Criticism of Ontario’s eight-month-old street-racing legislation, which allows police officers to automatically suspend the license and impound the vehicles of speeders going 50 km over the limit, has increased in the light of new statistics concerning recent verdicts.

As the CBC reported earlier this month, over 5000 people have been charged under the new law, facing enormous fines over $2000. Yet of the 1,080 cases to go to trail as of April 1^st, only 33% have actually seen convictions.

“As of April 1, 1,080 street-racing cases have gone to trial, with 325 convictions. According to the ministry, 526 cases were reduced to speeding, while 229 were either withdrawn, dismissed or stayed.

The fines for those convicted ranged from $2,000 to $10,000, but some fines have been as little as $200

Police say the new legislation is making streets safer.

Julian Fantino, chief of the Ontario Provincial Police, says the criticism is “uninformed.”

Speed-related fatalities, according to Fantino, are down almost 42 per cent from the same time last year, proof that the tough laws work.

But in more than 1,000 street-racing cases that have gone to trial so far, almost half the drivers have pleaded down to a lesser charge that carries no roadside suspension.”

By then, their cars and licences have already been taken away, as well as the towing and legal fees, which aren’t refunded.

The latest facts concerning the law’s impact question the validity of the police’s increased power, as they lay down fines and suspensions where they used to only make charges. Since withdrawn cases see no compensation for tow fees, automatic fines, etc., the law will continue to be marred by its draconian implications.

With only a 33% conviction rate, the harsh measures being taken before cases go to court seem illegitimate and unnecessary. Dangerous drivers need to be taken off the road, but not without respect for due process or substantial precedents. The law’s first few months have not shown either.