Ontario Is Cracking Down On Street Racers & Stunt Drivers With Even Stricter Suspensions

The province announced on Monday that future stunt driving charges in Ontario could be met with much harsher punishments under a potential new law.

If passed, the "Moving Ontarians More Safely Act" (known as the MOMS Act) would lengthen license suspensions and vehicle impoundment periods for "drivers who engage in stunt driving, street racing and aggressive driving."

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"Both as Minister of Transportation and a parent to driving-aged teens, I am extremely concerned by the rising numbers of young drivers in Ontario caught stunt driving, street racing and driving aggressively," said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, in Monday's statement announcing the act.

Under the act, drivers caught racing/stunting for the first time would face a 30-day license suspension and have their vehicle impounded for two weeks, and face minimum suspensions of one year if convicted. Repeat offenders could see their license suspensions last for up to 10 years, and anyone convicted for the third time faces a lifetime suspension.

Ontario's Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said stunt driving and street racing in Ontario have worsened during the pandemic, which lines up with one account from Toronto Police, who said they saw a dramatic 550% rise in the number of street racing charges issued in the city from April 2019 to April 2020.