After pandemic pause, stunt driving surges in the north this summer
Speeders and motorists being charged with stunt driving are keeping police busy in northern Ontario.
Stunt driving charges are laid when anyone travels 40 km/h faster than the speed limit when the limit is 80 km/hr or lower. When the speed limit is higher than 80 km/h, stunt driving charges are laid when they exceed the limit by 50 km/h.
The Ontario Provincial Police said summer hasn't pumped the brakes on stunt driving so far this year.
With many speeding to try to get to their destinations quickly, police said numbers are already high this year.
“In the north, I have seen speeds of people travelling 187 to 200 km/h on Highway 69,” said Acting OPP Sgt. Rob Lewis.
“On the backroads, I’ve seen where speeds are 40 to 50 (km/h) where drivers doing 130-140 (km/h) on those backroads -- where those roads aren’t designed for those speeds."
New penalties that came into effect July 1, 2021, said anyone caught stunt driving could face a 30-day licence suspension, six demerit points, 14-day vehicle impoundment and fines starting at $2,000.
But Lewis said the stricter penalties haven't deterred motorists.
Speeders and motorists being charged with stunt driving are keeping police busy in northern Ontario. (File)
“During COVID, not too many people travelled,” he said.
“But as soon as restrictions were lifted, we're seeing it going up and it doesn’t seem to get the message out there for people to slow down on the highways
The Insurance Bureau of Canada said along with the hefty fines and demerit points, a stunt driving charge can make a significant dent on a driver's insurance rates.
“If you’re convicted of stunt driving, you’ll end up in the high-risk market,” said Anne Marie Thomas of the Insurance Bureau of Canada.
“So depending on what your premium is now, it could double or triple."
- Download the CTV News app now and get local alerts on your device
- Get local breaking news and updates sent to your email inbox
For example, Thomas said if the driver was paying $2,000 a year for insurance, a stunt driving conviction could raise the rate to roughly $6,000
"That increase will be for the length of time a stunt driving conviction will stay on your record, which is three years from the day you’re convicted, not the day you’re charged," she said.
OPP said fines start at $2,000 but can go as high as $10,000 and can increase with each infraction.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.