Speeding drivers signal spring, police say

Drivers on Alberta's highways this spring will need to pay attention to another factor besides the changeable weather the police.

Police say they are cracking down on drivers who speed, particularly on Highway 2, this spring. In areas like High River, officers have clocked drivers going 100 kilometres over the speed limit.

"Speeding is a problem because it reduces the amount of time you have to react to a perceived threat on the roadway," says Sgt. Ryan Suffesick of the High River Integrated Traffic Services. "At speeds like 214 kilometres per hour, you have no time to react."

Near High River, patrollers say they have stopped five drivers going more than 50 kilometres over the speed limit in April alone.

One driver was moving at a staggering 214 kilometres per hour.

"They usually fly past me," says Kim Fehr, a local driver, "and I usually have a fairly heavy foot."

Patrollers say speeders pose a danger not only to themselves but to others as well.

They will be out in force this spring along rural roads and say speeders can expect to feel the full force of the law, including a driver's licence suspension and fines of up to $2,000.