Despite winter conditions, Alberta speeders kept Mounties racing, as several drivers nearly doubled highway speeds this past weekend.
A teen, who later proved to have been drinking, was clocked doing 196 km/h along Hwy. 16 without a license, while a car race near Stony Plain reached speeds of 211 km/h, the RCMP said on Monday.
“Speeds such as these pose a significant risk to the drivers of these vehicles and to other users of the highway,” said RCMP Sgt. Brian Topham.
“RCMP remind motorists to slow down, take into account the recent snowy, winter weather and will continue efforts to apprehend speeders on Alberta Highways.”
Charges were laid after a man and a woman were caught racing along Hwy. 16, approximately three kilometers west of Stony Plain on Friday night, Mounties said.
“They appeared to be traveling together and were running side by side, apparently racing each other. Speeds of 170 km/h and 211 km/h were obtained on the respective vehicles,” said Topham.
“A male from Edmonton and a female from British Columbia have been charged with racing, careless driving and speeding offences. The accused were unknown to each other, having only just met near Jasper.”
The charges come less than two weeks after the Alberta Motor Association reported that 28 people have been killed in road crashes this year so far, up from 16 the same time last year.
Meanwhile, 17-year-old youth was apprehended after he was nabbed going 196 km/h, westbound on Hwy. 16 near Hwy. 44 in his father's vehicle, said Topham.
“He was charged with the speeding offence. In addition he was also charged with failing to produce an operator’s licence, failing to signal a lane change. He also provided a sample on the Alco Sur FST indicating he had been consuming alcohol,” he said.
Also in central Alberta, another driver was clocked doing 170 km/h in a 110 zone, another was caught traveling at 162 km/h in a 110 zone, a third was nabbed doing 160 km/h in a 110 zone, while a third was caught going 135 km/h in an 80 zone, the RCMP integrated traffic unit reported.
