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Telegraph, 18 th November 2005
By David Rennie in Brussels
The world's most hapless driver faces the loss of his licence and a huge fine after being flashed by the same speed camera four times in the space of one minute and 37 seconds.
Throughout his record-breaking run, the 40-year-old motorist had no idea that he was passing a speed trap. His bafflement at being repeatedly flashed led him to pass the spot again and again.
The driver, a Turk whose identity cannot be revealed under Swiss privacy laws, told police that he thought someone was trying to annoy him with a flashgun and wanted to check "what was going on".
It was a feat requiring both precision driving and "a little bit of stupidity", police said.
The driver's unwitting achievement was made possible by the location of two roundabouts, a short distance apart, on either side of the camera, which is in a 50kph (31mph) zone in the centre of the town of Kreuzlingen.
The BMW's initial pass was made at a relatively sedate 36.6mph, just enough to trigger a flash from the camera mounted on top of a traffic light, which was set permanently at amber as it was night and traffic was light.
The driver headed back and passed the light again at 39mph - flash! That prompted him to double back for a fresh look, this time at 47mph - flash! That led to one last run - flash! - at just under 42mph. A single offence normally brings a fine of £110.
Rolf Müller, the director of communications for the Thurgau police, said: "Usually, speed cameras are in a box on their own. He could not believe it was on top of a traffic light."
He conceded that even the famously sober Swiss-German police found the incident "maybe a little amusing".
However, they will prosecute the man for four separate speeding offences, plus failing to wear a seat belt.
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