VICTIMS OF STREET RACING

Street Racing On Toronto's Highways

Street Racing On Toronto's Highways

The activity of racing vehicles or motorbikes on public roadways is known as “street racing,” and it is unlawful. Residents of Toronto are often forced to contend with street racing at all times of the day and night. It would seem that Don Valley Parkway, the Gardiner Expressway, and Spadina are other popular choices for urban racetracks. In the warmer months, the city and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) see an increase in the number of people who participate in street racing. It has resulted in a pledge from the local police forces, who have said that they would monitor streets in order to clamp down on illicit racing.  In only one month during the year 2019, 304 drivers in the Greater Toronto Area were charged for street racing on 400-series highways.  Police made 19 further arrests during the outbreak in conjunction with an ongoing street racing investigation. 

According to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, forty percent of drivers caught speeding were between the ages of sixteen and twenty-four. Eighty percent of young adults who were killed as passengers in automobile accidents were traveling with drivers of comparable age. It is estimated that speeding is directly responsible for 27% of all traffic deaths that occur on Canadian roadways.

Charges, Fines, and Penalties for Street Racing Drivers in Ontario

Charges, Fines, and Penalties for Street Racing Drivers in Ontario

Victims of Street Racing

Source: CTV News – Toronto

The MOMS Act (Moving Ontarians More Safely Act 2021) has, as of the 1st of July 2021, implemented new measures to fight reckless driving and, increase safety on the roadways, decrease the number of victims of street racing. This amended regulation comes with lengthier Ontario driver’s license suspensions and impoundment durations for drivers who participate in stunt driving and street racing. The following is an up-to-date list of the charges, fines, and punishments that are associated with stunt driving:

  • The immediate penalty for drivers who are found engaging in street racing or stunt driving has been doubled from a seven-day suspension to a thirty-day suspension and a fourteen-day impoundment of their vehicles
  • If a driver is discovered going more than 40 kilometers per hour above the speed limit in an area where the maximum speed is less than 80 kilometers per hour, they will be charged with stunt driving
  • If you are found guilty of stunt driving, you will be required to pay a fine of a minimum of $2000 up to $10,000 and in addition, could lead to suspension of your license
  • Your employment may be impacted if your position necessitates the use of a car
  • Legal representation fees
  • High insurance rates or the possibility of being denied coverage for insurance
 

Right Track Racing- Where You Can Press The Gas Pedal to the Fullest

Right Track Racing- Where You Can Press The Gas Pedal to the Fullest

Our RTR program educates and builds relationships between youth and the police. We teach participants there is a safer option to street racing which might save their lives one day and decrease the number of victims of street racing. The best campaign to help spread the word about the risks of illegal street racing in the Greater Toronto Area is Right Track Racing. We have educational objectives in the RTR program and a particular race track for speed lovers.

  • In addition to educating them on the dangers of street racing, we urge young people who are interested in the sport to move their racing off the streets and onto a closed, regulated race track
  • We promote responsible driving on our roadways
  • Members of RTR visit high schools in collaboration with shop teachers to teach about vehicle modifications and further motivate them to finish their education
  • We encourage young people to take pride in their automobiles
  • We talk about job prospects in the automotive/racing industry


Program participants range in age from 14 to adults. The first step in educating the public will be anti-street racing seminars that emphasize the effects and drawbacks of street racing and stunt driving.