Speed traps make law breakers see double over the weekend

VERNON – RCMP used a cunning technique to nab speeders along Highway 97 south of Vernon over the weekend.

Officers with the traffic section set up two separate speed operations within five kilometres of each other on the highway between Vernon and Winfield on March 14 and 15. Drivers who thought they'd put the pedal to the metal after passing the first speed trap were in for a surprise when they encountered the second just moments later, according to a media release.

RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says the majority of the 50 tickets handed out during the operation were for speeding. Mounties also impounded eight vehicles for excessive speeding. 

Traffic officers believe the cement barriers placed between Vernon and Oyama offer protection against head-on crashes, however a decrease in speed is also needed for further protection against the life changing effects of motor vehicle crashes, Molendyk says.

He says the traffic officers are asking drivers to slow down, pointing out it's not a raceway.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.