The Lethbridge Police Service said it caught four drivers travelling more than 50 kilometres an hour over the speed limit during a weekend traffic enforcement project.
Speeding violation of 50 km/h or more result in a mandatory court appearance in Alberta, with fines decided by the court.
“We know when we look at the collision statistics, speeding is involved in more than one-in-four of the fatalities in Alberta every year,” said Dominic Schamuhn, a manager of advocacy with the Alberta Motor Association.
The most recent provincial numbers show 26.2 per cent of drivers in fatal collisions on Alberta roads in 2023 were travelling at an unsafe speed.
According to Schamuhn, going faster than posted limit can double, or even triple the distance it takes to reach a complete stop, leaving less room for error when hazards pop up.
“(It) could be something like wildlife running in front of you on a highway, or a child stepping out onto a street in a residential neighbourhood or playground zone,” Schamuhn said.
“So making sure you have the time to react to the driving environment that’s around you is really important.”
LPS said its traffic enforcement project is continuing throughout the summer, which targets illegal driving habits including impaired driving, speeding and racing in areas where the people have reported concerns.
It’s not known where the Lethbridge the violations took place or what the speed limit was in that area.
Global News reached out to the LPS for more information but did not hear back as of publishing.