Do you know someone who has a lead foot while behind the wheel of a car? How about someone who seems to enjoy the thrill that comes with driving aggressively?
Well other than hoping they have up to date auto insurance, you may want to send them the info below about the (more) severe consequences of being caught stunt driving in Ontario.
WHAT IS STUNT DRIVING?
How fast do you need to be going for it to be considered stunt driving?
- 40km/h over the speed limit in an area where the speed limit is 80km/h or lower (as of July 1st, 2021)
- 50km/h over the speed limit in an area where the speed limit is higher than 80 km/h
- 150km/h total no matter where you’re driving, including highways that have a speed limit of 110km/h
However, stunt driving is more than just speeding.
While targeting excessive speeders is what the laws are best known for, charges can also be laid when a driver purposely:
- Prevents another vehicle from passing them
- Cuts someone off
- Drives too close to another vehicle, pedestrian or fixed object
- Lifts 1 or more tires off of the road, including motorcycles doing a pop-a-wheelie
- Loses traction on the road (i.e. drifting, burnouts, donuts)
- Drives with a person in the trunk of the vehicle
- Drives a vehicle from a spot other than the driver’s seat
You can learn even more about Ontario stunt driving laws here.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF STUNT DRIVING IN ONTARIO?
Do you mean apart from the increased risk of a serious crash, injury or even death?
As part of the government’s new “Moving Ontarians More Safety Act”, which came into effect on July 1st 2021, drivers who get caught stunt driving now have their vehicle impounded for 2 weeks (increased from 1 week) and their driver’s license suspended for 30 days (increased from 14 days).
These new strict stunt driving laws are on top of the existing consequences that come with being convicted of stunt driving, including:
- Loss of 6 demerit points
- Fined between $2,000 – $10,000
- Potential jail time
- Potential for longer license suspension
These apply to drivers with a Class G license or higher.
For those with a lower class of license, like a G2 driver’s license, the threshold for stunt driving is lowered to 29km/h over the speed limit.
Thinking you may be able to avoid the consequences with the help of a traffic ticket lawyer? Not so much. They cannot help because these consequences are set automatically by the MTO for any conviction and are not up to the courts or prosecutors to determine.
STUNT DRIVING AND AUTO INSURANCE
If the consequences laid out above aren’t enough to scare you straight, think about what happens with your insurance.
If convicted of stunt driving your best case scenario is a 100% increase in what you pay for auto insurance.
That’s if you’re lucky enough to find an insurance provider willing to take on your high risk. The worst-case scenario is that no insurance company will even take on your policy.
A stunt driving conviction stays on your driving record for 3 years, meaning you’ll be suffering these consequences for a long time.
A few seconds of joyriding is not worth the years of misery! Looking for a thrill? Do some ziplining in Niagara Falls or ride the Behemoth at Canadas Wonderland.
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
