Ontario’s 50 Over Law Nabs Scores of Drivers – of all ages
New Laws March 28th. 2008, 12:00pm
Ontario’s controversial new street racing law, put into effect late last year, has nabbed over 120 drivers over the course of the Easter weekend, according to the Toronto Star. The new law punishes drivers traveling 50 km over the marked speed limit with an immediate suspension of their license for 7 days along with the seizure of their vehicle and fines reaching over $2000.
The aggressive campaign, originally intended to deter dangerous street racing on Ontario’s roads, has proven to be quite lucrative since its inception last fall, netting over 10 million in fines in its first month. While its intention was to halt street racing, many of the charged individuals don’t exactly fit the typical profile.In January the Toronto Star reported that police had charged an 85 year-old motorist who was going 161 km/h on Highway 407, 61 km over the limit, north of Toronto.
The man, who was apparently speeding to get to the bank, had lost his vehicle and license for a week and is facing a fine for at least $2000, police say. Even though there were no other vehicles involved in the incident, the man is still being charged under the harsh new measures meant to curb street racing and aggressive driving.
This latest incident tops the campaign’s ‘shock and awe’ intensions, which has charged over 2,300 drivers in its first three months. While this man is the oldest individual to face the new charges, there have been two 75 year-olds busted in separate incidents. While the average age (and typical profile) for street racers and aggressive drivers are men between 20 and 30, the vigorous crackdown is catching drivers of all ages, the youngest being a 16 year old girl.
This latest incident demonstrates just how aggressive the new campaign is and also how loose the definition of ‘street racing’ has become in Ontario. The labels of street racing are no longer strictly applied to youths in supped up muscle cars, as anyone is at risk of excessive speeding, even if they are not racing other drivers.At Legal Action, we want to get past the hype and the headlines to better understand the situations facing motorists in Ontario and to give them the best in fair legal representation. Don’t get caught off guard. Know your rights and know the consequences of aggressive driving. Get the facts and get Legal Action.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 am
[...] 5 fatalities from collisions on the province’s roads and charged at least 115 people with street racing violations. The numbers mark new records for holiday traffic incidents. From the Toronto [...]
June 25th, 2009 at 4:02 am
I’m extremely dissapointed in this law. It is unjust and takes away our rights under the Charter of Rights. We are innocent until proven guilty.
Let’s get something straight; this Law was introduced to rid our streets of “unsafe” racing.
Why then would the OPP and MTO target individuals trailering their “race vehicles” to a drag strip or race track.
These people (of various ages and backgrounds) are taking “racing” to the proper venues; this is exactly what the general public wants. Does this make sense? Should responisble citizens that take their sport to a safe environment be harrassed in this manner. Obviously this is akin to shooting fish in a barrel, or reaching your (not a )”quota.”
Pull enough people over and you will eventually find a few trailers needing some minor repair or a few tow vehicles with their parking brakes slightly out of adjustment or even a few burnt out bulbs. On the most part, these individuals cherish their belongings enoung to ensure a high degree of safety, both on and off public roads. But most importantly, THEY ARE NOT RACING ON THE STREET!
This law gives the “Police” too much power.
Lawyers know this….but really, why would they want less work or change this law…this law provides the policeman extra overtime, the lawyer more cases, the tow companies easy income, the politicians…more money for the governments…and the appearance that what they are doing is really in our best interest.
Think about it!
This law generates an insane amount of money for those involved.
5000 racing tickets = at least $2000.00 in expenses…
5000 racing tickets = at least 5000 hrs of overtime for the policeman involved.
5000 racing tickets = tax payers paying the courts and police for this extra service.
5000 racing tickets = 5000 individuals lost time from work..
do the math it just doesn’t add up…
Don’t forget the insurance companies….they also have their dirty little hands in someones back pocket. (how else would the insurance rates be so high in Ontario VS everywhere else)
Especially when a large number of these “stunting/ racing” charges are dropped.
We need to realize that speeding is speeding, racing is racing, and bad driving is, well bad…just remeber the number of times on the road you were driving and an inattentive driver could have caused or did cause an accident. Now this inattentiveness could be everything from driving too slow, not accelerating up to the flow of traffic on a highway, not allowing other cars to merge safely onto the highway, not giving approcaching vehicles in the left lane the right of way, driving in the left lane/ passing lane….this list could go on….but the just of this is that it’s too difficult to give an inattentive driver a ticket….but wait…they were STUNTING/ RACING.
