UK resident Diana Stevens, 67, was accused of driving 49 MPH in a 40 zone on her way to the restroom on August 12. A speed camera had photographed her as she sped past on the A27 in East Sussex. On Monday, Stevens asked Lewes Magistrates' Court to consider the circumstances and not assess the standard three penalty points against her flawless driving record.

Leaving a dinner in her Toyota that August night, Stevens soon knew she was in trouble. "I realised that I needed to use the loo and when you get to my age you think about it a bit more," she told the court, according to the Press Association account. "I might not have slowed down even if I had seen the speed sign because I was desperately in a hurry and there was no traffic around."

The extra speed allowed Stevens to arrive home just in time. Magistrates, however, saw no excuse for driving 9 MPH over the limit on a completely empty road. They imposed all three license demerit points and more than doubled the standard fine to £160 (US $300).