North Vancouver man gets excessive speeding ticket on test drive
Posted April 3, 2018 1:10 pm.
Last Updated April 3, 2018 1:13 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WEST VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – A North Vancouver man has been fined over $450 for a test drive taken too far.
West Vancouver Police say they pulled over a driver on the Upper Levels Highway near 22nd Street on Sunday afternoon for going 161 km/h in a 90km/h zone.
“[The officer] stops the vehicle, identifies the driver, and subsequently determines that the driver is in the midst of a test drive,” says Constable Jeff Palmer.
A dealership salesperson was with him in the passenger seat. However, Palmer says the driver is the one being held responsible.
“The driver is solely responsible for how they are operating the motor vehicle — whether or not there is a salesperson in the vehicle. The driver, absent a salesperson climbing into the driver’s seat and attempting to take control of the vehicle — which would have dangers of itself… it’s the driver who’s solely responsible.”
There’s no word what prompted the 46-year-old driver to speed down the highway.
“There’s certainly nothing to indicate the driver was being urged [or] encouraged… The owner of the vehicle consented to this,” says Palmer.
“I guess people would have to draw their own conclusion why somebody would be motivated to drive that fast in a test drive. Unfortunately, the consequences are their same, when you’re well in excess of the speed limit,” he adds.
The driver was ticketed $468 for excessive speeding, and the four-door sedan has been impounded for a week.
“If the driver was actually thinking of purchasing the vehicle, it would be unavailable for delivery for a few days yet.”
