P.E.I.'s wild west: Dangerous driving more common in Prince County, study shows

A new study by RCMP that shows most dangerous driving offences on P.E.I. occur in the western part of the Island doesn't come as a surprise to some residents of the area.

All you have to do is look at the circular skid marks burned into the roads, said Jeanne Hinks of Pleasant View.

"We've got them all over the place, especially in front of our place," Hinks said. "We thought the house down the road was on fire from all the smoke from the rubber on the road, but that's what they seem to do here."

The study found that Prince County drivers accounted for 84 per cent of police chases over the past four years.

The area also accounted for 68 per cent of dangerous driving offences, and 60 per cent of ultra-high-risk speeding incidents — when drivers go more than 60 kilometres per hour over the speed limit — despite being home to only 30 per cent of the province's population.

The study was done by the RCMP for the Department of Justice.

Crown prosecutor John Diamond used the data in his sentencing arguments in a recent dangerous driving case, where a motorcycle going double the speed limit in O'Leary struck a pedestrian. The victim had his leg amputated.

There have also been cases of dangerous driving causing death on P.E.I.

RCMP Const. Gavin Moore said a simple speeding ticket could become much more serious if the driver flees from police, not just for a potential victim, but for the driver, where the maximum punishment is five years in prison — or 10 if someone is injured in the process.

"They are now crossing from a speeding ticket scenario into a situation where they may be charged with Criminal Code offences with very serious possible outcomes for them, including criminal records."

Public safety is the primary concern for police, Moore said. He said that could mean choosing not to pursue a vehicle at a high speed if it puts others at risk.

But that doesn't mean they will get away with it. Police may show up at their door later on.

"The officers working in these communities know their communities," Moore said. "It is a very small subset of people that are participating in this and with that the officers become familiar with the make, model colour of different vehicles and intelligence is collected with time."

Hinks said she and her husband, Ted, moved to P.E.I. from Niagara 10 years ago for a quieter life. But they said putting up with squealing tires might cause less drama than reporting it to police.