Police radar guns working overtime on the Malahat
Police want to make the Malahat a safer place.
Just not for speeders.
It’s been just two weeks since the police program Making the Malahat Safer launched, and already 582 speeding tickets have been handed out.
There have been a total of 671 violations — ranging from speed to unsafe commercial vehicles and not wearing seatbelts — in the 14-day span.
“Two weeks into the campaign it is apparent that speed is a serious problem on the Malahat Drive,” Const. Robert Figueiredo said in a media release on Wednesday.
Eleven speed-related tickets have resulted in seven-day vehicle impoundments due to excessive speed. Of the 582 tickets issued, 80 per cent of violators were travelling at least 20 km/h over the posted speed limit.
There have also been five impaired drivers nabbed, and two prohibited drivers taken off the road. Commercial vehicle safety and enforcement officers have conducted 19 inspections: in 79 per cent of trucks, officers found violations. Twenty-six per cent were found unfit for the road, and taken out of service until repairs were made. The major violations were brake adjustments, lights and tires, police said.
The program, which includes the Capital Regional District’s Integrated Road Safety Unit, South Vancouver Island Traffic Services, Saanich Police, Westshore RCMP, Shawnigan Lake RCMP and Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement, continues into next week.
Officers are targeting commercial vehicles and will be on the look-out for proper documentation, licencing, load security and overall safety.
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