Members of the Innisfail RCMP’s Integrated Traffic Unit are reminding motorists to obey posted speed limits on area roads and highways following two speeding incidents in the span of 90 minutes earlier this month.
The first incident occurred at 10:04 p.m. on June 2 when a member of the unit on routine patrol spotted a black Audi A6 travelling at 180 km/hr northbound along Highway 2 just north of Olds. After pulling over the vehicle with the help of Innisfail RCMP members, the officer charged the driver, a 27-year-old Edmonton man, under the Traffic Safety Act.
Approximately 90 minutes later, another of the unit’s officers spotted a red 1997 Acura NSX travelling southbound on the highway at approximately 221 km/hr in the posted 110 km/hr zone. After pulling over the vehicle just north of Olds, the officer charged the driver, a 37-year-old Edmonton man, under the Traffic Safety Act.
Under the Act both drivers face “substantial” fines of up to $2000 and/or a driving suspension of up to six months if convicted.
The unit is comprised of RCMP members and Alberta sheriffs.
According to police, driving over the speed limit reduces your ability to steer safely around objects, decreases your field of vision, increases the stopping distance of your vehicle, leads to an increased chance of you losing control of your vehicle, and increases the risk of injury or death if you’re involved in a collision.
“One in every four fatal collisions in Alberta involves a speeding driver,” Sheriff Jason Graw said in a release. “It is for this reason that incepting speeding vehicles is one of the top six priorities of the Integrated Traffic Units around the province.”
