Sask. traffic cop shares reason for slow driver ticket

Regina police are used to spotting all kinds of drivers, including those moving too slow.

On Aug. 21, Const. Curtis Warnar with the Regina police traffic unit, was driving west on Ring Road near Winnipeg Street when he noticed a vehicle travelling significantly slower in the left lane.

“How quickly I was gaining on it, I could tell it was well below the posted speed limit,” he told the Greg Morgan Morning Show Tuesday.

Warner said it was the first time in a long time he needed to use his radar equipment to clock the speed.

“In this case, it was 76 km/h – so almost one quarter below what the posted speed limit is,” he said.

With the maximum limit on Ring Road being 100 km/h, Warnar issued the driver a $125 fine for going at a speed that impedes the flow of traffic.

The constable, who is also a collision reconstructionist, explained that in this case, another driver would gain about 21 feet, or six metres, per second on the slow-moving vehicle.

“Unfortunately, by the time you recognize that vehicle is going too slow, it might be too late for you to actually apply braking or apply steering,” he said.

“Which is why travelling at such a low speed is just as dangerous – if not more dangerous – as someone travelling in excess of the speed limit.”

Warnar’s tweet about the slow driver quickly gained traction online, with people asking the social media-savvy officer questions about what led to the ticket.

One notable question was whether the driver being in the left lane – a lane SGI and driver training programs designate as the passing lane – was a contributing factor.

In a tweet Monday, Warner noted that was not the sole reason, adding enforcement on slower drivers is not limited to the left lane only.

“The big issue here, especially at night on the Ring Road where the lighting isn’t all that great, is it’s very difficult for other drivers … to know how fast they’re gaining on that other car,” Warner explained.

The constable was also asked about signage regarding slower traffic keeping right. Warner noted signage is up to the city or highway ministry, but added he would “like to see them as much as you do.”

As for why the driver was going too slow, Warnar said he doesn’t engage in roadside debates and that, in this case, he doesn’t know why the driver was travelling 24 km/h under the limit.

WELL THAT ESCALATED QUICKLY!!!

Seems the tweet heard ‘round the Twittersphere about the impeding traffic ticket issued last week has raised all sorts of questions. Rather than answer them in various threads… I’ll do it here, if there's more let me know @reginapolice pic.twitter.com/nP2EIYOink

— Cst. Curtis Warnar (@RPSTrafficUnit) August 27, 2018

— With files from The Greg Morgan Morning Show.