Learner driver clocked nearly 50km/h over limit on Coquihalla

Cops fined a learner driver and seized her dad’s SUV after she was caught speeding near Merritt this month.

BC Highway Patrol clocked a 2026 Honda Pilot on the Coquihalla Highway at 168 km/h in a 120 km/h zone on July 11. Police pulled the vehicle over, finding the 20-year-old learner driver had five passengers in the car, according to a news release.

Officers impounded the SUV for seven days and ticketed the driver for excessive speeding, but police noted that she didn’t exceed the one-passenger limit for learners because they were all family members.

“This is a reminder to everyone that just because something is technically legal, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea,” Cpl. Michael McLaughlin said in the BC Highway Patrol news release.

The Williams Lake woman’s fees don’t stop at the $368 ticket. Police said she will pay nearly $2,500 in high-risk driver premiums while the towing and impound fees typically fall on the owner, who happens to be her father.

“Learner drivers do not have the demonstrated skills to safely drive a large number of passengers, which is something this driver exemplified when she chose to speed,” McLaughlin said.