The County of Grande Prairie has shared that a local Peace Officer conducted a traffic stop for a driver going more than two-and-a-half times the posted speed limit.
According to the county, a driver was stopped by a Peace Officer on September 7th for allegedly driving 211 kilometres per hour in an 80 kilometre per hour zone, which led to a mandatory court appearance for the driver.
RCMP Media Relations Officer Lou Leroux says driving the posted speed limit is critical in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of not only yourself but others on the road.
“Speed limits are posted based on known and researched road conditions and it’s been proven time and time again that statistically speaking, speed has related to some very serious crashes which sometimes involve deadly injuries,” he says.
When it comes to the incident that occurred in the county, Leroux shares that the driver could be subject to penalties such as license suspension, hefty fines, and even jail time.
“When someone’s so grossly over the posted speed limit, that could involve anything from an arrest for dangerous driving that certainly would make it go up to almost even a criminal code matter,” he says.
Following the incident, Regional Enforcement Services shared that they have observed a “troubling rise” in high-speed violations this year. Leroux says taking care to drive the limit is essential, especially in remote areas like the County of Grande Prairie, as outside influences such as animals on the road can be just as dangerous as other drivers.
“Not to mention when you live sort of in remote or rural areas, despite the fact that it may seem like there’s not many other vehicles on the road, there’s always the danger of having animals crossing,” he says.
Still, Leroux maintains an understanding for folks who might be running late to appointments or engagements; however, he says simple steps like allowing for extra time before leaving the house are important in maintaining safe roads for all who use them.
“Sometimes there’s those days where, you know, you just need to get to where you need to get to and you haven’t provided enough time and I think that’s something that we just like to remind everybody again that you really have to take a step back and make sure you do plan ahead if you need to go somewhere,” he says.
As a result, the County of Grande Prairie is reminding everyone to drive responsibly and obey all posted signs and speed limits.
