By Isle of Wight Observer
The Isle of Wight Observer published on July 29th, 1922, tells of two men, both called Blake, fined for speeding through Arreton. They were caught by policemen with stopwatches, who calculated that they were travelling considerably faster than the 12mph limit.
At Newport on Saturday before G. Shedden Esq., (chairman) and other justices.
SPEED OF CHARABANCS.
Harry Walter Norman Blake and Sidney Blake, motor drivers, of Shanklin, were charged with driving a charabanc at a speed in excess of the 12 miles an hour allowed for heavy motors.
P C. Whillier and P.C. Luckett, on the evening of the 12th. inst , were stationed at either end of a 220 yards measured distance at Arreton, with stop watches, and timed defendants, driving in separate cars, over the measured distance. Harry Blake’s car passed over it in 23 seconds, or at the rate of 19½ miles per hour, whilst Sidney Blake’s charabanc was 25 seconds in passing, which was equivalent to 18 miles an hour.
When spoken to, both defendants were stated to have said they did not think they were travelling so fast as stated.
Harry Blake now said that his speedometer showed only 12 miles an hour on the spot, though his wife said it was only “just over” 12 miles per hour. Sidney Blake said he had a governor on the car, which limited the speed to 12 miles, and if that was exceeded he could only think that he over-ran it because it was going down-hill at the time.
Defendants were each fined l0s., the Chairman stating that they had been dealt with leniently, and that much heavier penalties would be inflicted on future offenders.