Vaccine race: 88-year-old Frenchman caught speeding at 191 km/h says he was late for Covid-19 jab

An 88-year-old man in France had his license seized for exceeding the speed limit by more than 90 km/h. The veteran driver told the police that he was hitting the gas because he was late for his vaccination appointment.

The man was travelling at 191 km/h when he was pulled over by the officers in the northeastern region of Bas-Rhin on Thursday. The speed limit of the country road he was driving on is 110 km/h.

The driver “gave as a reason for his speeding that he was late for his anti-Covid vaccine,” the police said in a Facebook post.

Unsurprisingly, the officers determined that this was no excuse for reckless driving, as an accident at such speed could potentially lead to much harsher health problems than those caused by the coronavirus.

The elderly speed demon ended up with his driving license being confiscated and his car impounded.

“For everyone’s safety, let’s comply with speed limits, even after more than 60 years with a driving license,” police said.

Amid supply issues across the EU, France has been criticized for a slow vaccine rollout. Only 1.3 million of its almost 70 million people have received both doses of the jab so far.

The program currently prioritizes those over 75 and people with serious health conditions, but according to the Local website, many of those eligible for the jab have been complaining about having significant problems in securing appointments at vaccine centers.

Some people said they’ve been trying to get a slot for weeks, but with no result – perhaps explaining the elderly driver’s determination to get to his appointment on time.

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