Stunt driving penalties were already among the worst of all convictions for traffic ticket offences. And the penalties and costs aren’t limited to fines. Convictions also carry 6 demerit points, immediate driver’s license suspensions and vehicle impoundment at your expense.
New Stunt Driving Legislation
Despite the serious and severe penalties, there was pressure on the government or offer more protection for all road users. On April 26, 2021, the Ontario government announced the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, also known as the MOMS Act. The Act is aimed at reducing street racing/stunt driving, and aggressive and unsafe driving.
According to a media release for the province, the MOMS Act outlined the following regulatory changes to increase stunt driving penalties.
- Increase the roadside driver’s licence suspension and vehicle impoundment periods for drivers caught street racing/stunt driving from seven days each to a 30-day driver’s licence suspension and a 14-day vehicle impoundment.
- Introduce escalating post-conviction driver’s licence suspensions for drivers convicted of stunt driving:
– Minimum of one to three years for a first offence
– Minimum of three to 10 years for a second offence
– A lifetime suspension for a third offence, which may be reduced at a later date to be established by regulation
– For fourth and subsequent offences, a lifetime driver’s licence suspension. - Create a lower speed threshold for stunt driving charges of driving 40 kilometres per hour (km/h) or more above the speed limit on roads where the speed limit is less than 80 km/h.
The MOMS Act also outlined other rule changes related to protecting vulnerable road users and highway workers, improving truck safety standards and strengthening oversight of the tow truck sector.
What Constitutes Stunt Driving?
With the new penalties, it’s important to know just what sorts of offences they cover.
According to the Ontario Government website, stunt driving includes the following:
- Street racing or driving that indicates the driver is in a competition with another driver(s)
- Speeding 40 kilometres per hour or more over the speed limit on roads with a speed limit less than 80 kilometres per hour
- Speeding 50 kilometres per hour or more over the speed limit
- Driving in a way that prevents other vehicles from passing
- Intentionally cutting off another vehicle
- Intentionally driving too close to another vehicle, pedestrian or fixed object
In other words, you could face an immediate roadside driver’s licence suspension and vehicle impoundment for 30 days, fines up to $10,000, and a prison sentence of up to six months, if you receive a conviction on stunt driving charges after intentionally cutting someone off.
How X-Copper Helps
The seriousness of the charges, increases in car insurance rates and loss of driving privileges means you must protect your right if you receive a stunt driving charge. X-Copper’s team of former police officers and top traffic ticket defense lawyers have experience in defending against stunt-driving charges. They will use their experience and knowledge of criminal law, law enforcement and court procedures to protect your rights.
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