Quebec driver stopped for doubling speed limit while breaking curfew

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Usually, when one’s bank account is emptied after a night out, the root cause is either overindulgence at that new restaurant or buying umpteen rounds of drinks for all yer buddies (remember those days?). This time, a young driver dumped their wallet with a hefty speeding ticket while also breaking provincial curfew.

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Police in the Cantley area of Quebec stopped a 20-year-old driver from Lac-des-Plages after clocking them cruising along at a healthy 146 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. This obviously got the attention of the gendarmes, who caught up with and hauled over the Lewis Hamilton wannabe. Unspecified ‘other violations’ were also found on the vehicle, which could range from lighting problems to a lack of winter tires.

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The stop happened shortly before 2:00 am on January 4 ^th , with the driver cited a total of $3,500 in fines and 21 demerit points under the Highway Safety Code. They were also given a 7-day respite from the rigours of possessing a driver’s license, and the vehicle was impounded (though your author prefers the loosely translated term of ‘put away,’ in reference to hauling off the vehicle).

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In case anyone has forgotten, from December 1 to March 15, Quebec vehicles must be equipped with four winter tires that meet established standards and are in good condition. Fines range between $200 and $300.  Being nabbed for 146 in a 70 on a Quebec road nets 14 demerits and a $930 fine for the first offence, so there were clearly other factors at play to equal 21 demerits and $3,500 in one stop.

In addition to the moving violations, both the driver and their 18-year-old passenger were booked for violating the COVID curfew that’s in effect within the borders of Quebec. According to a statement by the police force, the driver was fined $1,558 for not abiding by the curfew. As for the passenger, they also now have a statement of offence for failure to observe the curfew. Assuming their fine was equal to the driver’s, that’s a total of $6,616 in restitution levied at these two individuals. A costly night indeed.