Stiffer stunt driving penalties take effect July 1 in Mississauga, Brampton and Ontario

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Published July 1, 2021 at 1:04 am

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Ontario’s increased penalties for speeding, stunt driving and other traffic violations take effect on Thursday. 

The province stated in late April that it would strengthen penalties through the Moving Ontario More Safely (MOMS) Act. The new penaltiesinclude: increasing the vehicle impoundment period for drivers caught street racing/stunt driving to 14 days, and increasing the roadside driver’s licence suspension to 30 days. Previously, the both penalties lasted seven days.

The legislation also lowers the speed threshold for stunt driving charges from 50 km/h to 40 km/h or more above the speed limit, on roads where the speed limit is 80 km/h or less. It also clarifies that the default speed limit is 80 km/h on a a highway that is outside of a municipality or a built-up area.

The Progressive Conservative government said at the time that the bill was introduced that driver’s licence suspensions handed out for street racing and stunt driving increased 52 per cent from March to August 2020, compared to the same timeframe in 2019. And that was on top of a 130-per-cent increase from 2013 to ’19.

The new law almost amends the Highway Traffic Act by Introducing escalating post-conviction driver’s licence suspensions for drivers convicted of street racing/stunt driving:

  • For a first offence, a minimum of one to three years
  • For a second offence, a minimum of three to 10 years
  • For a third offence, a lifetime suspension that may be reduced at a later date to be established by regulation, and
  • For fourth and subsequent offences, a lifetime driver’s licence suspension.
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