On this day in 1896, Mr. Walter Arnold of East Peckham, England, received the first ever speeding ticket.
It was a seemingly ordinary day for Arnold as he zipped through the cobblestone streets at a reckless 8 miles per hour—a true daredevil of his time. But his joyride came to an abrupt and humiliating halt when, in an unprecedented turn of events, a constable flagged him down and issued a citation for breaking the law.
This punishment felt especially personal for Mr. Arnold, who was a local supplier of Benz vehicles and likely considered himself to be an authority figure when it came to driving.
The four counts against Walter Arnold were published in the London Daily News, which referred to Arnold’s vehicle as a “horseless carriage,” since cars or carriages powered without the help of horses were not yet commonplace.
The first count condemned the absence of a horse to pull the carriage. Okay, big deal—that’s a classic punishment, right? The next count was having fewer than three people driving the vehicle, demonstrating just how revolutionary Arnold’s solo, 8 mph trip really was. The third count cited exceeding the 2 mph speed limit, and finally, the fourth count referred to his name and address being absent from the “carriage.”
In court, Arnold’s barrister made the argument that the law didn’t sufficiently consider the capacity of rare vehicles like Mr. Arnold’s, supposedly rendering the counts against him arbitrary. Additionally, he argued that the elites who drove similar unique vehicles never faced this level of scrutiny. Unfortunately, the barrister’s defense was ineffective.

Candle lanterns taken from the horse-drawn carriage, like the Horch model 1 here from 1901.

Mr. Arnold was eventually fined 10 shillings spread across count one of pursuing a horseless journey and count three of speeding.
His case set precedent for future vehicle legislation, sparking controversy and initiating the legislative shift to allow one person to operate a vehicle instead of three.
Many have followed in Arnold’s footsteps—most unwillingly. In the UK in 2024, 203,801 drivers were found guilty of a speed limit offence. Greeks, too, are notorious for their “relaxed” adherence to speed limits and traffic laws. In 2022 alone, 816 accidents were caused by speeding, leading to 141 fatalities, accounting for 21.5% (or one fifth) of overall fatalities related to road traffic accidents for the year.
While Walter Arnold’s 1896 speeding infraction may seem quaint by today’s standards, it marked the beginning of a long and evolving history of traffic enforcement.
More than a century later, speeding remains one of the most common traffic violations. With thousands of offenses recorded annually in the UK, Greece, and beyond, Arnold’s “horseless carriage” escapade serves as a reminder that as long as vehicles exist, so too will the challenge of keeping them (and their drivers) under control.