It was a bad start to the day for a driver who flicked a smouldering joint out of a vehicle while speeding in a playground zone — all while a Saanich police officer was watching.
All told, the driver was hit with $937 in fines on Sunday. The biggest was $575 for tossing the joint, designated under the Wildfire Act as “dropping or mishandling a burning substance.”The driver also has to pay $253 for speeding in a playground zone and $109 for having an incorrect address on a driver’s licence.
The officer, a drug-recognition expert, determined the driver was not legally impaired, said Saanich police Sgt. Julie Fast.
“If he was, it would’ve turned out to be a totally different situation.”
Fast said the driver was lucky because he could have also been issued a ticket for consuming cannabis in a vehicle.
“The officer chose to use his discretion, and felt that the most appropriate tickets to be issued were the ones that were issued,” she said.
Fast pointed out Saanich police issued a media release just last week on the dangers of tossing lit items from vehicles. It followed multiple complaints from the public.
“It’s a common-sense thing for us to be telling people.”
