ON the morning of June 6, DPD’s Traffic Unit was conducting team enforcement on Highway 17, also known as the South Fraser Perimeter Road, where the speed limit is 80 km/hour.

Six vehicles were stopped for excessive speed, impounded by police, and towed from the scene for a seven-day time out. Speeds ranged from 128 km to 158 km/hr, which is nearly double the limit. All but one driver were from other Metro Vancouver communities.

“By now, the community of Delta is getting used to the fact that its police officers do A LOT of traffic enforcement. But people travelling through Delta may not be getting that message. (We humbly suggest they follow @DPDTraffic on Twitter),” say Delta Police.

Violators included:

– A taxi with two passengers who had to be transferred to another cab when their taxi was impounded
– A driver with an interlock device on the ignition (a possible requirement for drivers who’ve been caught driving impaired)
– Two vehicles, travelling approximately two car-lengths apart, at over 150 km/hr
– A driver with an interim driving license
“Public surveys and consultations tell us that our community views traffic safety as one of the top issues, if not the top issue here,” says Cris Leykauf, spokesperson for Delta Police. “People deserve to get to work, home and school safely, and our officers work hard to keep our roads safe.”

Speed is a major contributing factor to car crash fatalities in BC. While the ticket fine ranges from $368 to $483 if you’re caught doing more than 40 km/hour over the limit, there are also significant additional costs. ICBC will enforce a driver risk premium if a driver has one or more excessive speeding tickets with costs escalating if you have additional roadside suspensions, serious Motor Vehicle Act convictions, or driving related Criminal Code convictions. Additionally, drivers will pay impound, vehicle towing, and storage fees.