Street racing penalty: $10,000 - Ontario only.

[sergiepopov]

Apr 13, 2007 04:30 AM
Tess Kalinowski
Transportation Reporter

Queen's Park is set to create the toughest penalties in the country for drunk driving and street racing.

Legislation introduced yesterday would dramatically increase Ontario's punishments for road behaviours that each year cause hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths.

The crackdown is being lauded by police, road safety advocates and people like Muhammad Naseem, who have lost friends and loved ones to dangerous driving.

The new penalties will set the standard across Canada for street racing and drunken driving offences, Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield said yesterday.

The moment he heard about the legislation, Naseem thought of his friend Tahir Khan, the cab driver killed on Jan. 24, 2006 by a car believed to be racing in broad daylight.

"Street racing is just like any other violent crime, only with cars instead of guns," said Naseem, a fellow immigrant who met Khan while they were rookie drivers for Diamond Taxi.

"You should pay the price if you street race, and this is a very good price – a $10,000 fine, and police being able to suspend the driver's licence and impound the car.

"If you know the punishment is strong, at least you'll think about racing before you do it," Naseem said.

The legislation would:


# Increase the maximum fine for road racing from $1,000 to $10,000, and set the minimum at $2,000.




# Allow police to impound cars immediately and suspend licences for seven days in cases of suspected road racing.




# Give drivers caught with a blood-alcohol level from .05 to .08 – in the legal but "warn" zone – a three-day licence suspension instead of 12 hours.




# Empower the courts to seize the cars of drunk drivers in egregrious cases.




# Create the option of reduced suspensions for first-time drunk-driving offenders who agree to install an ignition interlock, essentially a car breathalyzer system, that disables their vehicle if they've been drinking.



Ontario would be the sixth province to introduce the ignition interlock provision – an offer that also might be extended to some second-time offenders convicted before the act is implemented, according to a spokesperson for the transportation minister.

"These are good recommendations; they're solid and they're going to save lives," said Ontario Safety League president Brian Patterson. "Extreme driving is killing people and these measures will assist in addressing the worst of the worst."

Patterson said speed-racing offenders typically range in age from 20 to 40.

"Too many people feel the need for speed, and they're doing it in minivans and doing it in Honda Civics," he said.

Ontario has seen 35 street racing-related deaths since 1999, according to the government.

Suspected street racing incidents took the lives of Khan and several others in the GTA last year.

In May, Rob and Lisa Manchester of Oak Ridges were innocent victims of an racing incident on Yonge St. that left their young daughter an orphan.

Last night, Lisa's uncle Ronald Cote called the stiffer fines "an improvement that might speak to some young people, and having the car impounded would at least do something to fight this problem."

Cote said the Manchesters' orphaned daughter Katie, now 8, is rebuilding her life with relatives after the "sad and wasteful tragedy."

Days after the Manchesters were killed, a visitor from England, Peter Kippax, lost control of a Porsche he was driving alongside a cousin's Mercedes on Mavis Rd. in Mississauga. He was killed, while two people in an oncoming car were severely injured.

And in September, a University of Toronto exchange student was the innocent victim of a crash when his pickup was clipped by a car racing on the Queensway in Mississauga.

"There can be no tolerance for people who put other people's lives at risk on Ontario roads," Premier Dalton McGuinty told a news conference in Stouffville. "The measures, if passed, will only help keep our communities and families safe."

York Region Police Chief Armand LaBarge said impaired driving kills nearly five Canadians a day.

"Each year, 2.3 million Canadians operate motor vehicles while impaired. Impaired driving continues to be the No. 1 criminal cause of death in our nation," he added.

York Region experienced a 9 per cent increase in impaired-driving offences in 2006, he told reporters. Alcohol was a factor in 12 of 30 fatal collisions in the region, and excessive speed was a contributing factor in eight of those.

LaBarge also applauded a proposal to allow police cars to use a combination of red and blue lights to make them more visible. Ontario is the last province to make that move.

