Crackdown on oilsands highway nets more than 300 speeders

Repeated warnings and crackdowns on Highway 63 in northern Alberta don't appear to be working as the RCMP and provincial sheriffs issued more than 300 speeding tickets over the weekend.

At least six people have died in crashes this year on the two-lane highway that links Edmonton to Fort McMurray's booming oilsands projects. Another 10 were killed last year.The victimsare oftenworkers whomovedto Alberta from other provinces for oilsands jobs.

'The people who use this highway on a daily basis are still not getting the message.' RCMP Sgt. Larry Bellows

A traffic crackdown this weekend that stopped 500 vehicles,saw 453 tickets issued, said RCMP Sgt. Larry Bellows on Monday.

Of those violations, 363or 80 per cent were speeding.Provincial law enforcement officershave already issued more than 2,000 speeding tickets on the highway this year.

"The people who use this highway on a daily basis are still not getting the message," he said. "The single most [important] thing a driver can do to reduce the chances of being involved in a collision is to slow down."

Sixteen tickets were issued for seatbelt and child restraint infractions, while two people had their licences suspended for 24 hours for alcohol-related offences, said police.

Three people were also charged for careless driving.

Work to widen the busy highway to four lines began in 2007 after years of lobbying by residents in the area.