Calgary

1,470 speeders ticketed on southern Alberta highways over long weekend

RCMP handed out 1,470 speeding tickets on southern Alberta’s highways over the busy long weekend.

More young women getting caught exceeding speed limits, police say

A total of 1,664 violations tickets were issued by the Integrated Traffic Unit in southern Alberta over the long weekend. The Southern Alberta Integrated Traffic Unit consists of both RCMP and Alberta Sheriffs. (CBC)

RCMP handed out 1,470 speeding tickets on southern Alberta’s highways over the busy long weekend.

Other violations tickets 

  • 24-hour suspensions: 1
  • Drug charges: 3
  • Liquor violations: 4   
  • Distracted driving charges: 11
  • Seat belt violations: 17        
  • Careless driving: 4

Twenty of those went to people going more than 50 kilometres above the speed limit out on mountain highways west of Calgary, police said.

The biggest ticket went to a driver travelling 114 km/h in a 40 km/h zone along Banff Avenue in Banff.

Corp. Chris Blandford says that person is headed to court for a decision on fines and driving suspensions.

Blandford says most speeders are statistically men between 20 and 39 years old, but police are catching more young women speeding as well.

“We’re seeing a sharp increase in young females between 20 and 29 years of age that are travelling at very high speeds,” he said. 

Corrections

  • A previous version of this story said 650 speeding tickets were handed out over the long weekend. Those were the speeding tickets handed out on mountain highways in the Bow Valley area, not all of Alberta.
    Sep 02, 2014 3:59 PM MT