A motorcyclist with her learner licence got her motorcycle impounded after police say she was going 177 km/h in an 80 zone on the Sea to Sky Highway.
A B.C. Highway Patrol officer was near Furry Creek on Highway 99 when they got a speed reading of 177 km/h in an 80 zone on July 11, police said in a news release Wednesday (July 15).
Police said the driver was a 22-year-old Vancouver woman who only had a Class 7 (passenger vehicle learner) and a Class 8 (motorcycle learner) licence.
She ended up getting her motorcycle impounded for seven days, with the tow and impound at her expense; a ticket for excessive speed, with a fine of $483; and at least three years of high-risk driver premiums and escalating insurance that will bring the total costs to just under $2,500
Highway patrol said that considering the “egregious speed and lack of experience of the rider,” police are also recommending the B.C. superintendent of motor vehicles conduct a high-risk driving review for the driver. Police added that high-risk driving reviews can lead to additional sanctions such as a prohibition from driving.
Police noted this incident came exactly seven days after a fatal motorcycle crash on the Sea to Sky Highway that left a motorcyclist dead.
“Sometimes we feel like a broken record when we say that speed kills people,” Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with B.C. Highway Patrol. “But clearly some people aren’t getting the message. Being 97 km/h over the limit could easily have repeated a tragedy from only one week ago on the same highway.”