Leduc policing services and the City of Leduc are reminding people that any vehicle left on a public roadway for more than 72 hours is considered abandoned and will have to be dealt with accordingly.
Community Peace Officer James Russell says most vehicles considered abandoned in the city are left near the owner’s home. “A lot of people are unaware it’s a 72-hour limit.”
“Education is the first step we try to do,” he added.
When an abandoned vehicle is located Russell says police look for the registered owner to inform them of the situation and they are not looking to jump into consequences and punishment right off the cusp.
“It’s definitely a pretty consistent issue,” said Russell.
For Leduc it is more prevalent during the winter months and also poses more of a safety concern, especially along highways when other drivers and emergency services need clear paths.
During the warmer and summer months, abandoned vehicles are left on public roadways more out of convenience.
Russell says most of the cases stem from people having too many vehicles for their driveways, having company that will not fit in the driveway and storing vehicles on public property while on vacation. “if you know you’re going on extended vacation put it on private property.”
A City of Leduc press release states, “Leduc Enforcement Services will be actively enforcing this legislation when dealing with vehicles found to be in contravention of the Alberta Traffic Safety Act. Non-compliance can result in a fine of $310 and the vehicle will be towed from the roadway.”
Between Oct 1 2014 and Mar 312015 Leduc Enforcement Services attended 214 abandoned vehicles. These were a mixture of officer generated files and citizen complaints, says Russell.