On Sept. 15, 2022 at approximately 7 p.m., an Alberta RCMP Traffic officer in Cochrane, Alta. was conducting traffic enforcement when they spotted a white sports car travelling towards them at an extremely high speed on the Hwy 1 near Hermitage Road in Rocky View County. The 2011 Porsche 911 was recorded travelling 270 km/h in a posted 110 km/h zone.
A 36-year-old male, a resident of Kelowna, BC, has been charged with the following:
- Dangerous Driving contrary to Section 320.13 (1) of the Criminal Code
The driver will appear in Cochrane Provincial Court on Dec. 13, 2022.
This specific stretch of highway has been identified as an area where motorists often speed in excess of the posted limit. In an effort to maintain road safety, Alberta RCMP Traffic has increased patrols in the area to address this issue.
Even though there was no collision, an Alberta RCMP Traffic Forensic Collision Reconstructionist was consulted and provided a detailed report for use in court as expert evidence to support the Criminal Code Dangerous Driving charge. From the calculations in the report:
- Traveling at the speed limit of 110 km/h, once brakes are applied, a vehicle will need 55.96 m to come to a complete stop.
- Traveling at the speed of 270 km/h, once brakes are applied, a vehicle will need 337.29 m to come to a complete stop.
- The vehicle would have required an additional 281.33 m to come to a stop – the equivalent to two Canadian football field lengths.
"There is no excuse for excessive speeding on our streets and highways. Travelling at rates beyond the posted limit puts you, and those you are sharing the road with, at risk," says Insp. Chris Romanchych, Alberta RCMP Traffic.
According to Alberta Transportation, more than half of all fatal collisions involving unsafe speeds occur in rural areas. In 2021, there were 70,5801 recorded speeding offences in Alberta RCMP jurisdiction, with RCMP officers charging 913 motorists with Excessive Speeds (travelling more than 50 km/h over the posted limit).
For more traffic safety information, follow us on Facebook @RCMPinAlberta and Twitter @RCMPAlberta.