While praising the legislation, Tory MPP Frank Klees (Oak Ridges) said it doesn't go far enough in banning nitrous-oxide power boosters in cars.

Street racers install the aftermarket nitrous oxide fuel systems to increase acceleration and horsepower.

[sergiepopov]

Apr 13, 2007 04:30 AM
Tess Kalinowski
Transportation Reporter

Queen's Park is set to create the toughest penalties in the country for drunk driving and street racing.

Legislation introduced yesterday would dramatically increase Ontario's punishments for road behaviours that each year cause hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths.

The crackdown is being lauded by police, road safety advocates and people like Muhammad Naseem, who have lost friends and loved ones to dangerous driving.

The new penalties will set the standard across Canada for street racing and drunken driving offences, Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield said yesterday.

The moment he heard about the legislation, Naseem thought of his friend Tahir Khan, the cab driver killed on Jan. 24, 2006 by a car believed to be racing in broad daylight.

"Street racing is just like any other violent crime, only with cars instead of guns," said Naseem, a fellow immigrant who met Khan while they were rookie drivers for Diamond Taxi.

"You should pay the price if you street race, and this is a very good price – a $10,000 fine, and police being able to suspend the driver's licence and impound the car.

"If you know the punishment is strong, at least you'll think about racing before you do it," Naseem said.

The legislation would:


# Increase the maximum fine for road racing from $1,000 to $10,000, and set the minimum at $2,000.




# Allow police to impound cars immediately and suspend licences for seven days in cases of suspected road racing.




# Give drivers caught with a blood-alcohol level from .05 to .08 – in the legal but "warn" zone – a three-day licence suspension instead of 12 hours.




# Empower the courts to seize the cars of drunk drivers in egregrious cases.




# Create the option of reduced suspensions for first-time drunk-driving offenders who agree to install an ignition interlock, essentially a car breathalyzer system, that disables their vehicle if they've been drinking.



Ontario would be the sixth province to introduce the ignition interlock provision – an offer that also might be extended to some second-time offenders convicted before the act is implemented, according to a spokesperson for the transportation minister.

"These are good recommendations; they're solid and they're going to save lives," said Ontario Safety League president Brian Patterson. "Extreme driving is killing people and these measures will assist in addressing the worst of the worst."

Patterson said speed-racing offenders typically range in age from 20 to 40.

"Too many people feel the need for speed, and they're doing it in minivans and doing it in Honda Civics," he said.

Ontario has seen 35 street racing-related deaths since 1999, according to the government.

Suspected street racing incidents took the lives of Khan and several others in the GTA last year.

In May, Rob and Lisa Manchester of Oak Ridges were innocent victims of an racing incident on Yonge St. that left their young daughter an orphan.

Last night, Lisa's uncle Ronald Cote called the stiffer fines "an improvement that might speak to some young people, and having the car impounded would at least do something to fight this problem."

Cote said the Manchesters' orphaned daughter Katie, now 8, is rebuilding her life with relatives after the "sad and wasteful tragedy."

Days after the Manchesters were killed, a visitor from England, Peter Kippax, lost control of a Porsche he was driving alongside a cousin's Mercedes on Mavis Rd. in Mississauga. He was killed, while two people in an oncoming car were severely injured.

And in September, a University of Toronto exchange student was the innocent victim of a crash when his pickup was clipped by a car racing on the Queensway in Mississauga.

"There can be no tolerance for people who put other people's lives at risk on Ontario roads," Premier Dalton McGuinty told a news conference in Stouffville. "The measures, if passed, will only help keep our communities and families safe."

York Region Police Chief Armand LaBarge said impaired driving kills nearly five Canadians a day.

"Each year, 2.3 million Canadians operate motor vehicles while impaired. Impaired driving continues to be the No. 1 criminal cause of death in our nation," he added.

York Region experienced a 9 per cent increase in impaired-driving offences in 2006, he told reporters. Alcohol was a factor in 12 of 30 fatal collisions in the region, and excessive speed was a contributing factor in eight of those.

