Car impound #s pile up

Photo: Carmen Weld

It is only the first week of June and already North Okanagan RCMP say the amount of cars impounded for excessive speeding will break 2013’s numbers, by a lot.

For all of 2013 the North Okanagan RCMP impounded 25 cars for excessive speeding. This year 22 vehicles have already been impounded.

“We are going to break last year’s numbers before mid June and that is not even half way,” says RCMP spokesman Gord Molendyk.

The two most recent impounds were both novice drivers going too fast, on slick rainy roads, on May 29. They both lost their vehicles for 7-days.

Molendyk says one was caught going 148 km/h in a 90 zone and the second was on a motorcycle traveling at 170 km/h in a 90 zone.  

“These two were both novices and look at the speeds they were doing, with little experience,” says Molendyk in disbelief, he also noted it was raining that day. “It is about road safety, most people slow down a little when it is raining and look at the speeds they were going on a wet road.”

He says police patrols will continue to target high risk driving behaviour. 

In the last week North Okanagan Traffic Services have issued one 12-hour suspension for alcohol, two 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibitions for Impaired operation of a motor vehicle and impounded seven vehicles for excessive speed and impaired driving.