A four-day enforcement blitz in northern B.C. has left 14 drivers looking for alternative transportation after their vehicles were impounded for excessive speed.
B.C. Highway Patrol shared details of the recent enforcement effort in Fort St. John in a news release Tuesday.
The 14 drivers were all stopped for excessive speeding during a four-day period last week. A BCHP spokesperson declined to confirm the specific dates on which the sting took place, noting that the force wants drivers to be aware that police “could be on the roads any day, any time.”
Excessive speeding is defined in B.C.‘s Motor Vehicle Act as travelling at speeds of more than 40 km/h over the posted limit.
Three of the 14 drivers whose vehicles were impounded last week exceeded the speed limit by more than 60 km/h, according to the BCHP.
“Speed, along with distracted driving and impaired driving, are the top three contributing factors to fatal collisions in this province,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin, in the release.
“You never know when BC Highway Patrol will launch a concentrated effort at excessive speeders, but you can bet that you’ll lose the privilege of driving if you don’t slow down.”
Drivers caught travelling at excessive speeds can have their vehicles impounded on the spot and held for seven days. They’re also responsible for the cost of the tow, the impound and the ICBC premium points they accumulate as a result of the infraction, police said.
Three of the excessive speeders stopped last week were Class 7 drivers – two novices and one learner, according to the BCHP.
The two novices were ticketed for failing to display the “N” sticker on their vehicles, in addition to their excessive speeding violations. The learner, meanwhile, was one of the drivers clocked at more than 60 km/h over the speed limit, police said.
Two other excessive speeders were impaired, and one had no insurance. The BCHP declined to provide an accounting of which drivers were stopped on which days, or the precise locations where the infractions occurred.
