1st recorded speeding arrest in the US

Jacob German became the first person in the United States to receive a speeding ticket. Driving an electric taxicab along Lexington Avenue, German was clocked at 12 miles per hour—well above the speed considered safe at the time.

According to The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, a police officer observed German racing through the busy intersection at 23rd Street and arrested him for “running an automobile too fast.” Both German and his employer were reportedly surprised by the charge. The incident marked the first recorded automobile speeding citation in American history and reflected the challenges cities faced as automobiles began to replace horse-drawn transportation.