In just one month, numerous drivers have been charged with stunt driving, leading Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to urge everyone to follow the rules of the road.
Members of the Russell County Detachment have stopped over 40 drivers for stunt driving since May 1. Police have been actively monitoring the southern part of Highway 417 and nearby rural roads to address what they describe as “excessive speeding and dangerous driving behaviours.”
An example highlighted by officers includes a driver who was caught going 91 km/h in a 40 km/h school zone during hours when children are present.
Other alarming cases involved speeds of 60 and 50 km/h over the limit in a 60 km/h area, as well as instances of driving at 191 km/h and 179 km/h on Highway 417.
Every driver who was pulled over faced charges for stunt driving, which comes with an immediate roadside licence suspension, a vehicle impound lasting two weeks, and at least a $2,000 fine if found guilty. Officials note that “may increase significantly depending on the circumstances.”
“Stunt driving remains a significant road safety issue, placing all road users at risk,” officials said.
Officers See Stunt Driving Charges Reduced in Court
Police have observed that repeat offenders for stunt driving are often stopped again.
“If I’m dealing with someone at the roadside, I’ll see their driving history, and I’ll see their conviction,” Philip Kane, OPS’s street racing and stunt driving enforcement coordinator, explained. “So, lots of times I’ll see they’ve been charged by Toronto or Halton (police) or OPP with stunt driving elsewhere.”
This has also occurred in Ottawa where Kane will charge someone only to discover they had already received a similar charge from the Ottawa detachment of the OPP.
“This is a frustrating thing that we as police officers have,” he noted. “We can lay a charge for stunt driving; it goes to court and not all the time but lots of times it’ll get pleaded down to a lesser (charge).”
The original charge may be reduced to speeding instead, which has fewer penalties compared to stunt driving that involves harsher fines and consequences like licence suspension and vehicle impoundment. Kane mentioned that if he finds out someone previously faced a stun-driving charge but wasn’t convicted, he makes sure to include this information in his reports to show it’s not their first excessive speeding incident.
For officers working hard on keeping roads safe, it’s disheartening when some manage to evade serious penalties for their actions.
Julia Facca, Press Secretary for Ontario’s Attorney General Doug Downey stated that the province enforces some of the toughest penalties across North America regarding reckless driving.
“Our government is continuing to take action to strengthen road safety and protect families while building a more responsive justice system,” she commented in her statement to City News. “This includes exploring new measures that would require impaired drivers to pay ongoing child support if they kill a parent or guardian.”
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