LaBarge also applauded a proposal to allow police cars to use a combination of red and blue lights to make them more visible. Ontario is the last province to make that move.

While praising the legislation, Tory MPP Frank Klees (Oak Ridges) said it doesn't go far enough in banning nitrous-oxide power boosters in cars.

Street racers install the aftermarket nitrous oxide fuel systems to increase acceleration and horsepower.

[Emancipated]

2.3 million a year? There's no excuse for driving drunk when a cab is so readily available. Street racing is a culture thing and poses a bigger challenge of the two, imo. If anything, both offenses should get harsher penalties. Take their car away, forever.

[Ryus]

Ontario has seen 35 street racing-related deaths since 1999, according to the government.


LOL!!!!! 35 related deaths since 1999! Those are some pretty good odds compared to the number of shooting related deaths. All the extra resources the authorities want to spend on cracking down streetracing could be better used on cracking down gun violence, which are at what, 2 a day?

Its funny how they keep glamourizing these streetracing crimes of 35 deaths in 8 years! Its the end of the world, we must do something about it LOL!



Street racers install the aftermarket nitrous oxide fuel systems to increase acceleration and horsepower.

I wonder how many of the 35 deaths had streetracers with NOS.

[SKYMTL]

AMEN to this!!

Finally, they are cracking down more on street racing.

[sergiepopov]

Ontario has seen 35 street racing-related deaths since 1999, according to the government.

It's sad, but just for comparison:
"As many as 23,750 people die each year from in-hospital adverse events, according to statistics from the Canadian Institute for Health Information."
"Doctors have deep pockets. They pay malpractice insurance premiums to the Canadian Medical Protective Association, a group that defends doctors against legal actions, which has more than $2 billion in defence fund reserves."
from Toronto Star.

[hytong]

2007 calendar updated under 2005
http://www.swbs.com/autorace.html

[mlc2000]

LOL!!!!! 35 related deaths since 1999! Those are some pretty good odds compared to the number of shooting related deaths. All the extra resources the authorities want to spend on cracking down streetracing could be better used on cracking down gun violence, which are at what, 2 a day?

Its funny how they keep glamourizing these streetracing crimes of 35 deaths in 8 years! Its the end of the world, we must do something about it LOL!

I wonder how many of the 35 deaths had streetracers with NOS.

Its actually good that you use gun crime for a comparison, for

it is the illegal users that are causing the problems.

They have gun clubs for legal gun owners.

You can't do target shooting on a public street, you have to go to a secure facility.

If the street racers want some cred, go to a track.

Racing on the public streets is dangerous, even if you're a professional driver.

But then , of course, pro's race at the track, not on city streets.

If you skid off a track, you hit hay bales.

If you skid off a street, you're likely to hit a pedestrian, or another vehicle.

Quit crying and take some responsibility. I applaud these new measures

One battle at a time....gun crime can't be solved over night,

and this won't solve the street racing problem, but it will have an impact.

[Canuck_2005]

# Allow police to impound cars immediately and suspend licences for seven days in cases of suspected road racing.


I am not a street racer, and I 100% agree with tougher penalties but this part scares me. Police abuse there powers enough. I can see "Showboat" cars being hasled with this when they have done nothing wrong.....

[majesus]

Its actually good that you use gun crime for a comparison, for

it is the illegal users that are causing the problems.

They have gun clubs for legal gun owners.

You can't do target shooting on a public street, you have to go to a secure facility.

If the street racers want some cred, go to a track.

Racing on the public streets is dangerous, even if you're a professional driver.

But then , of course, pro's race at the track, not on city streets.

If you skid off a track, you hit hay bales.

If you skid off a street, you're likely to hit a pedestrian, or another vehicle.

Quit crying and take some responsibility. I applaud these new measures

One battle at a time....gun crime can't be solved over night,

and this won't solve the street racing problem, but it will have an impact.

Agreed. Nice write up :) Street racing is extremely dangerous. The last thing anyone wants is some dipstick coming at a loved one and mowing them over at 160km/hr just because he wants to show off his car. Go to the track.

