Reckless driving is becoming alarmingly common on Calgary’s major roads and police are warning the city may soon see a record number of fatal collisions.
In a Calgary Herald article, Sgt. Chris Martin, who patrols Calgary’s deep south, says this year has been the worst he’s witnessed in terms of excessive speeding and aggressive driving — especially along Stoney Trail, which makes up part of Calgary’s ring road. Stoney Trail travels from Calgary’s southwest at Highway 8, then straight north to Country Hills Boulevard, where it turns east. It continues across the entirety of the city’s north end, turns south all the way to the community of Cranston, where it veers west and continues to MacLeod Trail. It then becomes Highway 22X, which preexisted Stoney Trail.
The speed limit is 110 km/h.
When Martin started policing 14 years ago, he says it was rare to catch drivers exceeding a 100 km/h limit. Now, it happens daily. In one recent 10-hour shift, an officer stopped five vehicles travelling between 160 km/h and 195 km/h, more than 50 km/h over the limit.
So far this year, Calgary has recorded 25 fatal crashes, putting the city on track to surpass 2024’s record of 29. Edmonton faces similar concerns, with speed a factor in half of its 2025 fatal collisions.
Martin stresses that changing driver attitudes is crucial. “Speeding has become normalized, but roads are a shared responsibility. Slowing down saves lives.”
Excessive speeding fines and penalties in Alberta
Alberta courts take excessive speeding very seriously. If you’re caught driving more than 50 km/h over the posted limit, you immediately enter the suspension zone. Instead of receiving a standard ticket with a set fine, you’ll be ordered to appear before a judge, who will determine your penalty and the fine amount.
The consequences can be severe — a fine of up to $2,500 and a potential 90-day licence suspension.
In many cases, police may also issue an additional charge for Careless Driving alongside the excessive speeding ticket. This offence carries six demerits and will have a major impact on your auto insurance rates. Careless Driving is also considered a serious offence, and drivers need to be aware that the insurance consequences are just as severe as those for impaired driving. In Alberta, a careless driving conviction on your record can lead to the loss of your current coverage and dramatic premium hikes, often costing thousands of extra dollars over the following three years.
Excessive speeding fines are harsh, but so are regular speeding fines. Alberta is one of the few provinces in Canada where speeding fines increase for every kilometre per hour you exceed the limit. Many drivers mistakenly believe tickets aren’t usually issued unless you’re driving at least 10 km/h over on city streets or 20 km/h over on highways.
That’s not true. Between April 2016 and March 2017 there were 106,088 convictions in Alberta for going from just one to 15 km/h over the speed limit out of a total of 296,640 convictions. Fines also double in school and construction zones.
Going just one km/h over the speed limit nets an $81, and fines go up incrementally by $3 per kilometre after that. Driving 49 km/h over the speed limit will net you a $495 fine, with 50 km/h putting you in the extreme speeding category, which comes with extreme consequences. Fines range from $650 to $2,500 and potentially the loss of your licence.
How speeding affects your auto insurance rates
Speeding convictions will stay on your record for three years, and speeding tickets will absolutely impact your auto insurance premiums, with the extent depending on several factors:
- How far over the limit you were driving.
- How many previous tickets you already have.
- Whether the ticket was issued alongside other traffic violations.
There are four speeding ticket demerits categories :
- 1-15 km/hr over the limit: 2 demerits
- 16-30 km/hr over the limit: 3 demerits
- 31-50 km/hr over the limit: 4 demerits
- 51+ km/hr over the limit: 6 demerits
The number of demerits you receive directly affects how much your auto insurance premiums will go up. It varies by circumstance, however, on average:
- A first minor speeding ticket (lower speed over the limit) might increase premiums by ~10-25%, depending on your history.
- Two minor traffic convictions within three years can lead to a 25-50% increase.
- Three minor convictions may result in a 35-100% increase.
- Major convictions (e.g. excessive speeding, or convictions involving risk to others) will be much worse, possibly comparable to impaired driving or other serious infractions.
Get excellent rates on all your auto insurance needs
Lane’s Insurance is a top Alberta-based insurance brokerage for auto insurance, offering fantastic rates and attentive service to customers throughout the province. Remember that you can save as much as 20% off by bundling your home and auto insurance. To learn more, contact us at our Calgary, Edmonton, Banff or greater Alberta offices to learn more.
