Police want the right to seize excessive speeders
CBC News
Posted: Sep 17, 2012 7:55 PM MT
Last Updated: Sep 17, 2012 9:23 PM MT
Edmonton’s police chief wants the province to implement new legislation to crack down on motorists that drive double the speed limit.
Chief Rod Knecht said current penalties aren't enough and new legislation should allow police officers to seize vehicles from people driving at excessive speeds.
“We stop that person and all we can do is give them a ticket and they go on their way and our concern is if they’re going 263 [kph] we give them a ticket and 15 minutes later they’re in a fatality,” Knecht said. “Either they cause harm to themselves or they cause harm to some innocent party.”
Knecht added that speed was a factor in 14 out of 25 traffic fatalities this year and that officers are used to clocking people on Anthony Henday Drive doing 200 kph.
The provincial ministry of transportation says the police chief has mentioned this before and that the department has already made changes to toughen the laws, including six demerit points, a mandatory court appearance and a $350 fine for drivers doing more than 50 kph above the speed limit.
Knecht says what he wants is legislation similar to other provinces like British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario.
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