Guns, yeah excellent point too and we need to work on that as well.

As for doctors with deep pockets... agreed as well. This will high jack the thread, but doctors are over paid, the entire health care system is over paid. Lots of doctors/surgeons make over $250,000+/yr... holly crap that's a lot to pay one guy from our tax dollars.
But how to fix that problem when we have our lovely USA next door who is willing to pay big medical bucks for doctors? I don't think the system is balanced... that's the easy part, how to fix?... No one knows.

[Harkonnen]

Wasn't it a couple of months ago where the O.P.P or whatever Police Force was seen crushing modded, riced up cars?

I thought that the new rules were if you caught racing on the streets, they'd give your car back to you in cube form.

Is that still in effect? I saw a florescent purple/pink integra with a massive spoiler I wouldn't mind seeing in cube form.

[majesus]

Wasn't it a couple of months ago where the O.P.P or whatever Police Force was seen crushing modded, riced up cars?

I thought that the new rules were if you caught racing on the streets, they'd give your car back to you in cube form.

Is that still in effect? I saw a florescent purple/pink integra with a massive spoiler I wouldn't mind seeing in cube form.

Hehe... that's funny. And they have to make the offender watch while they do it... As the compactor squeezes their car in slow mode. Just squishing it into a cube while the windows are crackings and poping out. The body deforming and buckling. Ouuu all that money and time the offender put into their car... Then ontop of that: give them a bill for the service!

A better/partical idea would be to dismentle the car and give the parts out for free... I could use a nice set of rims... :D

[laptop-tech]

2.3 million a year? There's no excuse for driving drunk when a cab is so readily available. Street racing is a culture thing and poses a bigger challenge of the two, imo. If anything, both offenses should get harsher penalties. Take their car away, forever.

Agree.... they should have their licenses revoked for good, and face jail time if they're caught driving again.

[P90Puma]

Apr 13, 2007 04:30 AM
Tess Kalinowski
Transportation Reporter

Queen's Park is set to create the toughest penalties in the country for drunk driving and street racing.

Legislation introduced yesterday would dramatically increase Ontario's punishments for road behaviours that each year cause hundreds of injuries and dozens of deaths.

The crackdown is being lauded by police, road safety advocates and people like Muhammad Naseem, who have lost friends and loved ones to dangerous driving.

The new penalties will set the standard across Canada for street racing and drunken driving offences, Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield said yesterday.

The moment he heard about the legislation, Naseem thought of his friend Tahir Khan, the cab driver killed on Jan. 24, 2006 by a car believed to be racing in broad daylight.

"Street racing is just like any other violent crime, only with cars instead of guns," said Naseem, a fellow immigrant who met Khan while they were rookie drivers for Diamond Taxi.

"You should pay the price if you street race, and this is a very good price – a $10,000 fine, and police being able to suspend the driver's licence and impound the car.

"If you know the punishment is strong, at least you'll think about racing before you do it," Naseem said.

The legislation would:


# Increase the maximum fine for road racing from $1,000 to $10,000, and set the minimum at $2,000.




# Allow police to impound cars immediately and suspend licences for seven days in cases of suspected road racing.




# Give drivers caught with a blood-alcohol level from .05 to .08 – in the legal but "warn" zone – a three-day licence suspension instead of 12 hours.




# Empower the courts to seize the cars of drunk drivers in egregrious cases.




# Create the option of reduced suspensions for first-time drunk-driving offenders who agree to install an ignition interlock, essentially a car breathalyzer system, that disables their vehicle if they've been drinking.



Ontario would be the sixth province to introduce the ignition interlock provision – an offer that also might be extended to some second-time offenders convicted before the act is implemented, according to a spokesperson for the transportation minister.

"These are good recommendations; they're solid and they're going to save lives," said Ontario Safety League president Brian Patterson. "Extreme driving is killing people and these measures will assist in addressing the worst of the worst."

Patterson said speed-racing offenders typically range in age from 20 to 40.

