High Risk Driving enforcement in Burnaby puts the brakes on 170 drivers

Burnaby Traffic Services caught up with 170 drivers over the month of May who were found to be speeding excessively, as part of a high-risk driving enforcement campaign.

Enforcement was carried out at various locations and times of day. The drivers were all travelling over 40 kilometres above the posted speed limit, and had their vehicles impounded for seven days. They also received a $368 violation ticket.

In one incident, a 19-year-old new driver was travelling at 146 kilometres an hour in a 50-kilometre zone.

“When our officer indicated the driver needed to pull over, the vehicle was travelling so fast it had trouble stopping,” said Sgt. Gary Johal with Burnaby RCMP Traffic Services. “The officer had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit before the vehicle came to a complete stop.”

In another incident, the driver was on a first date and ended up getting his vehicle impounded. There was also more than one incident where the driver was behind the wheel of a family member’s vehicle, which ended up being impounded.

“We stopped a wide range of drivers and vehicles during this enforcement initiative, from new drivers to people using their vehicles for work, but unfortunately what they all had in common was excessive speed,” said Sgt. Johal. “This kind of high-risk driving behaviour puts everyone on the roads at risk, including the driver themselves and any passengers they may have with them. It’s not worth it.”