Stunt drivers in Ontario could soon face much stiffer penalties for their antics.
The Ford government introduced the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act in the legislation Monday, and among the penalties, longer driver licence suspensions and vehicle impoundment periods.
"Both as Minister of Transportation and a parent to driving-aged teens, I am extremely concerned by the rising number of young drivers in Ontario caught stunt driving, street racing, and driving aggressively," said Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney. "The MOMS Act sends a clear message to drivers. Driving is a privilege, and those who threaten the safety of others have no place on our roads."
If the bill passes, it would increase driver licence suspensions to 30 days from seven, and vehicle impoundments would double to two weeks.
The Ontario government said driver licence suspensions for street racing and stunt driving increased 130 per cent between 2013 and 2019. In the period from March 2020 and last August, they were up 52 per cent from the same period in 2019, and nearly one in five drivers suspended had one or more previous suspensions in the past five years.
While young drivers, those aged 16 to 25, represented 19 per cent of drivers involved in collisions between last March and June, 42 per cent of them were involved in crashes that involved speeds of 50 km/h or more over the speed limit.
Should a driver be convicted of their first offence, they could lose their licence for up to three years. That increases to ten years for a second conviction and a possible lifetime suspension for a third.
"The MOMS Act targets the worst actors on our roads by creating escalating suspensions for repeat offenders and setting a lower speed threshold for stunt driving charges on municipal roads," added Associate Minister of Transportation Kinga Surma.
The MOMS Act will also strengthen oversight of the tow truck industry, redefine what a power-assisted bicycle is, and better track collisions involving car doors and bikes and e-scooters.