"Too many people feel the need for speed, and they're doing it in minivans and doing it in Honda Civics," he said.

Ontario has seen 35 street racing-related deaths since 1999, according to the government.

Suspected street racing incidents took the lives of Khan and several others in the GTA last year.

In May, Rob and Lisa Manchester of Oak Ridges were innocent victims of an racing incident on Yonge St. that left their young daughter an orphan.

Last night, Lisa's uncle Ronald Cote called the stiffer fines "an improvement that might speak to some young people, and having the car impounded would at least do something to fight this problem."

Cote said the Manchesters' orphaned daughter Katie, now 8, is rebuilding her life with relatives after the "sad and wasteful tragedy."

Days after the Manchesters were killed, a visitor from England, Peter Kippax, lost control of a Porsche he was driving alongside a cousin's Mercedes on Mavis Rd. in Mississauga. He was killed, while two people in an oncoming car were severely injured.

And in September, a University of Toronto exchange student was the innocent victim of a crash when his pickup was clipped by a car racing on the Queensway in Mississauga.

"There can be no tolerance for people who put other people's lives at risk on Ontario roads," Premier Dalton McGuinty told a news conference in Stouffville. "The measures, if passed, will only help keep our communities and families safe."

York Region Police Chief Armand LaBarge said impaired driving kills nearly five Canadians a day.

"Each year, 2.3 million Canadians operate motor vehicles while impaired. Impaired driving continues to be the No. 1 criminal cause of death in our nation," he added.

York Region experienced a 9 per cent increase in impaired-driving offences in 2006, he told reporters. Alcohol was a factor in 12 of 30 fatal collisions in the region, and excessive speed was a contributing factor in eight of those.

LaBarge also applauded a proposal to allow police cars to use a combination of red and blue lights to make them more visible. Ontario is the last province to make that move.

While praising the legislation, Tory MPP Frank Klees (Oak Ridges) said it doesn't go far enough in banning nitrous-oxide power boosters in cars.

Street racers install the aftermarket nitrous oxide fuel systems to increase acceleration and horsepower.

1. Wow just wow, great. Now a cop can impound your car for whateve reason he pleases, accleratining fast from a light, 150km/hr on the highway etc. Because road racing is not defined anywhere.

2. I don't drink and drive, and I don't race. But just ****ing read that, you are LEGALLY allowed to drink that much and still LEGALLY allowed to drive, and yet you still get a 3 day license suspension. Wow.

3. N2O Has been illegal according to the HTA for a long time. Bunch of provisions for even transporting a bottle of compressed gas, and strictly banned to have hooked up to a car's powertrain.

Aside: Anybody notice they keep reiterating the street racing stories over and over and over. I haven't read one new street racing related incident in a while, I guess the ricer's are still hibernating.

[Flyer]

Hehe... that's funny. And they have to make the offender watch while they do it... As the compactor squeezes their car in slow mode. Just squishing it into a cube while the windows are crackings and poping out. The body deforming and buckling. Ouuu all that money and time the offender put into their car... Then ontop of that: give them a bill for the service!

A better/partical idea would be to dismentle the car and give the parts out for free... I could use a nice set of rims... :D
You mean all that money they got from their parents >_>

[aKiu]

what constitutes street racing? a starting line and finish line? how about 2 ppl just gunning it? what if im speedin n the guy next to me happens to speed? is that street racin?

[anycee]

1. Wow just wow, great. Now a cop can impound your car for whateve reason he pleases, accleratining fast from a light, 150km/hr on the highway etc. Because road racing is not defined anywhere.

2. I don't drink and drive, and I don't race. But just ****ing read that, you are LEGALLY allowed to drink that much and still LEGALLY allowed to drive, and yet you still get a 3 day license suspension. Wow.

3. N2O Has been illegal according to the HTA for a long time. Bunch of provisions for even transporting a bottle of compressed gas, and strictly banned to have hooked up to a car's powertrain.

