What it's like to patrol the roads for high-risk drivers

Sgt. Al Steinhouser, a traffic officer for North District RCMP in Prince George, has spent 21 years trying to keep the roads a safer place.

His job is to watch out for high-risk drivers, something the RCMP will be paying close attention to this weekend. 

In 2017, the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) found 540 people were injured in 2,300 crashes across the province over the Victoria Day long weekend.

The long weekend is notorious for seeing an increase in high-risk driving, which is why the RCMP describe the month of May as a high-risk driving month in B.C.

"Police across B.C. are conducting enhanced enforcement to educate the driving public and target high risk driving behaviours," said Cpl. Mike Halskov in a release.

In a car ride with Steinhouser, the sergeant showed Daybreak North's Wil Fundal, what it's like to patrol the roads leading up to the long weekend. 

Licence and registration, please

Within one hour, Steinhouser pulled over two pickup trucks driving well above the speed limit in Prince George. 

The first was caught going 127 km/hr in a 100-kilometre zone, and the second was going 94 km/hr in a 60-kilometre zone.

The sergeant noticed the second driver looked nervous. After looking him up, he discovered he had a number of previous convictions.

"His past history is probably the reason [he's nervous]. Is it going to change the way I'm going to treat him? No, it's not," he said.

Steinhouser ended up giving the driver a break, only fining him $138 when he could have fined him $196.

"Slow it down big time. Just relax," he told the driver.

Best excuse he's heard

With more than two decades of experience patrolling the roads, Steinhouser had heard just about every excuse in the book from drivers.

However, the best one he ever heard happened when he first started.

Steinhouser had pulled over a young woman in her twenties who was around eight months pregnant.

"She goes 'would it help me if I told you I was pregnant?' And I looked at her and said 'Not really.' And then she looks at me and says 'But you're not the father.' She got a break. She made me laugh," he said.

If you can make him laugh and he hasn't heard the excuse, you have a better chance of getting a break as long as you haven't caused anyone severe harm, he said.

"We're all human so, you know, we have to have fun too."

Cop caught speeding

Steinhouser said he treats everyone fairly, and even holds himself to the same standards, including when he is caught speeding himself.

"I've even got a ticket in a police car," he said.

Steinhouser was driving in an unmarked car at the time, and was pulled over by an officer who works for him. He was fined $138.

"If you're going over the speed limit. You know what, I think it's fair game," he said. "There was no bickering about it and I paid the ticket the next week."