Lotus CEO Gets Slap on the Wrist for Going 106 MPH in 70 MPH Zone
Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales was recently caught going 106 mph in a 70 mph zone, but the 54-year old avoided major discipline after a visit to the magistrates’ court in Norwich, UK.
Gales was clocked doing 36 mph over the limit in a new Lotus on the A11 near the manufacturer’s headquarters. Having already tallied up eight points on his license, the additional six he could have received from the speeding infraction could have resulted in a 6-month or even 12-month driving ban. Gales legal team argued it was imperative to his job that he remains able to test drive the company’s vehicles, and the court agreed to hand him a 30-day driving ban instead of issuing more points.
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“There are people out there doing far worse – someone driving at 35mph on their mobile phone is far more dangerous,” said Gales’ attorney, Simon Nicholls. Chairman of the bench Mary Wyndham said Gales shouldn’t use the A11 to test Lotus vehicles and suggested he stick to the company’s’ test track.
We might also suggest Gales stick to the track – though it’s hardly surprising that the CEO of a company like Lotus is a bit of a speed demon.
[Source: The Telegraph]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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