During Thanksgiving, a significant number of individuals hit the road for travel in the U.S., resulting in a high volume of tickets being issued by the California Highway Patrol over the holiday period. A specific driver of a Lamborghini Aventador received one of those tickets for supposedly driving at a speed of 152 mph on state highway SR-154, located in Santa Barbara County.
The CHP posted on Facebook, “Reduce your speed! 154 is the State Route NOT the speed limit. We understand the temptation to push the boundaries when you have a fast car and the weather is splendid, but reserve that for the racetrack!”
Based on the rear wing visible in the image, this particular Lamborghini appears to be an Aventador SVJ, equipped with a naturally aspirated V12 engine generating 759 horsepower. It can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a claimed time of 2.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 217 mph. It is not difficult to exceed legal speeds unintentionally while driving an SVJ. However, the area where the Lamborghini driver was caught has a speed limit of 55 mph, making their recorded speed of 152 mph almost triple the legal restriction. This was not due to a lack of attention to the speedometer. Despite my support for spirited driving, such high speeds on public roads pose an extreme danger.
Surprisingly, the driver only received a mild reckless driving misdemeanor ticket. Many California residents expressed surprise in the comments section of the Facebook post regarding the leniency of the officer. In California, the maximum penalty for a reckless driving misdemeanor includes a jail sentence of up to 90 days, fines of up to $1,000, and points on the driver’s license. Nonetheless, for a Lamborghini owner, these consequences are unlikely to have a significant financial impact.
CHP officers are particularly busy during the holiday season, with over 1,000 individuals arrested for driving under the influence and 5,600 tickets issued during a four-day period around the Thanksgiving holiday last year. In 2021, 42 fatalities were recorded in accidents over Thanksgiving weekend. According to AAA, more than 4.5 million drivers from Southern California traveled during Thanksgiving weekend, contributing to the high number of accidents and citations issued. Keep this in mind next Thanksgiving, especially if you are driving an Aventador SVJ.
Have a tip? Email it to tips@thedrive.com