UPDATE Driver feels RCMP speed trap was dangerous

UPDATE

RCMP deny a suggestion that their speed enforcement south of Vernon today was dangerous.

A motorist told Vernon Matters the number of vehicles being pulled over just north of Lake Country made it unsafe for other drivers — and for the officers — on the busy route.

A corporal with Central Okanagan Traffic Services says safety is always their top priority and they have safeguards in place as their officers lives are on the line as well.

“We had three [police] vehicles with their lights on: one in the middle of the road, one on the side of the road and another about 50 feet further. Everyone was wearing vests and we did not have 15 vehicles pulled over at a time [as was estimated by one driver],” Cpl. S. Audley told Vernon Matters.

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Audley said some vehicles were parked on a nearby road waiting to be towed away.

“Even the person that’s calling to us [officer monitoring speed], they tell us, ‘No, too many vehicles,’ and we’ll stop it. We would rather go home at the end of the day than stop a vehicle that’s speeding. That’s what it comes down to.”

More than 100 speeding tickets were issued over two to three hours at the site near the Pelmewash Parkway exit, including 12 vehicles impounded for excessive speed of 40 km-h or more over the posted limit.

A couple of vehicles were caught going 60 km-h over.

About six officers were writing tickets in a joint effort by the North and Central Traffic Services.

“I would just hope people would slow down, and then we wouldn’t have to stop vehicles there,” added Cpl. Audley.

Reaction on social media was mixed:

“Thank God the RCMP are finally targeting speeders on Highway 97. Far too many people driving like they are on the autobahn. What’s your hurry? I guess you’re in a rush for your own funeral,” said one person.

“No, it was definitely dangerous. I did not get a ticket but my thoughts were definitely that it was going to cause an accident,” said another.

==

RCMP were busy pulling over vehicles that were speeding on Highway 97 near Lake Country today (Oct. 14) in enforcement that at least one driver felt was unsafe.

A motorist tells Vernon Matters, police officers were pulling over multiple vehicles at once, (an estimate of 15 at one point) just north of the Pelmewash Parkway exit, and it was causing semi-truck drivers to slam on their brakes, and putting other drivers and even the officers in jeopardy.

The motorist, who did want their name used in the story and did receive a speeding ticket, called it “very dangerous.”

Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy, media relations officer for Kelowna RCMP, said they haven’t received any complaints about the enforcement at their end.

“Our traffic officers are very experienced in pulling vehicles over and I’m certain they would have taken every precaution for safety. After all, their lives are on the line as well,” Noseworthy told Vernon Matters.

“One officer pulling over 15 vehicles sounds like a bit of a hyperbole, but if there are that many people being pulled over I would suggest that everyone needs to remember the speed limit,” she added.

We have also reached out to BC RCMP Traffic Services for comment on the enforcement.