Highway patrol was out in full force over the weekend, and thankfully so.
Eleven impaired drivers were taken off the road since the West Kootenay Integrated Road Safety Unit (IRSU) ramped up enforcement measures from Thursday until Sunday.
In addition to 11 drivers impaired by drugs or alcohol, two others were ticketed for cell phone violations and 15 for not buckling up, according to IRSU’s Cpl. Chad Badry.
By far, the most tickets, 56, were issued to speeders. Three of those were for excessive speeding, and for one driver, a very timely intervention by an officer.
“West Kootenay Traffic Services were lighting up the highways this July long weekend in the Kootenay Boundary region,” Badry began. “For one driver, it was an extremely close call.”
The male was clocked in excess of 150 kilometres (km) per hour in a 100 km zone.
“At twilight, a police officer activated his emergency equipment to slow him down and pull him over,” Badry explained. “The police officer then saw a large bull moose walk into the driving lane directly behind the speeding vehicle,” he added. “Hitting a moose at any speed can have grave consequences, but at that speed it could have been devastating.”
Thankfully there were no fatalities in our area, said Badry.
“We will be working hard to keep our roads safe all summer long. So please remember to buckle up, keep your eyes on the road, drive within the speed limit, and keep your mind on your driving.”