vehicle impoundment
 

The wife and I where on a roadtrip (she was driving) and got caught speeding (142km) in a 100km zone while passing a slower moving vehicle. Alright, I'll admit she probably shouldnt have been doing that...

I asked for the officer to re-check and TEST his radar and he bent inside the vehicle for a moment and said it tested to FACTORY SPECS. What is the proper testing procedure for this?

What frustrates me, he impounded our vehicle for 7 days (9 since the day it happens dosnt count, nor does the last day) we where 75km's from the nearest town in either direction (we were outside Quesnel) and he said unfortunately the law states that he does not need to give us a ride and nor would he. He left us stranded on the side of the highway after dark, with 2 young dogs and all of our belongings in bear country for just over 6 hours before a trucker picked us up.

I can live with the impoundment, but what the hell gives him the right to leave us in the middle of no-where. I've already talked to his superior and he said his officer had every right to do what he did. who makes these laws??

251.5
(5) If a peace officer is satisfied that the impoundment of a motor vehicle under subsection (1) or section 215.46 would

(a) jeopardize the safety of the occupants of the motor vehicle, or

(b) leave the occupants stranded,

the peace officer must arrange for transportation of the occupants of the motor vehicle to the nearest safe area where they can summon an alternative form of transportation.

What a dick cop.

if only your wife drove 3 kms slower.

What an asshole. Apparently not many cops, nor their superiors know the MVA/MVR as well as others do. Leaving you in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night? That's unacceptable. I should keep a complete copy of the MVA in my car just in case of any shenanigans like this

sorry. to clarify, it was 4pm or so and we didnt leave till about 10. No cell service where we were either :( Virgin mobile sucks...

I should print this thread and use it in my arguement in court against the officer who ticketed me for following the law. Sorry to hear this happened to you and glad you are ok.

In these types of situations where you are stranded like this, could you call 911? It is a life a death situation afterall.

I always wondered what would happen if you were going 40km/hr on a highway section that is far from any town. Although the ticket was deserved, impounding your car and leaving you stranded wasn't. I also understand that impounding a car going over 40 near a city is acceptable, but I think impounding someone in the middle of nowhere is too harsh. IMO I think they should have a rule/law that will let the violator choose the 7 days impoundment within 30 days of the violation ( if you have a reasonable excuse to)

I'd fight this because of no cell service. That's just insane. Leaving someone stranded... that cop ain't doing his job.

Where exactly along the highway were you left roadside?

I dunno... what the hell gives your wife the right to speed like a maniac? If she had to do 142 to pass someone, that person must have already been speeding pretty good. Having grown up and learned to drive in the South Cariboo, I'm pretty familiar with the types of roads around there: lot of hills, curves, two-lane sections... not the smartest conditions to be zipping along at almost 90mph.

"After dark"? 10pm in the central Cariboo? This time of year, there's still lots of light at 10pm.

"Bear country"? You didn't seem to be too concerned with a bear appearing on the road when you were flying along and would have been unable to stop in time.

OP didn't "know the MVA/MVR" any better than the cop until he had a chance to sit down and look it up on Google. Just sayin'

OP already said he had no coverage...

"Your honour, I admit I was speeding, but it's okay because I was just trying to reach the next cell zone. I was in a hurry to update my status, you see..."

Virgin Mobile - bah. Don't blame the cop because you have a half-assed cel provider. Rogers and Telus both have 99% or better coverage of the Cariboo Highway corridor from 70 Mile House to Prince George (Coverage within Canada | Canada_Travel | Travel | Plans | TELUS Mobility, http://www.rogers.com/web/content/wi...ork_ClaimImage). If you DID, in fact, have no bars, you probably could have walked 10 steps in any direction and made a call.

It's pretty easy to go from 100kph to 140kph, even easier to get to 40kph over if the speed limit drops and the signage is obstructed by the large trucks you're passing.

