Driver caught doing 131 km/h on city street in Mississauga

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Published July 7, 2023 at 12:52 pm

Another driver has been caught travelling at dangerous speeds in an area of north Mississauga that’s been plagued by illegal street racing and stunt driving for years now.

Peel Regional Police said via social media today (July 7) that a man in his 20s was recently nabbed driving his vehicle at 131 km/h in a posted 70 km/h zone on Derry Rd., between Mavis and McLaughlin Rds.

The man was charged with stunt driving and had his driver’s licence suspended for 30 days. Additionally, the vehicle was impounded for 14 days, according to police.

In Ontario, stunt driving 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

Several people who commented on the Peel police Twitter post suggested stronger penalties are in order.

One commenter offered their suggestion to Ontario lawmakers.

“If you want to clean up the streets, it should be one year for the licence (suspension) and 90-day impoundment,” they wrote.

Another wrote: “…so, why are people still driving fast? Sounds like the punishment is not enough. Time for Dougie (Ontario Premier Doug Ford) to push for more. 90-day licence suspension and 30-day impoundment. Get it done.”

Over the years, Peel police have charged countless motorists with stunt driving and illegal street racing throughout Mississauga and Brampton.

Specifically, the area bordered by Derry Rd. to the north, Courtneypark Dr. to the south, Mavis Rd. to the west and McLaughlin Rd. to the east (shown on map below) has proven to be a hot spot for speeders and dangerous driving for many years.

While police enforce posted speed limits year-round in that area and other places in Mississauga, they step up efforts significantly from May to November each year with a targeted enforcement campaign known as Project ERASE (Eliminating Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere).

It’s a collaborative road safety campaign that also includes police forces in Durham, Toronto, Halton, Hamilton, Waterloo and other parts of southern Ontario where dangerous street racers and stunt drivers continue to be a major problem.

Map shows area bordered by Derry Rd. to the north, Courtneypark Dr. to the south, Mavis Rd. to the west and McLaughlin Rd. to the east that’s been known for many years as a hot speeding zone in Mississauga.

This past spring, Peel cops launched their annual Project Noisemaker and ERASE campaign, which in addition to stunt driving and street racing also targets noise pollution from excessively loud vehicles on the roads.

The campaign concludes in early November.

“For the next six months, these ongoing projects will target street racing activities in Peel and motor vehicles with modified and/or excessively loud exhaust systems on the roads,” Peel police said in an earlier news release. “Drivers are reminded that they will be subject to charges and penalties for offences under the Highway Traffic Act and breaking municipal bylaws, and (they) could face seizure of their vehicles and a roadside suspension of their driver’s licence.”

Street racing in Mississauga and Brampton poses a significant danger to the public, police say.

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 to the end of October, police say.

Of particular concern to police the past six months has been a large group of street racers and stunt drivers taking part in the illegal activity at Westwood Square shopping mall in the Malton area of Mississauga.

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