Motorists use numerous creative and far-fetched excuses for speeding but it's seldom that anyone flattens that accelerator pedal in the name of religion.
An exception is a Mercedes-Benz driver who clocked up 200km/h on the N3 in Gauteng on Sunday. He claimed that he was speeding to get to church, a Ekhurhuleni metro police spokesperson revealed.
"The driver, who had three fellow churchgoers in his Merc, advanced the reason that he was late for a service," spokesman Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago said.
"The driver was immediately locked up on a charge of reckless or negligent driving at the Edenvale police station."
This is not the first time that religion has been used as an excuse for speeding.
In April this year, The Star reported that a pastor was clocked at 164km/h in Kempton Park and he told authorities that he was "rushing to baptise someone".
EXCUSES, EXCUSES!
A police spokesperson listed some other funny excuses for speeding, like a runny tummy and daydreaming. A hearse driver even felt that rushing to pick up a body from a mortuary was a good enough excuse for exceeding the speed limit.
Of course, many drivers don't feel the need to verbally excuse their need for speed and there were plenty of them on the prowl this past weekend.
On Sunday, police on the N3 southbound caught a biker blasting down the highway at 193km/h on is Kawasaki, while a VW Polo sedan driver was caught doing 166km/h.
Youngsters were in on the game too, as an 18-year-old with a learner's licence (and travelling alone) was caught doing 183km/h on the N3 near Grey Avenue turn-off.
All the above will soon appear in court, where they are set to face charges of reckless and negligent driving.
Sources: Sapa & The Star