Crackdown on speeding to cost violators lots of cash
“It's not the speeding laws that have changed,” said Sgt. Tom O'Brien from the London Police Services (LPS). “So this legislation has re-vamped the racing laws, and they've added a category which basically defines what a stunt is.”
Most media outlets have, to this point, pretty much stuck to covering the new legislation from the speeding stance, but as Sgt. O'Brien said, the definitions of a stunt have changed and drivers can now be penalized, and heavily, if they're caught performing them.
Under the new legislation any driver caught speeding upwards of 50 km/h over the posted limit can face a seven-day suspension of their license, as well the car in question being impounded for the same period. But to add insult to injury, a $2,000 fine will be levied on the driver. When it all gets put together, the charge could end up costing drivers upwards of $3,000.
“In that list of things that is a stunt you might have driving a motor vehicle on a highway with someone in the trunk,” Sgt. O'Brien explained. “Another would be attempting to or lifting some of the tires of the vehicle you're driving off the roadway. So primarily when you hear that you're thinking of a motorcyclist popping a wheelie or a front wheel stand.”
Other stunts include doing ‘donuts,' weaving in and out of traffic reckless on a highway, swerving. And even the fines aren't set in stone, charges can raise that $2,000 minimum to up to $10,000.
“The legislation allows the officer to now seize the license of the driver and seize the motor vehicle both for seven-days regardless of who owns the car,” Sgt. O'Brien continued. “It could be your neighbour, it could be your roommate, it could be your mothers, if we catch you driving it and performing one of those stunts we are entitled to take it and put it in a compound and you pay the bill.”
Now there is another catch that students may not have realized yet. But students who are driving with a G2 license and wind up being charged under the new legislation will likely wind up losing their license in its entirety.
“The charge itself will draw attention to a G2 driver,” Sgt. O'Brien said. “And because it will likely accumulate some demerit points they will likely have their license further suspended or have to start all over again.”
Since the legislations inception on September 30, the LPS have caught and charged three people in London proper, though that does not include any charges laid by the OPP in the area. But to put it into perspective, since January this year more than 100 people have been stopped for speeding more than 50 km/h over the posted limit in the city, so had the legislation passed in January, more that 103 people would have had their cars impounded.
From a financial point of view, and basing the amount on the minimum $2,000 fine per person, London would have funneled $206,000 into the provincial coffers by itself since January. Province-wide, with more than 300 charges since September 30, it amounts to just over $600,000 collected in fines at the minimum a person could be charged.
