Beach Drive isn’t just known for its smooth asphalt, gentle curves and jaw-dropping views.
It’s also a speeding hotspot, according to the Oak Bay Police Department – one where officers find themselves issuing warnings, handing out tickets and impounding vehicles year after year.
“A lot of people who enjoy driving will take that scenic route … just a little bit faster than they would if they were on … Douglas Street,” said Sgt. Manuel Montero, who has worked for the Oak Bay PD since transferring there from Ontario in 2017. “Since I've been here, it’s always been an issue.”
Though police have conducted speeding enforcement operations along Beach Drive in years past, today, officers carry out self-initiated patrols instead.
“They'll set up in their favourite perch, and that's an area where … they have an unobstructed view of a roadway, and they will sit there basically waiting for vehicles,” said Montero.
To spot speeders, officers use radar and laser guns – devices that look like props out of a sci-fi movie. While the latter emits short pulses of infrared light, radar guns use the Doppler effect to measure the speed of moving vehicles by transmitting radio waves.
It was one of these guns – a black Stalker-II model – that Oak Bay PD officer Tristan Pakosh was using Aug. 27 to spot heavy-footed drivers outside Glenlyon Norfolk School. Standing partially hidden behind two trees, he explained he monitors the road for speeders 12 to 14 times per month when school is in session.
“Speeding is one of those things that in the moment it probably feels pretty harmless to do,” he said. “We all have places we want to get to, but getting there safely at the end of the day is what’s important.”
Before transferring to Oak Bay PD in April, Pakosh worked at the Victoria Police Department. In his five years there, he responded to calls for pedestrians struck by vehicles and motorists ripping along streets while impaired.
“If some sort of emergency or something pops up on the road, you have almost no time to be able to react to it,” he said.
In addition to officers’ self-initiated enforcement, Oak Bay PD engages the public and municipality about speeding, issues news releases about the dangers of driving too fast and directs its reserve constables to raise anti-speeding signs in “problematic” areas.
“Traffic is one of our highest priorities in Oak Bay,” said Montero. “It is part of our strategic plan for the community to maintain safe roadways because that is primarily what our citizens complain about."
The sergeant added, however, that despite the police department's best efforts, rates of speeding have stayed fairly consistent along Beach Drive.
For example, this year, between Jan. 1 and Aug. 27, officers issued 123 speeding tickets on Beach Drive, while 82 were dolled out during the same period in 2024. In 2023, 79 more were issued.
Of the tickets issued this year, 11 were for excessive speeding on Beach Drive – citations reserved for those travelling more than 40 km/h above the limit. Over the same period in 2024 and 2023, police handed out 16 and 14 excessive speeding tickets along the waterfront stretch, respectively.
These fines come with hefty price tags, too. Regular speeding tickets, issued to motorists exceeding the limit by under 40 km/h, cost $196 or $138 if paid within 30 days. Excessive speeding tickets, however, cost $368 and the recipient's car will be impounded for seven days.
“Consider the financial impact of that quick, speedy joy ride,” said Montero. “A seven-day impoundment comes with a bunch of storage fees, and comes with towing fees.”
In 2024, the average clip of those who were issued excessive speeding tickets on Beach Drive was approximately 80 km/h, and some opt to travel much quicker than that. This year, for example, the fastest speeder caught was a motorcyclist travelling 145 km/h – almost four times the limit and approximately half the average speed NASCAR racers drive.
Though zipping that fast along a windy road comes with its dangers, Montero noted there haven’t been any speeding-related deaths along Beach Drive since he joined the department. However, accidents have occurred.
“I would say the one that stands out in my mind was about three or four years ago,” said the sergeant, explaining a motorist made a speedy turn onto Beach Drive from King George Terrace and plowed into a tree. “We've had some close calls where pedestrians have complained about somebody driving at excessive speed and … we've had some near misses with pedestrians and cyclists.”
As Oak Bay PD continues to look for speeders, it wants people to know the dangers of pushing odometer dials higher and higher.
“In a blink of an eye, a calamity could occur, and it may cost you more than just a financial penalty,” said Montero. “It's something that you'll have to live with the rest of your life.”
