Reckless speeders perplex Edmonton police

Edmonton traffic cops are scratching their heads over arash of high flyers duringthe last few days.

At least one driver was tripping along at 100 km/h abovethe speed limit.

• Man caught driving with "club" on his steering wheel

Last night another driver pulled up to a marked police car sitting at a red light on156thstreet, then sped away reaching 108 km/h inthe 50 km/h zone.

Why hethought he'd get away with it makes officers wonder.

"We're driving a billboard saying, 'For the love of God,don'tspeed and this guyoff and does it anyway," said Sgt. David Green.

"Driving atsuch speeds would be dangerous even insummer, let alone inwinter with snow blowing over the roads."

It would have taken a distance greater than two football fields to stop in an emergency, and it would have been total carnage if the car struck other vehicles or pedestrians," Green said referring to the fastest of the speeders.

Five cases of excessive speed in three days include:

• a CadillacCTSdriving erratically weston theYellowheadat about 9 p.m. Wednesday was clocked at 173 km/h in the70 km/h zone near97th Street. A20-year-old man facesdangerous driving charges.

• At around the same time Thursday aDodge Avenger was caught goingnorthon 156th Street at 108 km/h in the50 km/h zone near115thAvenue. A30-year-old man ischarged withspeeding.

• A Toyota Corolla sped west past a marked police car on Anthony Henday Drive atCalgary Trail at155 km/h in the 100 km/h zonearound 1 a.m.Wednesday. The 24-year-old female driver was charged withspeeding.

• An Audi A6going160 km/h in a100 km/h zone from theYellowheadTrail onto AnthonyHendayDriveat 4 a.m.Wednesday resulted in speeding charges to a47-year-old man.

• A ChevroletSilveradowas caught doing162 km/h in a 100 km/h zone southbound on AnthonyHendayDrive atWhitemudDrive at 12:15 a.m. Tuesday. A38-year-old man faces speeding charges.

Last year, speed was a factor in one third of all crashes where there was aserious injuryand 42 per cent of the fatal collisions, Green said.

"There is absolutely no reason to be travelling this fast on city roadways, he said.