Three people are dealing with the consequences of driving way above the posted speed limit in North Vancouver.
On the evening of Aug. 15, police caught the driver of a grey BMW travelling 161 kilometres per hour westbound on Highway 1 near Westview. North Vancouver RCMP also caught another driver speeding on the same night, on Low Level Road, going 130 km/h – in a 60 km/h zone.
And just before midnight on Aug. 16, an officer clocked the driver of a blue Ford Fiesta flying 180 km/h, again westbound on Highway 1 near the Westview exit.
All of the drivers were handed excessive speeding tickets, and all had their vehicles impounded for seven days, said Const. Mansoor Sahak, spokesperson for North Vancouver RCMP.
The drivers were all from the Lower Mainland, in their 20s and 30s, he said, adding that impairment wasn’t a factor.
In line with the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act, excessive speeders driving more than 40 km/h over the speed limit will be fined $368. Drivers going 60 km/h or more over the speed limit will be fined $483.
Both categories of offending drivers receive three penalty points on their licence and have their vehicles impounded for seven days on a first offence in two years. That penalty increases to 30 days on a second offence, and 60 days on a third.
Police can submit dangerous driving reports to request driver prohibition
While there is no further automatic punishment for people pushing speeds beyond 60 km/h over the posted speed limit, police can submit a dangerous driving report to ICBC to request a prohibition.
In deciding whether to make such a submission, there are number of factors in play, like a driver’s history and behaviour at the time of offence, Sahak said.
“Ultimately it’s up to Road Safety BC to make that decision,” he said.
Expect to see officers conducting enforcement on the roads with the long weekend coming up, especially in high-risk locations, Sahak said.
In late June, a motorcyclist died on Low Level Road. Speed was a factor in that crash, RCMP said at the time.
“Seeing speeds like that a month later, obviously we’re disappointed,” he said. “It’s speeds like that that really put the public at risk.”
“We’re going to continue educating the public through enforcement,” Sahak added. “Take your time. There’s no reason to travel at insanely excessive speeds.”
