Last week the editorial addressed people taking unacceptable risks on our roadways.
We highlighted the 26 impaired drivers pulled over at a road check over the Canada Day long weekend in the Cowichan Lake area, and only briefly mentioned other dangerous behaviours behind the wheel such as speeding and distraction, noting a spate of fatal crashes that only continued after that editorial was written.
A press release from the RCMP last week has inspired this expanded commentary on speeding.
Some of the cases enumerated in that release were jaw-dropping. It was titled “BC Highway Patrol floored by multiple excessive speeders” and it’s easy to see that was no exaggeration.
There was a sedan and a red motorcycle travelling 140 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. Apparently the sedan was “clearing” the route for the motorcycle.
A vehicle was found going 122 km/h in a 60 km/h zone. That vehicle failed to stop for a police officer.
A motorcyclist with only a learner’s permit going 142 km/h in a 70 km/h zone was stopped.
Forty — yes 40 — drivers were stopped in the Central Okanagan area for excessive speed, which is defined as going more than 40 km/h over the posted limit. And that was just between July 8 and July 15.
A Volkswagen was stopped going 122 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. Turned out that driver was unlicensed and uninsured.
And our personal favourites: a BMW from Alberta was stopped for going 212 km/h in a 100 km/h zone, and a Corvette accelerated to 213 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. Yes, that’s more than 100 km/h above the speed limit in both cases.
The sheer stupidity and disregard for other people on the roadway, including motorists, cyclists and pedestrians is mind boggling.
There’s absolutely no excuse for this kind of terrible driving behaviour. And we bet if you asked most of these people they’d tell you they are great drivers.
Be an adrenaline junkie when you’re not putting anyone else at risk.
When you’re going too fast you don’t have time to slow down or stop when faced with unexpected obstacles or circumstances. It’s a question of your reflexes, yes, but also of physics. Further, consider that other people on the road are not expecting you to be going so fast.
At any rate, all of these drivers were issued fines, and more importantly had their vehicles impounded for seven days. It’s that last one that might give them pause next time they put their foot on the accelerator. Because let’s face it, even at that the consequences for these drivers were minimal compared to the possibility of never making it home again.
