Male drivers (aged 34 and under) account for more than half the speed-related, Serious Driving Offences recently issued, according to Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) and the RCMP.
A total of 522 speed-related Serious Driving Offences were forwarded to MPI from January to the end of December 2020. This is nearly a 60 per cent increase from the same time frame in 2019.
Over 50 per cent of these ‘super speeders’ were caught on the following roadways: Highway 100/101 (Perimeter Hwy), Highway 16, Highway 1, Highway 6 and Highway 59, according to RCMP data.
As per the Drivers and Vehicles Act, speed infractions (50 km/h or more over the limit) are one of several offences that must be reported to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. After receiving the Serious Offense Notice roadside, drivers are given five business days to contact MPI to schedule a Show Cause Hearing.
“Excessive speeds is potentially fatal for the responsible driver, their passengers and all other innocent motorists,” said Satvir Jatana, Vice-President, Employee and Community Engagement, Manitoba Public Insurance. “These super speeds are inexcusable. About one in five road fatalities in Manitoba have speed as a contributing factor. This high-risk driving behaviour is careless and potentially fatal.”
RCMP and other police agencies are on the front lines of protecting innocent motorists.
“When people drive really fast, there is a good chance they could end up in a serious, even fatal, collision,” said Insp. Chris Moore, Officer in Charge of Traffic Services for the Manitoba RCMP. “You risk being transported to the morgue as opposed to arriving a few minutes early. It is simply not worth it. Whether it is a timing factor or an adrenaline high, there is absolutely no excuse for these excessive speeds, and the RCMP has zero tolerance for this behaviour. Make smart choices.”
Licence Suspension
MPI statistics report that about 90 per cent of these speed-related, Show Cause hearings result in licence suspension. Suspension penalties are based on the speed recorded on the ticket and the person’s driving history. Length of license suspension can range from several months to multiple years.
In addition, the responsible driver is issued a hefty fine and could also face criminal charges such as Dangerous Driving depending on conditions and behaviour.
Of the speed-related SDOs forwarded to MPI, the average speed is about 60km over the posted speed limit.
