The Renfrew OPP issued 143 provincial offences and six stunt driving charges over the Canada Day Week campaign.
Police say on July 4th, 2021, officers spent 4-hours on Highway 17 in McNab/Braeside and issued 24 tickets including one stunt driving offence.
The Canada Day week campaign took place from June 26th to July 4th.
On July 1, 2021 two changes to the Highway Traffic Act took effect for racing/stunt driving.
The first change is an increase in the previous seven-day vehicle impoundment period to 14 days.
The second change is the introduction of a lower speed threshold for street racing offenders on municipal roads.
On roads with a posted speed limit of less than 80 km/h, drivers caught traveling 40 km/h over the speed limit face racing/stunt driving charges (the previous limit was 50 km/h over the speed limit).
Note: The increase in driver’s licence suspensions to 30 days does not take effect until September 2021.
The penalties for street racing/stunt driving are as follows:
- Pre-conviction: Immediate 7-day licence suspension and a 14-day vehicle impoundment
Currently, upon conviction offenders will face:
- Minimum fine between $200 and $2,000
- Maximum fine between $1,000 and $10,000
- Court-ordered licence suspension (2 years for a first conviction and 10 years for a second conviction)
The OPP says aggressive driving is dangerous and is a leading causal factor in fatal motor vehicle collisions on roads patrolled by provincial police.
Photo supplied by: Renfrew OPP