Someone standing on the pegs of their motorcycle to avoid the impact of a bump or railroad tracks (look it up in the Ontario Motorcycle Handbook published by OUR GOV’t;) is not stunting…..if they were, WHY IS IT IN THE MINISTRY HANDBOOK!!!!
Is a car crosses the solid line while attempting to enter or exit the highway stunting or racing???….no, they just can’t drive well/ broke the highway traffic act…STUNTING>>>NO way.
If a vehicle misses it’s exit…and decides to reverse to gain access to it…should they be charge with STUNTING OR Racing…MOST DEFINITELY…But not because they were doing either of those…but rather that they are lousy drivers and should be taken off the roads…
If a driver makes a left hand turn on a green light….(because the opposing traffic cannot enter the intersection due to the congestion from traffic) and the traffic flow is stopped, should they be charged with stunting????
What really needs to happen here is an inquiry into this law…how many of the tickets given out are really LEGITIMATE. Look at the number of cases thrown out of court. Look at the details of the convictions. Were they really racing? or were they just speeding? Look at the officers giving out these tickets.
If you think I dislike the police you are wrong. I dislike laziness, unfairness, dishonesty, and corruption and the individuals that lower the respect of those other individuals that deserve that respect (because they earned it.)
Open your minds to the things that are happening in our, your world. Don’t believe that everything that comes out of a politician’s, lawyer’s or policeman’s mouth is always the truth….just look around, all three of these professions mentioned have been in the news for one form of curruption or another.
I am not saying that they are all bad, I’m saying look at all the eveidence before you have someone tell you what is the truth.
AND don’t forget we live in a democratic country where our freedom is our right, and our right to a fair trial is our God given right as Canadians!
We need to look closely at this law…there are far too many opportunities for greed, corruption and dishonesty to occcur ….. too much power currupts…
I am a 40 yrld professional driver who puts on a few hundred thousands kilometers a year on the road. Whose also driven everything from a Model T to a Ferrari 360 spyder, scooters to Goldwings, pickup trucks to Transport Trucks.
Ask yourself this question: Why are radar detectors illegal in Ontario….CASH…if you can detect a radar, you will avoid a ticket, no ticket, no cash for the police, if the province asks why do you (Police) need more money… they show that the number of tickets over a period of years has increased, therby proving in a quantifiable proof for the increase in spending. Or they could stop the “quotas” but that would never happen. Don’t believe this doesn’t exit…because it does. I have many friends that are traffic officers. On the record no quotas, off the record they’ll tell you that their sargent will yell at them for too few tickets issued…or that they will be repremanded…
Yes a little off topic, but at the same time illustrating that not everything that goes on is for our best interest….
Open your minds to different views…then decide if this is really what we need.
February 14th, 2010 at 12:02 pm
That law has NOTHING to do w/ safety Debbie O, it is only there for revenue. Just like the stupid law banning radar detectors in Ontario, revenue NOT SAFETY. Did you know that the Spectre 3/4 RDD (radar detector-detector) costs $3500 for each unit. So if Ontario has more than one hundred Spectres, I would like to know who is paying for these electronics devices the O.P.P use? Makes you feel different when it is coming out of “YOUR” pocket now doesn’t it? Just like Red light cameras, trying to promote safety but yet rear end accidents have gone up over 50% at those intersections. The govt regardless of party affiliation, NEEDS TO LEAVE US ALONE!
February 18th, 2010 at 1:01 am
Hahahahahahahah Charter of Rights…
Driving is a privilege not a right. You can go as fast as you want on your own property but as soon as you get onto the government’s property you play by the government’s rules.
It’s a provincial law as well, so you either did it or not, there’s no grey area. I’ve yet to hear about people not speeding and being accused; instead it’s all people that were actually speeding and are complaining about being caught.
Grow up. Slow down. Stop being stupid.
End of story.
February 24th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Thank you for covering this concern with such depth and accuracy. I too believe that our Ontario Government has gone way to far in trying to protect the public. Yes I understand the need for policing the speeders but perhaps this is a little too much?
Thanks,
PAUL