A 20-year-old B.C. “L” driver learned a hard lesson, and did so in front of her whole family.
The BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) shared informationa bout an incident that took place on July 11 on Highway 5 just south of Merritt, B.C.
Officers stopped a 2026 Honda Pilot after BCHP caught the vehicle going 168 km/h in a 120 km/h zone.
The 20-year-old Williams Lake woman was driving the vehicle with five passengers.
BCHP said that while this ordinarily would be a violation of the single passenger allowed bylaw, she said that they were all family members.
#BCHighwayPatrol – Learner driver gets her family’s brand-new SUV impounded while her family watches https://t.co/mig3hsQolb pic.twitter.com/QjxAir2eW3
— BC Highway Patrol (@BCHwyPatrol) July 20, 2026
“An unlimited number of family passengers is an exception allowed by the BC Motor Vehicle Act,” BCHP noted.
BCHP Corporal Michael McLaughlin said that just because something is “technically legal,” it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
“Learner drivers do not have the demonstrated skills to safely drive a large number of passengers — which is something this driver exemplified when she chose to speed,” he said.
For her speeding violation, the 20-year-old B.C. driver was hit with a fine of $368 for excessive speed, the cost of a tow truck and a seven-day impound for the Pilot, and “at least three years of high-risk driver premiums that will bring the total costs close to $2,500.”
“The cost of the seven-day impound is usually the responsibility of the Registered Owner (RO) of the vehicle, but since the RO is the driver’s father, the family may negotiate another arrangement among themselves,” BCHP added.
BCHP has been quite busy in recent weeks, and it recently shared a separate incident involving a motorcyclist with a learner’s permit travelling at “shocking” speeds.