Statement by Mayor Smith on Ontario Proposing Legislation to Strengthen Penalties for Stunt Driving

STATEMENT

Town of Wasaga Beach welcomes provincial announcement that stiffer penalties for stunt driving are coming to Ontario

May 15, 2024

Wasaga Beach - Mayor Brian Smith issued the following statement on yesterday's announcement by the Ontario government, which proposes new legislation that would strengthen penalties for stunt driving. 

"The Town of Wasaga Beach welcomes the news that stiffer penalties for stunt driving are coming to Ontario. We look forward to supporting the development and introduction of this proposed legislation.

Last year, the Town called on the province to do more to support our Ontario municipalities and our law enforcement partners, in dealing with illegal car rallies and the dangerous stunt driving that accompanies them. 

While we continue to advocate for the Province to form a provincial task force on the matter of illegal car rallies, as this issue is one that crosses geographical boundaries and that requires tremendous planning and resources to tackle, we are pleased that the government is taking this action on the matter. 

Any provincial legislation that will strengthen penalties for stunt driving will help; it is a step in the right direction. It represents one more tool that Wasaga Beach would use as we continue to take steps to strengthen our highly coordinated response to illegal car rallies, and the aggressive and dangerous stunt driving that unfortunately comes with them.”

Listen to Mayor Brian Smith speak about this on CBC Ontario Morning.

Background

In addition to stiff penalties for auto theft, the province is proposing to strengthen penalties for stunt driving. The proposed legislation would ensure that anyone convicted of stunt driving receives a minimum mandatory licence suspension – one year for a first conviction, three years for a second conviction and a lifetime suspension, reducible to 10 years under certain criteria, for a third conviction. Read the news release from the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

The Ontario government also proposed stronger penalties for stunt driving in April 2021. These proposed changes were adopted in June 2021 when the Ontario Legislature passed the Moving Ontarians More Safely (MOMS) Act, bringing into force harsher fines and penalties for motorists convicted of dangerous and aggressive driving.

Read the news release: Ontario Introduces Legislation to Take Action Against Stunt Driving and Street Racing; Proposed legislation would also strengthen provincial oversight of the towing sector

Read the backgrounder for the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, 2021.

Related Links

• Waterfront Festival this Weekend Continues Kick-off to Wasaga Beach’s Busy Summer Season

• Unsanctioned Car Rally Expected on Friday, June 16

• Unauthorized Car Rally Swiftly And Calmly Dispersed Last Night

• Council Takes Action to Improve Highly Coordinated Response to Illegal Car Rallies; Town of Wasaga Beach adopts new emergency framework that includes proactive, full-scale road closures, a proposed Community Safety Zone, and a highly coordinated, tiered emergency response in cooperation with Ontario Provincial Police (OPP)

• Town of Wasaga Beach Approves New Downtown Community Safety Zone to Help Protect Residential and Commercial Areas That Have Been Targeted by Illegal Car Rallies; Council continues to strengthen Town’s emergency preparedness and improve highly coordinated response to illegal car rallies

• Illegal Car Rally Expected This Weekend

• Town Granted an Injunction by Ontario Superior Court of Justice to Address Planned Illegal Car Rally

• Town of Wasaga Beach Continues to Take Action to Ensure a Safe Last Long Weekend of Summer

• Illegal Car Rally Last Night Swiftly Dispersed

• Town Wraps Up Summer Tourism Season with Most Successful Labour Day Long Weekend in Years