Source - https://www.highriveronline.com/article ... -this-year

There's been a lot of speeding tickets handed out in Nanton this year

Since the beginning of January, 202 speeding tickets have been issued in the town of Nanton.

As of February 26th, 95 of those tickets had been issued in February.

That is less just slightly less than half of the total tickets issued in all of 2023.

But, according to the Nanton Community Peace Officer in Nanton Carlos Farias, that doesn't necessarily mean there were less speeders last year.

"It is difficult to compare previous years exactly, as past members were not with the Nanton services for the full term," says Farias. "And much of their time was spent building the service that I get to take over. They paved the way and passed me the torch to continue the work they started."

In 2022, Nanton created its own peace officer program, and because they were still building the program, according to Farias, the previous Peace Officers were tied up in the office and not out in full force catching speeders.

"This will be the first year with the full-time peace officer for the whole year," says Farias, who is currently the only Peace Officer with the Town of Nanton.

Of those tickets, Farias says that it's common for him to catch speeders who are going upwards of 120 km/h in a 70 km/hour zone.

At 51 km/h over the speed limit, the offender is required to make an appearance in court.

The fastest speed they have recorded was captured digitally by a highway speed sign.

It showed that a person was driving at a speed of 197 km/h at approximately 2 in the morning.

"In the 50 zone, most of the drivers are driving over 75 km/h," says Farias. "When they see me, of course they reduce their speed. We have a radar sign that shows you the speed, but even then, they don't respect the speed limit."

With an average of 6 or 7 tickets per day, Farias said that he isn't proud of the amount of the tickets he has been issuing.

"It's pretty sad. The fact that people are not following the law, it's sad and dangerous. I'm surprised that we didn't have any serious accident since I've started working here, but I think it's just a matter of time," Farias said.

With the number of crosswalks, kids, and elderly people crossing the street, Farias emphasized the need for people to slow down through town.

On top of the speeding tickets, Farias says that he has also ticketed 11 people this year for driving with expired registration.

"Like, two to three years expired," Farias says.

Most of the speeders Farias catches are going southbound on Highway 2, near the Bomber Command Museum as well as near the Rec Centre, and as you are entering and leaving town.

"I'm not here with the specific goal, like 'This month I want to write 100 tickets or 200 tickets. No. I prefer to write zero tickets and to know my community here is safe."