Governor-General's car clocked doing 130km/h

Governor-General Dame Silvia Cartwright was in her official car when its driver was stopped and ticketed by police for speeding at about 130km/h.

Government House spokesman Stefan Wolf said last night that the car was pulled over while driving on the Kapiti Coast, near Wellington, last weekend.

It was recorded as travelling "about 130 kilometres an hour" while overtaking in a passing lane, he said.

Last night, Transport Safety Minister Harry Duynhoven defended the Governor-General's speeding Jaguar Sovereign as "just one of the things that happens" when overtaking.

Nearly 700 people have died in speed-related road crashes between 1999 and 2003.

The incident happened in the midst of a trial over the Prime Minister's high-speed motorcade, which travelled at an average 128.5km/h to get Helen Clark to a rugby test last year in time for kick-off. Two police officers and one civilian driver were convicted on Friday of dangerous driving.

- HERALD ON SUNDAY