More than 60 vehicles were impounded for speeding and impaired driving on Highway 99 in the last week of August, and 31 of those impounds took place over Labour Day weekend.
“There are still too many people driving unimaginably fast or impaired on the Sea to Sky,” said Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol in a press release. “And while it’s hard to believe, we keep catching people doing both at the same time.”
On August 27, a 29-year-old Vancouver man was stopped near Porteau Cove after his pickup was clocked at 132 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. He also failed roadside alcohol testing. The penalties included a three-day driving suspension, a $368 speeding ticket, a seven-day vehicle impound, and high-risk driving premiums that will raise his costs to about $2,500.
On August 31, a 61-year-old North Vancouver motorcyclist was stopped in Lions Bay for travelling 110 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. He failed roadside alcohol tests and received a 90-day driving ban, a 30-day motorcycle impound, a $368 speeding ticket, and a $109 ticket for unnecessary noise from an aftermarket muffler. His costs are expected to exceed $2,500 once insurance premiums are added.
“Traffic patterns and volumes are shifting with back-to-school, and weather and darkness are bigger factors every day,” McLaughlin said. “We’re encouraging you to slow down and plan for more time on the road. It shouldn’t need to be said, but you also need to stay sober.”
Automatic loss of driving licence for one year has far more impact than dollar penalties. Time to get serious.
Why are these people not spending time in jail if they are driving under the influence? Are fines and short driving bans really enough to stop people from endangering the lives of others ?
As a motorcyclist, I applaud these stops, and would support hundreds more. Every time I ride up/down the S2S, and I do mean *every* time, people in cars, trucks, and on bikes pass me like I am standing still, even though I am pushing the speed limit. Speeding causes accidents. Accidents close the highway. You will get where you are going just fine if you slow down and *stop tailgating* (especially bikes).
As a parent of two new N drivers, and the wife of a cop who also patrols our roads- I think the penalties for impaired driving are not harsh enough. To me, this is like waving a loaded weapon around in a crowd- dangerous and risking the death of others! We need to take these violations much, MUCH more seriously. There are lives at stake! Clearly these idiots don’t care.
What is the rush? I end up seeing the speeders at the first set of lights. Better to get there 7 minutes later then not at all!!