Speed

Question: Friends of my parents were returning from Vancouver to Kelowna after a hockey tournament when they were stopped for speeding. They were travelling at 124 km/h in an 80 km/h zone—44 km/h over the posted speed limit.

The article that I wrote two weeks ago concerning solving your own road safety problems prompted an inquiry from the East Kootenays. The writer complained that a section of Highway 31A leaving the town of New Denver was marked with a 50 zone ends speed sign and the next kilometre or so of the road had many driveways, some intersections, a pedestrian crossing for a public trail and was regularly used by cyclists and pedestrians.

When residents become concerned about speeding in their neighbourhood, one suggestion almost always comes up: "Why doesn't the city install speed bumps?" It seems like a simple, inexpensive solution.

Speed limits exist to improve safety, yet many drivers feel pressure to exceed them. During one week I heard from three drivers facing very different situations: one was being pressured by an employer to speed, another felt unsafe obeying the speed limit because everyone else was driving faster, and a third admitted speeding and wanted advice about disputing a ticket. Together, their stories illustrate the everyday pressures that encourage otherwise responsible drivers to break the law.

Question: I loaned my vehicle to my girlfriend while I was out of the province. She was caught excessively speeding, received a traffic ticket (officially called a violation ticket), and my vehicle was impounded for seven days. I wasn't even in British Columbia at the time, but now I can't get to work because my vehicle is in the impound lot. How can I be responsible for something I didn't do?

You see them everywhere across British Columbia: bright digital signs in school zones, construction corridors, and municipal transition zones flashing your exact speed back at you. When these roadside speed reader displays—technically known as Speed Display Devices (SDDs) or Driver Feedback Signs—first began popping up on B.C. highways, traffic engineers openly questioned their long-term viability. Would the novelty wear off once local drivers grew accustomed to them?

My highway patrol unit was issued its first laser speed measuring device back in the early 1990s. It quickly became a popular enforcement tool due to its precision in targeting specific vehicles and measuring speed accurately. Just like radar before it, laser technology required time for case law to mature in the courtroom.

As a knowledgeable driver, you are likely aware of the three blanket speed limits that cover the province of British Columbia. These statutory limits are 80 km/h outside a municipality, 50 km/h within a municipality, and 20 km/h on a municipal lane. However, there is another official method for establishing a localized blanket speed zone: the use of an "Area" sign.

Question: A friend of mine just received a speeding ticket in BC. The description of the offence says "speed signs", the Act is "MVA", and the section is "146(7)". What does this mean? She doesn't think her actual speed was recorded on the ticket, but there are two numbers, "91-89", written in the top right corner. Lastly, if she disputes this ticket, can a judge increase her penalty?

Sometimes the simplest questions are the ones that make you pause. During a recent highway patrol shift, a work-experience student sitting in my passenger seat asked a straightforward question: Are radar detectors legal in British Columbia?