Holy spirit! Dove's divine intervention saves German motorist from speeding fine

Heilige Geist! The speed camera photo was taken as a 'sign from above' to let the driver off. Photo / Supplied, Kreispolizeibehörde Viersen

A German driver has been saved from a heavy fine by 'divine intervention.'

The driver in the western town of Viersen was spared a €105 ($180) fine for speeding after a white dove was found to be obscuring their identity.

The speed camera image taken last Tuesday, was seen as a "sign from above" that the driver should walk free.

The Viersen Police commented in a release that the white dove – a common symbol for the "holy ghost" in Christian Germany – had been understood as a holy order that the driver should be let off.

Although this divine white dove was probably just a speeding pigeon, the police described it as a 'guardian angel' for the driver whose identity could not be confirmed.

The unknown motorist was clocked doing 54 in a 30 kmph zone, which would normally result in a hefty automatic fine, had the "holy Ghost" not intervened.

"Naturally the pigeon had also probably earned a fine, for also going far too quickly," the police statement concluded. However they "had no way of knowing where the bird was heading in such haste."

They felt they had made the right decision.

Motoring in Germany

New Zealanders can drive on German roads for up to six months on a Kiwi licence accompanied by an international driver permit (IDP), according to the New Zealand embassy.

Many foreign motirits on German roads comment on how few traffic police they see.

However, in Germany most speed cameras - or "Blitzer" – are automated and in most cases are camouflaged.

But what about these mythical Autobahn, the un speed-restricted highways that Germany is famous for?

Sorry to put a speed bump in your plans for a motoring holiday, there are actually very few stretches of 'un-restricted' road in Germany. The speed limit of 130 kmph is generally observed and enforced over much of the 'Bahn'.

There's no excuse for speeding in Germany. Unless, of course, you have a winged 'guardian angel.'