New legislation is taking effect to the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) for racing/stunt driving.
The first change is an increase in the previous seven-day vehicle impoundment period to 14 days.
The second change is the introduction of a lower speed threshold for street racing offenders on municipal roads. On roads with a posted speed limit of less than 80 km/h, drivers caught traveling 40 km/h over the speed limit face racing/stunt driving charges (the previous limit was 50 km/h over the speed limit). The penalties for street racing/stunt driving are:
Pre-conviction: immediate seven-day licence suspension and a 14-day vehicle impoundment (previously seven days).
Currently, upon conviction offenders will face:
• Minimum fine between $200 and $2,000
• Maximum fine between $1,000 and $10,000
• Court-ordered licence suspension (2 years for a first conviction and 10 years for a second conviction)
Over the past three years, speed has been the top contributing factor in road fatalities.
Aggressive driving is dangerous and is a leading causal factor in fatal motor vehicle collisions on OPP-patrolled roads. Speed-related fatalities are up about 30 per cent this year. As of June 21, 33 people have died in speed-related collisions. By comparison there were 25 such deaths at this time last year. The OPP remains committed to saving lives on roads, waterways and trails.