Teenage R driver caught speeding at 93mph on M1 motorway
A teenager has been fined and given penalty points after being recorded driving at 93mph on the M1 motorway at Moira.
Michael Reneghan, 18, whose address was given as Rathcumber Road in Armagh, appeared before Lisburn Magistrates Court charged with being an R driver exceeding 45mph, being unable to have full view of the road, and having an incorrect form of registration mark.
The court heard that on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 1.15pm, police were carrying out a speed operation on the M1 at Moira.
Officers noted a car displaying R plates travelling at 93mph, in excess of the 45mph speed limit for R drivers.
Checks of the vehicle showed the driver-side window was tinted to allow in 16 per cent of light, with the legal limit being 54 per cent.
The officers also noted the vehicle was displaying tinted number plates.
A defence lawyer said the defendant has now been off his R plates since April 2025.
He continued: “He is a man of good character, he is undergoing his leaving cert in the Republic of Ireland and works at his family farm.
"This is out of character and he has taken steps to rectify the window and number plates.”
District Judge Rosie Watters said: “I have sympathy for R drivers on the motorway but there is danger involved and hopefully he has learnt a lesson and will keep his speed down in the future.”
On the charge of excess speed, a fine of £150 was imposed, an offender’s levy of £15, and the defendant’s driving licence was endorsed with four penalty points. A fine of £75 was imposed for the other offences.