The Bay St. George RCMP have charged yet another person for driving without the proper paperwork and impounded the vehicle the woman was driving.
After conducting patrols in school zones in the Bay St. George area on Sept. 11 and impounding three vehicles for no insurance, Cpl. John Butler suggested the practice of driving without paperwork is more common than it should be.
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Three vehicles impounded in Bay St. George area for no insurance
He said police are trying to do these mini-blitzes since the school year began and people driving with no registration and/or license are being nabbed.
The latest incident occurred on Saturday at about 3 p.m. when Bay St. George RCMP conducted a traffic stop on West Street in Stephenville.
The 40-year-old Stephenville woman who was driving was issued summary offence tickets for driving with a suspended driver’s license and an expired registration. She also had more than $3,400 in fines.
On Sept. 11 a total of three drivers – including a 22-year-old Piccadilly man, a 37-year-old Stephenville man and a 28-year-old man – were charged for offences including driving without registration or insurance; expired registration and driving without a license, registration or insurance respectively.
In all three instances the vehicles were impounded.
Butler said having unpaid fines in large amounts are not uncommon as they can accumulate quickly when fines aren’t paid.
He said when a vehicle is impounded it’s usually for 30 days, with the storage fees and the towing costs adding up. He said when a person doesn’t pay summary offence tickets and go to get their vehicle registration renewed they quickly learn outstanding fines have to be paid for before the renewal takes place.
“Unfortunately, there are some people who will take the chance of driving without their registration, insurance or a driver’s licence,” Butler said.
He said all situations with vehicles impounded are case specific and there are variables in how they are released back to the owners, as at times third party applications are made if the vehicle that was impounded is owned by someone other than the driver.