At those speeds I'd rather the driver be paying attention to the road (ya know, looking for bears and all) than staring at the little ticks on the speedometer to make sure you're not going 42kph over the limit (39kph over is apparantly OK though...)

There's nowhere in that region where the speed limit is over 100, so the "speed drop" argument doesn't wash.

If you have to do 140+ to pass someone, they're either going well over 100 already, or you're in a situation that you don't have room to pass safely. Either way, they shouldn't have been passing in the first place if it required going to 140+

I didn't say "in that region" did I?

Face it - people have been getting nabbed for passing where the speed limit drops. When they thought they were going 22kph over the limit, they're suddenly going 42 over and lose their car.

Soundy - care to install a logger in your car and prove to us that you never exceed the posted limit? You really seem to be in support of getting speeders of all types off the road.

i think it's pretty shitty that they did that to you. I really don't know what to say.

the law is gay i gotta say, but no cop is going to give you a ride from Robson and Burrard to drop you off at Robson and Denman because it's much safer there. That becomes subjective and they become liable to your safety. What if he gets called to a murder scene, does he drop you off at a place he deems safe or does he drive quickly to the scene. If the cop has to drive you and your dogs and your family of 10 (if you're driving a bus and they had to impound it) etc. It's not the cop's responsibility.

You could have the cop call for you a cab? or worse comes to worse flag a car down and borrow their cell phone?

"I'm sorry, sir, but in the name of safety I'll have to leave you, your wife, luggage and dogs at the side of the freeway, in the middle of nowhere."

OMG you're a genius. I had installed a data logger into the obd2 port the day we went on vacation. Just gotta retrieve it...

This is assuming that you guys were going that fast.




Let me put it this way.

What gives her the right to speed?


The fact that you thought that the officer was endangering you, more than your wife was endangering everyone around her is laughable at best.


You failed to tell your wife to slow down and you guys got caught, and you were unhappy about the fact that the police officer had as little respect for you as I do right now?


The sense of entitlement in the face of commiting a crime is disgusting... everywhere.

From my point of view, based solely on what you told us..I believe that the impound threshold is more than 42 k over the limit...I've been told that it was suggested that 50 over was where they started. Saying that, choosing to drive 42 over the limit screams that there was no reason at all to go that fast to pass somebody. I'm doubtful that the actual highest speed was 42 k over, maybe 142 was still locked in the target speed display but even higher speeds were observed. How did you get the speed reading.

I find it difficult to understand why you were left there 75 kms from civilization? Maybe more to the story? I never left anyone roadside unless they insisted on it. I always called someone or passed along a message to get them transportation. One time I even paid long distance charges on my personal cell to get transportation arranged for a mandatory impound driver, his wife and child. He lied about it later and made an official complaint, in spite of my actions being observed by my supervisor & 2 other Members and I produced the cell phone bill. Can't understand why this was done?

There's gotta be more to the story. Your wife sped but I find it hard to believe that an officer would leave you stranded.

If that is actually what happened, file a complaint or a lawsuit.

So what has this new law taught us, keep on going till you reach the next town. Wow Shirley Bond has done such a good job, just like the new law of the your feet off the pegs is now called "stunting". B.C. Hey Soundy, 142km/h is speeding like a maniac, who brainwashed you! Seriously, have you ever been on the autobahn? Give your head a shake.

NICE!

Have YOU ever been on the Autobahn? I have, a few times. The sections that have no speed limits are far from city centres with very few on ramps and exits. They are also very straight, except for gentle curves, and the lanes are very wide.

There are very few highways in BC that satisfy those conditions.

Coquihalla, for one, hwy 6, number two, the list could go on, we are not talking about city centres, keep up with the topic, and yes i have!

I personally would keep on going till you reach the next town. To be in the middle of nowhere and being pulled over, anything could happen. If I had cell signal, I'll be the first to call 911 while the officer is behind me and explain to the operator that I didn't feel safe being pulled over until I reach the next town. Tell the operator the license plate of the officers car and go from there.