Many Edmontonians head out of town on long weekends but recent stops by Strathcona County enforcement officers suggest some are trying to leave the city much faster than others.

Over the August long weekend, peace officers clocked drivers flying down the roads, reaching speeds of almost 200 km/h.

We clocked speeds of 197 and 192 km/h in the County this morning. Have a safe long weekend <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shpk?src=hash">#shpk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Strathco?src=hash">#Strathco</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YEG?src=hash">#YEG</a> —@Sh_Pk_Traffic

"[On Sunday], we were out on patrol and came across a couple of what we like to term 'high-flyers,' " Chris Marynowich, a peace officer with Strathcona County, told CBC News Monday.

Marynowich said his partner clocked a driver travelling 197 km/h westbound on Highway 16 at around 9:15 a.m. in foggy conditions. Not even five minutes later, he caught a driver doing 192 km/h northbound on Anthony Henday Drive.

Both were issued court summons for their violations.

Also on the weekend, Marynowich said peace officers issued fines to drivers of two sports cars racing down the Henday at 170 km/h. They also caught three other drivers who were weaving in and out of traffic at 150 km/h.

Enforcement Services safety intercepted 2 vehicles at 170 and 3 at 150 km/h during traffic operations on Hwy 216 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/shpk?src=hash">#shpk</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Strathco?src=hash">#Strathco</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yeg?src=hash">#yeg</a> —@Sh_Pk_Traffic

Marynowich said these drivers present "a dangerous situation for families on the road that are trying to enjoy the long weekend."

The penalties for speeding, he said, could be as much as a $2,300 fine and a six-month licence suspension. But he said that is generally up to a judge. Peace officers don't have the ability to immediately suspend licenses for excessive speeding.

New Henday leg to blame?

Marynowich said excessive speed isn't a new problem but thinks the newly constructed leg of Anthony Henday Drive has caused a bit of an uptick in "high-flyers."

"It's a very well-built road and it's very wide open," he said. "We've found, in my opinion, that there's been an increase in these really high-end speeds."

Even if there isn't much traffic, Marynowich said there is often wildlife in the area, and collisions with animals can be deadly for motorists.

"You can't react fast enough, and at that speed it takes a long time to stop," he said.

Marynowich wants everyone to know that he and his colleagues are working hard to reduce the number of speeders to make sure everyone gets to their destination safely.

"Sherwood Park and Strathcona County are doing their best to promote traffic safety on the roads," he said. [We're] trying to keep people safe over the weekends."