By The Morinville News Staff
Edmonton – RCMP and Integrated Traffic Services issued large number of speeding tickets over the Easter long weekend. From Apr. 6 to Apr. 9 a total of 3,555 speeding violations were issued throughout the province, including 36 offences where drivers were clocked going 50 kilometres per hour or more over the posted limited, a violation that requires a mandatory court appearance. The numbers are similar to those reported during the Easter weekend of 2011. At that time 3,501 speeding tickets were issued.
Although speeding violations were up slightly, so too were alcohol-related charges. Police issued 21 impaired driving charges, 53 24-hour suspensions for alcohol or drug use, and 11 drug related offences. In 2011 police issued 16 impaired driving charges and an additional 56 24-hour suspensions for alcohol or drug use.
Other long weekend charges included 64 other provincial alcohol-related violations, 46 intersection related infractions, 133 seatbelt and or child restraint infractions, 24 distracted driving infractions, and 573 non-hazardous violations, including no insurance, suspended drivers and other charges.
In total 4,4530 charges were issued, a significant increase from the 4,191 charges issued over the same weekend in 2011.
RCMP report one fatal collision and 17 collisions with serious injuries over the Easter long weekend. Two persons were killed in the traffic fatality – a 20 year old female and a 22 year old male. Both were ejected in this single vehicle roll-over collision. Police say investigators suspect alcohol as a contributing factor.
April has been identified as speeding awareness month. RCMP and their traffic partners target one aspect of traffic safety each month as a focus.
