WINNIPEG -- A Manitoba man caught going nearly 90 k/m over the speed limit is facing a hefty ticket, after telling officers he thought his speedometer might have malfunctioned.

In a social media post on Tuesday, RCMP said officers clocked a 27-year-old Winnipeg man going 188 km/h in a 100 km/h zone along Highway 59 on Saturday.

RCMP said the man allegedly told officers he had looked down and was only going 110 km/h, and said his "speedometer may be out", according to RCMP.

"Never heard that one before," RCMP said in the social media post.

The man was handed a fine of $1,202 and issued a serious offence notice.

A spokesperson for the Manitoba RCMP said this kind of speeding has been an issue officers have been dealing with since the beginning of the pandemic.

According to Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI), there has been a significant increase in speeding in the province since the pandemic hit in March.

From April to June, MPI said there was a total of 148 speed-related (Serious Driving Offences) that were forwarded to the Registrar of Motor Vehicles. This is a 60 per cent increase compared to the same time period in 2019.

MPI said speed infractions of 50 km/h or more over the speed limit have to be reported to the Registrar, and drivers are given five business days to schedule a Show Cause Hearing.

According to MPI, 90 per cent of these hearings result in license suspensions based on the speed recorded on the ticket and the person's driving record.

The suspension can last months to years, MPI said.

MPI said during April to June 2020, the highest speed recorded was a person driving 178 km/h in an 80 km/h zone, 98 km/h over the limit.