New penalty for people caught stunt driving in Ontario

There’s a new penalty in Ontario aimed at forcing drivers to slow down and follow the speed limit.

As of April 1, the province added yet another penalty for people caught stunt driving. Once convicted, they will have to complete a driver improvement course, or their licence will be cancelled.

“This is a new amendment to the penalty phase that applies to stunt driving," said Timmins Police spokesperson said Marc Depatie.

"To date, we’ve had nobody convicted of this particular offence so the specific aspect of this penalty hasn’t been applied locally just yet … But we’re hopeful that there’s an element of specific deterrence. This will cause that individual who's convicted of stunt driving to fully appreciate the magnitude of their bad behaviours.”

Stunt driving applies to motorists going 40 km/h faster than the speed limit when the speed limit less than 80 km/h. Additionally on roads where the speed limit is about 80 km/h, motorists caught going more than 50 km/h above the limit will face stunt driving charges.

“It has become more and more apparent to law enforcement and the judiciary that the message simply isn’t being absorbed by the entire general population,” said Depatie.

“So given the severity of the outcomes, quite often significant injury and fatality come hand in hand with those collisions that are linked with stunt driving… this is deemed to be a necessary measure."

The new mandatory course comes on top of other penalties, including up to a $10,000 fine, jail sentences, licence suspensions and demerit points.

“The penalties are very severe, but for good reason,” said Depatie.

“This is something that the police see as an effective measure that will remedy bad driving behaviour and we believe this opinion is shared by the vast opinion of motorists in the Province of Ontario.”

In a statement, the Ministry of Transportation said “our government has a zero-tolerance policy for aggressive driving behaviours … As of April 1, 2022, drivers convicted of stunt driving must complete a ministry-approved driver improvement course within 60 days."

Depatie said that as the weather gets better and the snow disappears, some people want to drive faster.

“The stunt driving aspect can happen at any time,” he said. “We’re mindful of it. Our traffic officers and platoon officers diligently monitor area roadways to locate those persons engaged in stunt driving activities.”