Five seven-day vehicle impoundments, five $368 tickets issued, one weekend to remember for traffic enforcement.
In a span of exactly 23 hours and 38 minutes, Coquitlam RCMP pulled over five excessive speedsters off local roads, and is warning drivers once again that posted limits are "for ideal conditions."
Every vehicle is currently under a seven-day impoundment after they clocked between 50 and 60 km/h above the respective limits, four of which took place along the Mary Hill Bypass (MHB).
Between 10:40 p.m. last Saturday (Oct. 23) and 12:50 a.m. on Sunday (Oct. 24), one officer caught three vehicles along the Highway 7B stretch using the speed laser in his cruiser — all of whom were going 130 km/h in the 70 km/h zone.
Each driver he pulled over received a $368 fine and one person was slapped with an extra $109 fine for failing to signal while changing lanes.
"Traffic services conducts enforcement along Mary Hill Bypass on a regular basis which often results in vehicle impounds of a couple per week," explained RCMP spokesperson Const. Deanna Law in a statement to the Tri-City News.
"Our intent is to slow traffic down along the entire length of MHB."
The fourth vehicle was caught driving 123 km/h — 53 km/h over the limit — on the MHB after 10:15 p.m. Sunday.
More than two hours earlier, a vehicle was towed after it clocked 103 km/h in a 50 km/h zone near the intersection of David Avenue and Oxford Street in the River Springs neighbourhood of Coquitlam.
ICBC says, each year, an average of nearly 30 people are killed every year in the Lower Mainland from speed-related crashes, more than 80 across the province.
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH
Coquitlam Mounties are also reminding commuters shorter days are here with fall in full effect
The detachment has issued the following tips to avoid collisions as the month of October focuses on pedestrian safety:
PEDESTRIANS
- Make eye contact with drivers before crossing the street. Do not assume a driver has seen you
- Dress to be seen in bright or reflective clothing especially at night and on dark/overcast days
- Use a crosswalk, a majority of the fatal pedestrian collisions involve jaywalking
- Walk on the inside edge of the sidewalk so you are further away from traffic
- If there is no sidewalk, walk facing traffic so you can see oncoming vehicles
- Make sure you can hear and see oncoming cars. Remove your headphones and your hood when crossing the street
- Always look for signs that a vehicle is about to move (rear lights, exhaust smoke, sound of motor, wheels turning)
DRIVERS
- Focus on the road. Always leave your phone alone while driving
- Be ready to yield to pedestrians, especially when turning at intersections and near transit stops
- If a vehicle has stopped in front of you or in the lane next to you, it may be yielding for a pedestrian
- Expect the unexpected, even mid-block, as pedestrians may be jaywalking
- Slow down. Give yourself more time to react to the unexpected, like a pedestrian that suddenly appears in front of you
For more information, you're encouraged to visit ICBC's website.
