Saanich police are reminding drivers to watch their speed as six more speeders are facing fines and the annual total of excessive speeders in the District nears 115.
On Friday, July 17, members of the Saanich police traffic safety unit were on the lookout for speeders near Carey Road and Douglas Street. Six motorists were caught during the mid-day police road watch exceeding the speed limit by more than 30 km/h.
Six motorists were ticketed today during a mid-day project, for exceeding the speed limit by at least 33 kph in the area of Carey Rd and Douglas St. pic.twitter.com/kqpJFxL0Tf
— Saanich Police Traffic Safety Unit (@SPD_Traffic) July 17, 2020
READ ALSO: Saanich police see spike in excessive speeding compared to previous years
Saanich police have noted a spike in speeding and excessive speeding – driving more than 40 km/h over the posted speed limit – in 2020. Const. Markus Anastasiades, public information officer for the Saanich Police Department, has previously speculated that cause could be the “allure of the open road” as there have been fewer drivers out during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since January, police have recorded more than 114 excessive speeding incidents compared to 78 by this time in 2019, Anastasiades explained.
READ ALSO: Safety audit of Saanich’s Prospect Lake Road greenlights traffic calming, speed-reduction measures
In June, police saw fewer excessive speeders – 11 were ticketed that month – and were hopeful that this was indicative of the end of the speeding trend, but 11 more have already been caught in the first 14 days of July.
“We’re still seeing [excessive speeders] and that’s unfortunate,” Anastasiades said, adding that high speeds are proven to increase the potential for “serious injury or death.”
He emphasized that Saanich police are continuing to monitor the roads and enforce speed limits throughout the municipality over the summer “to increase road safety for all users.”
READ ALSO: Driver slapped with $483 ticket for excessive speeding in Saanich construction zone
Drivers are reminded that speeding tickets come with hefty fines ranging from $138 to $483 depending on the driver’s speed, three penalty points on the driver’s license and, sometimes, a vehicle impound.
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