Penalties for stunt driving aren't stiff enough. That was the take away after an online town hall meeting on the issue that included police, transportation officials and local politicians. Stunt driving is defined as going over 50 kilometres an hour than the posted limit. It's become a serious problem on Highway 6 between Tobermory and Wiarton. Vehicles have been clocked going as fast as 200 kilometres an hour. People have been killed. Bruce Grey Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker says current penalties aren't enough.
"They should go as far as taking the car away permanently and losing your licence for up to a year at minimum and maybe having to go and rewrite your licence to really make it sink in so people are looking very stiff financial penalties and we can't again ever think that there's anything too stringent when people are losing their lives over someone else's foolishness," says Walker.
Walker says he's taken proposals to provincial officials and says a solution to stunt driving is needed province-wide.
The current penalty for stunt driving is:
6 demerit points fine between $2,000 – $10,000 possible jail up to 6 months 7 day impoundment of vehicle immediate 7 day driver licence suspension possible further 2 year suspension upon conviction 100 percent increase to insurance rates.