Kingston Webb was driving his Suzuki Swift, 68kmh over the limit.

Napier student Kingston Webb admits he was driving way too fast, at 148kmh in an 80kmh zone, but is adamant it wasn't dangerous and a judge has agreed with him.

Webb, 18, was driving his Suzuki Swift north along State Highway 2, alongside the Hawke's Bay Airport at about 7.40pm on November 1 last year.

Unfortunately for him, constable Grant Marshall was driving in the opposite direction and clocked him at 148kmh.

Supplied Kingston Webb was clocked driving at 148kmh in his Suzuki Swift.

Marshall continued south a short distance to a roundabout, turned, then activated his lights and siren and give chase.

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Webb pulled over in an area of roadworks. Asked why he was speeding Webb replied "I guess I was just being stupid".

He was automatically suspended from driving for 28 days and charged with dangerous driving.

He pleaded not guilty and stood trial before Judge David Harvey in Napier District Court on Tuesday.

STUFF Webb was 68kmh over the 80kmh zone limit on State HIghway 2 just north of Napier.

Prosecutor Lara Marshall told the court the speeding occurred when Webb was approaching significant road works in a 50kmh zone, and where the road narrowed to a single lane.

It was twilight, and the lighting conditions were sub-optimal, Marshall said.

Webb, who is studying law, told the court he knew the road well, travelling it 3-4 times a week and he was very familiar with the road works.

He said he had held a full driver's licence for nearly a year at the time and he had owned the car for about 18 months.

Webb said he usually drove at the speed limit "but I had a rush of blood to the head at the time and decided to speed up un-necessarily".

GOOGLE The road is relatively straight and has a median barrier.

Webb's lawyer, Philip Ross, said it was accepted that Webb was speeding, but the road works were some distance from the point at which the 148kmh speed was detected, and "there's no evidence the defendant was travelling at anything like that speed when he reached the roadworks".

Ross said the speed was detected when Webb was on a dual carriageway, with a median barrier and there were no entries onto the road and there was no traffic in the vicinity.

He raised case law of a man who successfully appealed a conviction of driving at dangerous speed in 2008.

Judge Harvey noted the presence of the median barrier and that there were no houses or driveways opening onto the highway. He also noted that the road was narrowing and road works were approaching.

He said by the time Constable Marshall reached him Webb was behind other cars and was driving at the 50kmh speed limit through the road works.

SUPPLIED Judge David Harvey found Kingston Webb not guilty of driving at a dangerous speed.

The judge also noted the case law raised by Ross in which Justice Cooper said speed alone was insufficient to establish danger.

In this case the road was relatively straight, it was two lanes narrowing down to one, the seal was good, the road conditions were good, the car was a relatively late model and in good condition, there were no driveways or other roads opening onto the highway, no parked cars and there were no other vehicles in the immediate vicinity, the lighting was relatively good, and Webb was not driving erratically, Judge Harvey said.

The only factor was the approaching road works, of which Webb said he was well aware.

Judge Harvey said the high speed was not sustained, and he did not consider it to have been dangerous driving.

He acquitted Webb of the charge but amended it to one of driving at excessive speed. Webb was fined $400 and ordered to pay $130 court costs. He was not disqualified.

Outside court Webb said he did not want people to think he thought speeding was OK.

SUPPLIED Outside court, Kingston Webb said he did not want people to think he thought speeding was OK.

"It was more the fact that I felt it was unfair that I faced that charge. I felt a criminal conviction for dangerous driving would be harsh, especially for the first time I'd ever been charged for anything," he said.

"And with an interest in law I naturally wanted to pursue a challenge of what I had been charged with," Webb said.

"What I did was not OK. The only place you should do that is on a safe, controlled environment, not on a public road," he said.

"But the only person that could have been harmed by that driving was me. I didn't see how I could have hurt anyone else under the circumstances."

He was selling the Swift before going to Auckland to study law.