Clearwater County seeks solutions to speeders
Clearwater County has a problem with speeders.
The number of speeders caught by the Clearwater County Highway Patrol has nearly doubled from just over 800 in 2013 to 1,390 last year.
It doesn’t look like 2017 will be any better.
“Just even the way we’re starting out this year I can see those numbers beating last year’s,” said Sgt. Terri Miller.
These are just the numbers of speeders caught on county roads. The four-member patrol doesn’t cover the single- and double-digit highways.
The number of “high flyers” — drivers who are travelling 50 km/h over the speed limit — is also on the rise. The worst offender last year was caught going 84 km/h over the 90 km/h speed limit.
The highest they’ve recorded was 221 km/h in a 90 km/h zone on a county road south of Caroline.
Miller isn’t sure why the number of lead-footed drivers are increasing every year. Their county is not alone in seeing more speeding.
“Honestly, I don’t know. I really can’t even answer that.”
Miller said the numbers are “definitely a concern.”
The patrol is planning more speed enforcement operations to try to keep drivers in check.
The Sunchild Road, which branches off Hwy 11 west of Rocky Mountain House to go towards the Sunchild and O’Chiese First Nations, is a common problem spot.