Only days after stepping up high risk driving enforcement, the Trail RCMP nabbed a driver for excessive speeding, wrote him a pricey fine and impounded his car.
The afternoon of Friday, May 6, a local RCMP officer was conducting a routine traffic patrol when he observed a 2008 Lotus sports car travelling 66 kilometres/hour (km/hr) over the speed limit in the 3000-block of Highway 3B. The officer recorded the driver, a 54-year old Montrose man, driving at 122 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.
The officer detained the man at the roadside, issued him a $483 fine for excessive speed and impounded his Lotus for up to seven days.
“Trail RCMP will be out conducting traffic enforcement as the busy summer months approach,” says Trail Sgt. Mike Wicentowich. “Please watch your speed and be considerate of other drivers on the roadway.”
Driving enforcement
The month of May marks the beginning of increased traffic on British Columbia roadways and, with more road users, BC Highway Patrol cautions commuters about the potential for an increase in collisions.
“To save lives, May is identified as High Risk Driving month and police across B.C. are conducting enhanced enforcement to educate the driving public and target high risk driving behaviours,” highway patrol advises.
High-risk driving behaviours include, but are not limited to: speeding/excessive speed; impaired driving; driving without due care and attention; distracted driving; following too closely; ignoring traffic control devices; improper passing; and racing.
According to provincial statistics, an average of 114 people die in collisions every year in British Columbia where high risk driving was a contributing factor.
Police say injuries and death that result from high-risk driving behaviours can be prevented, and it all starts with the person behind the wheel.
“Driving is a complex, divided attention task and there are several easy things drivers can do to reduce risk to themselves, their families and other motorists,” says Chief Superintendent Holly Turton, officer in charge of BC Highway Patrol. “First, slow down, obey speed limits, wear your seatbelt, drive defensively, drive sober and free of distractions. By following these simple rules, we are making our highways safer together.”
The entire month of May is dedicated to this campaign and includes a one-day National Impaired Driving Enforcement Day to be held on May 21.