Everyone knows that Superman is faster than a speeding bullet, but is a speeding driver faster than an average elk?
An Alberta driver who claimed that his excessive speed was an attempt to avoid a specimen of Cervus canadensis — aka the North American elk — found that it didn’t wash with the BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) officer who pulled him over on Highway 3/95 near Moyie on Dec. 30.
The driver of a Mercedes SUV was clocked doing 160 km/h in a 100 km/h zone. When he was asked why he felt such a need for speed, the man replied that he was trying to avoid an elk.
“The maximum speed of a North American elk is about 70 km/h, so they are just as athletic as they are majestic, but if you feel the need to get away, you still have plenty of room to spare in a 100 km/h zone,” says Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BCHP, who has some advice for drivers who want to avoid getting up close and personal with B.C.’s wildlife when it wanders onto a highway.
“Instead of coming up with questionable excuses, consider leaving slightly earlier, slowing to the speed limit, and saving yourself the cost and hassle of losing your vehicle to an impound.”
The driver of the Mercedes was served with a ticket for excessive speed (more than 60 km/h), which came with a $483 fine. He also had to foot the cost of a tow truck and a seven-day vehicle impound (outside his home province). A driver whose vehicle was insured in B.C. would also face high-risk driver premiums and escalating insurance costs.
Male elk can stand nearly five feet high (measured at the shoulder) and weigh up to 1,000 pounds. They can often be seen alongside — and sometimes on — roads and highways, particularly at dawn and dusk, and are very active during the rutting season from August through to early winter.
“Luckily, no elk were harmed during this incident,” says McLaughlin. “If you ever hit such a large creature while driving 160, it will end badly for you and very badly for the elk.”