Traffic tickets fly out in Alberta on Family Day

EDMONTON — Strathcona County RCMP were extremely busy Monday morning, trying to keep up with motorists east of Edmonton.

As part of the long weekend traffic enforcement in Alberta, officers were on the lookout for a number of violations including speeding, distracted driving and people not wearing seat belts.

Officers patrolling in the area of Yellowhead Trail and Anthony Henday Drive handed out more than 160 tickets between 9 a.m. and noon.

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“We’re always extremely busy at our traffic operations so the numbers are not surprising whatsoever,” Cpl. Chris Little with Strathcona Traffic Services said.

“It’s some that the personnel are used to dealing with because the message is there and we do try and reinforce that on a continual basis, but with the motoring public, unfortunately the message is not often heard.”

READ MORE: ‘Unacceptable’ number of winter traffic deaths in Canada vs. Sweden: docs

The speed limit in the area has been reduced to 80 kilometres per hour due to construction. Little said one driver stopped by officers was in a bit of a hurry Monday morning.

“We had one particular driver that was doing 131 [km/h] in the 80 km/h zone. That is a higher speed than we normally see in the construction zone.”

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Little said tickets were also handed out to drivers with unregistered vehicles and equipment violations.