hard shoulder of the M32. |
When police caught her there was a sign on her car which read: "I don't do fast. If I'm too slow for you DON'T hoot just overtake!" | When police caught her there was a sign on her car which read: "I don't do fast. If I'm too slow for you DON'T hoot just overtake!" |
Mrs Cole, who admitted driving without reasonable consideration, was also ordered to take another driving test. | Mrs Cole, who admitted driving without reasonable consideration, was also ordered to take another driving test. |
Magistrates said they took into consideration the fact that Mrs Cole has multiple sclerosis. | Magistrates said they took into consideration the fact that Mrs Cole has multiple sclerosis. |
When officers stopped Mrs Cole, she told them she had "no confidence" on the motorway. | When officers stopped Mrs Cole, she told them she had "no confidence" on the motorway. |
Mrs Cole has been undergoing treatment for "fear of driving" | Mrs Cole has been undergoing treatment for "fear of driving" |
She had been travelling from her home to a Staples stationery store when she was arrested by police on 30 August. | She had been travelling from her home to a Staples stationery store when she was arrested by police on 30 August. |
"I really didn't want to go on the motorway, but I desperately had to go to Staples for an ink cartridge," she said. | "I really didn't want to go on the motorway, but I desperately had to go to Staples for an ink cartridge," she said. |
"I don't know any other way to get to it so I went that way," she added. | "I don't know any other way to get to it so I went that way," she added. |
"I think it was one of those things you do by mistake and that's exactly it was, I was on there by mistake. | "I think it was one of those things you do by mistake and that's exactly it was, I was on there by mistake. |
"It just felt awful. I didn't know what to do. I panicked and turned to jelly inside and I didn't know what to do." | "It just felt awful. I didn't know what to do. I panicked and turned to jelly inside and I didn't know what to do." |
North Avon Magistrates' Court had previously heard that Mrs Cole's GP had been treating her for "fear of driving" for the past three-and-a-half years. | North Avon Magistrates' Court had previously heard that Mrs Cole's GP had been treating her for "fear of driving" for the past three-and-a-half years. |
Andrew Howard, from motoring organisation the AA, said there had been talks about a minimum as well as maximum speed limit but enforcement of this could be tricky. | |
"It's something that's often talked about but really is hard to do on a practicality basis. | |
"We know that there are lots of times when the weight of traffic, for example on a motorway, means that you can get nowhere near the proper speed limit, you may even have to stop, and obviously if there was a minimum speed limit there would be a lot of confusion when that happens." |