I am not from here and was unfamiliar with the area.
Mind you, the judges hear thousands of traffic cases a year. This excuse not only doesn’t work, but it really does not make a lot of sense. Frequently, a judge will say, “Well, Mr./Mrs. _________, if you were not familiar with the area, shouldn’t you pay more attention and drive carefully and at the speed limit, as you are unfamiliar with the area and need to make extra precautions?” I have not seen this excuse win yet.