June 10, 2019 1:13 pm

Saskatoon police impound 13 vehicles for speeding, impaired driving

By David Giles Senior Web Producer Global News

WATCH: 'March madness' on Saskatchewan highways.

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Saskatoon police said at least 13 vehicles were seized on the weekend from alleged speeding and impaired drivers.

The most recent speeding incident happened Sunday evening when police said a driver from Alberta was issued a $1,148 ticket after being caught on radar going 194 km/h on Highway 16.

Earlier in the day, police said a rental vehicle was clocked on Highway 16 going 188 km/h and the driver was handed a $1,112 ticket.

Highway 16 w on Sunday afternoon, driver wants to see how fast his rental will go. Our CTSS officer spots him at 188 km/h. He’s left with a $1112 ticket and a $40 taxi ride as the rental gets impounded. #SlowDownYXE pic.twitter.com/eQY292zQhb
— SPS Traffic Unit (@SPSTraffic) June 10, 2019

Police said Sunday started with a vehicle caught by an officer going 101 km/h on 8th Street. The speed limit is 50 km/h.

The driver failed a roadside breath test, police said, and a search turned up crystal meth. He is facing numerous charges including speeding, impaired driving, and possession of a controlled substance.

His vehicle was impounded for 60 days.

8 impaired drivers were taken off the road last night during a sobriety checkpoint. 2 were new drivers and lost their licences for 60-days. 5 were suspended for 72 hrs and 1 was charged with impaired driving under the criminal code. All had vehicles impounded. #SKcheckstop pic.twitter.com/yjR0EzSMJV
— SPS Traffic Unit (@SPSTraffic) June 9, 2019

On Saturday night, the traffic unit said they impound eight vehicles during a stop check after the drivers failed a roadside test.

Police said two of those charged were new drivers and had their license suspended for 60 days. Five drivers were handed 72-hour driving suspensions and one was charged under the criminal code.

Also on Saturday, the traffic unit said it impounded two motorcycles after they were caught exceeding the posted speed limit by at least 50 km/h.

In Saskatchewan, if you exceed the posted speed by more than 50 km/h, the vehicle you were driving will be impounded for 7-days. We’ve talked about this a lot yet these 2 riders, caught by our CTSS unit, don’t seem to have heard about that law. #SlowDownYXE pic.twitter.com/yaFeD8g94L
— SPS Traffic Unit (@SPSTraffic) June 9, 2019

In Saskatchewan, the vehicle owner is responsible for paying all towage and storage fees to get their vehicle back at the end of the impoundment period.

The towing fee for vehicles under 15,000 kg is $65 plus $2.75 per loaded kilometre. Storage fees are $17/day and there is a $125 fee for a release certificate for the vehicle.

There are also a number of miscellaneous garage fees that can add to the impound cost, according to SGI, including winching services, increased towing costs if a dolly or flatbed truck is required, and administration fees.