Aside: Anybody notice they keep reiterating the street racing stories over and over and over. I haven't read one new street racing related incident in a while, I guess the ricer's are still hibernating.

@1. Agreed...
@3. I phoned my local police and they said NOS was legal, but dangerous and extremely hard to insure.

[Flyer]

1. Wow just wow, great. Now a cop can impound your car for whateve reason he pleases, accleratining fast from a light, 150km/hr on the highway etc. Because road racing is not defined anywhere.
Now why would you need to accelerate fast off the line at a light or go 150 km/h on a highway?

http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/bills_ls.asp?lang=E&ls=c19&source=library_prb&Parl=39&Ses=1#definition <-- Agreed that the defination is a bit broad though...

[Spray]

That's exactly my concern. Sometimes I like to blast off the line a bit, but i never go over the speed limit once i reach it, what if a Porsche comes up beside me and does the same thing?

"On the other hand, under the definition in the bill, the “race” must take place in a public place.(51)"

So does that mean you can race in a parking lot?


what constitutes street racing? a starting line and finish line? how about 2 ppl just gunning it? what if im speedin n the guy next to me happens to speed? is that street racin?

[radeonboy]

I dont approve of street racing, yet I probably fall into the group of young kids who have a Civic and a semi loud twin loop muffler and thus considered street racers...

But I think this is a joke. 35 deaths linked to street racing since 1999. Why pick on a minority when you have other major problems like other "old folk" on the road each morning rushing to work, driving like jackasses and showing "street racing" syndrome?

My GOD. The government has other big issues to tackle, and they come up with this? The only reason I can see them putting forth this law is purely to rack up some big $$$$.

So if I get into an accident with someone, and the other dude says I was street racing, I'm gonna get slapped with a $10000 fine when the fault was the other dudes? Come on.

Where is the police when we need them catching criminals, rapists, shooters, molesters.

[flamenko]

First, its laughable that you own that car, try and make it loud and believe people think your a streetracer.

Secondly, this law has nothing to do with money. Streetracing is an intentional act to break the law which has proven to be one of the most dangerous acts you can commit on wheels, much less in any other realm altogether.

Your statistic is patently incorrect because, there must be several elements proven before one can state that its a 'street racing' related incident. Are you aware how many injuries or deaths are related to street racing but never acknowledged because elements could not be proven. I would suggest well over triple the number you quoted.

As much as we dont want to agree with this, it should be dealtwith more harshly, much more harshly than impaired driving. Impaired driving, as much as we hate to admit it, to some extent is an illness. There are so many drunk drivers that get behind the wheel and just dont believe they are drunk. This is a fact.

Is there a street racer out there that doesnt get behind the wheel with the intent of breaking the law, the intent of going as fast as they can?

No...the intent is there. Its glorified in fact. And now that PEOPLE (not government) are stepping up to bat, your upset?

Personally, im a believer that an offence such as street racing that causes a death is clearly culpable and should be followed by a manslaughter charge.

PS with regards to Impaired driving dont get me wrong, I believe they should be dealt with much more harshly as well. Lets start by knocking down the .08 to .04, a proven effective solution in more than one US state

[SKYMTL]

But I think this is a joke. 35 deaths linked to street racing since 1999. Why pick on a minority when you have other major problems like other "old folk" on the road each morning rushing to work, driving like jackasses and showing "street racing" syndrome?

Tell that to my friend who was killed by a street racer 3 years ago. She wasn't killed by some "old fogie" but rather by some amped-up kid without any knowledge of how to properly control a car going high speeds.

Personally I think every (and I mean EVERY) car should be limited to 130km/h for sub-$40,000 cars and 150km/h for cars above $40,000. If you want the restrictor removed....$50,000 straight up. That way people who spend the money to use their cars at the track can do so and everyone else can slow the heck down.

[majesus]

You mean all that money they got from their parents >_>

Good point, that is exactly what I mean. I would never give my kids the money for that. I'd give them money for education, career, I'd even give them money if they needed a car to go to school. But for performance/fad or hobby racing on the track, if they really want it... Get a job.