2,100 street racing charges laid last year in Mississauga, Brampton: police

The number of street racing-related charges laid in Mississauga and Brampton by Peel Regional Police jumped to more than 2,100 last year compared to some 800 in 2022.

That significant increase — more than two-and-a-half times the number of charges — shows not only the dangerous and illegal driving behaviour to be on the rise in the two Peel cities, but that cops are dramatically stepping up efforts to nab offenders, police brass say.

“This upward trend (in charges) sends a clear message: dangerous driving will not be tolerated in our communities,” Peel police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said Tuesday morning at a press conference in Brampton where police from across the Greater Toronto Area kicked off their annual Project ERASE awareness/enforcement campaign to crack down on illegal street racing, stunt driving and illegal car rallies.

“These figures reflect our unwavering commitment to road safety and highlight the ongoing need for coordinated enforcement strategies,” Andrews continued. “Through strong partnerships with neighbouring police services and our government partners, we are taking a unified approach to combat high-risk driving behaviours and protect the public.”

The multijurisdictional Project ERASE — Eliminating Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere — runs each year from May through October and sees police officers in Peel, Toronto, Hamilton, Halton, York, those with Ontario Provincial Police and elsewhere proactively target the most dangerous drivers on the road.

Police say dangerous driving continues to be a troubling trend that puts lives at risk on roads and highways in Mississauga, Brampton, the GTA and across Ontario.

Street racing continues to be a problem — and a danger — in Mississauga, Brampton and across the GTA.

In addition to the increase in charges laid between 2022 and 2024, Peel police say that in the last two weeks alone, 32 vehicles have been seized, including 26 related to stunt driving, and more than 400 charges laid in Mississauga and Brampton.

Stunt driving in Ontario is defined as travelling at:

• 50 km/h or more over the speed limit where the posted limit is above 80 km/h
• 40 km/h or more over where the limit is 80 km/h or less
• a speed of 150 km/h or more on any road or highway

Drivers who are involved in stunt driving and street racing could be subject to:

• 30-day licence suspension at roadside
• 14-day vehicle impoundment at roadside (whether it’s your vehicle or not)
• minimum fine of $2,000 and a maximum of $10,000
• jail term of up to six months
• six demerit points
• upon conviction, a further licence suspension of one year for the first conviction, three to 10 years for the second conviction and an indefinite suspension for third conviction

Peel police say they also work closely with the cities of Mississauga and Brampton to ensure bylaws are enforced, including fines of up to $800 for participants and spectators at illegal car rallies. In addition, they say offenders are subject charges, vehicle impoundment and driver’s licence suspension.

“Ensuring that Mississauga’s roads are being used by responsible and careful drivers is critical to everyone’s safety,” said Mississauga Deputy Mayor Matt Mahoney, also a member of the Peel Police Service Board.

100 fatal crashes on Ontario highways involved speed: OPP

Mahoney, also on hand for Tuesday’s Project ERASE kickoff, added drivers must “take accountability for their actions” and that Mississauga stands “in solidarity with Peel Regional Police as they kick off their annual Project ERASE campaign.”

Also at the annual enforcement campaign’s launch event was Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who noted initiatives such as Project ERASE “play a crucial role in promoting public safety and building a safer Brampton — one where accountability is the norm, not the exception.”

OPP, meanwhile, said 100 fatal collisions they investigated across the province last year involved speed as a main factor.

In recent years, Peel police have identified racing and stunt driving “hot spots” in the region’s two cities and have targeted those areas as part of their enforcement strategy.

Still, street racing in Mississauga and Brampton continues to pose a significant danger to the public, police said.

Typically, groups of street racers show up in large numbers to race in industrial areas in Peel and across the GTA late Friday and Saturday nights from about May through the end of October.

As part of Project ERASE, members of the public are urged to report dangerous driving behaviours by contacting Peel police Road Safety Services at 905-453-3311 or Peel Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Those who want to report dangerous driving can also fill out an online report via Road Watch, a police program to help get dangerous drivers off the roads.