Police agencies across Ontario, including Durham Regional Police, are launching an aggressive enforcement campaign to crack down on dangerous driving, street racing and stunt driving that continues to claim lives on roads and highways throughout the Greater Toronto Area.
The annual Ontario dangerous driving crackdown, known as Project ERASE — Eliminate Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere — officially kicks off Tuesday at an Ontario Provincial Police detachment in Mississauga. The multi-jurisdictional campaign runs from May through October and brings together officers from Peel, Toronto, Hamilton, Halton, York, Durham, the OPP and other jurisdictions to proactively target the most dangerous drivers on the road.
Street racing and dangerous driving cause too many deadly car crashes across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond, police brass say as they prepare to launch the aggressive enforcement campaign. OPP, who are hosting the kickoff event, say stunt driving and other types of aggressive behaviour behind the wheel top their list of targets.
All forms of dangerous driving continue to be a troubling trend that puts lives at risk on roads and highways in Mississauga, Brampton, the GTA and across Ontario, police say.
Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews, who will attend Tuesday’s launch, has said in past years that the concerns of police continue to grow as do the numbers of those who engage in illegal street racing, stunt driving and other high-risk driving behaviours.
In announcing the campaign launch, OPP said street racing, as well as aggressive and dangerous driving, continue to be major contributing factors in vehicle collisions, injuries and fatalities on Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area roads and highways.
Andrews said at last year’s launch that behind the growing number of dangerous driving offences “are real people who’ve been impacted by reckless behaviour on our roads and, in some cases, the tragic loss of lives and devastated families. Dangerous driving behaviours put lives at risk and we will not tolerate it.”
The campaign launch will be attended by police brass from across the GTHA including OPP Chief Supt. André Phelps, Divisional Commander of the Highway Safety Division, and Toronto Police Supt. Catherine Jackson, among others.
Stunt driving in Ontario is defined as travelling at 50 km/h or more over the speed limit where the posted limit is above 80 km/h, 40 km/h or more over where the limit is 80 km/h or less, or a speed of 150 km/h or more on any road or highway.
Drivers caught stunt driving or street racing face severe penalties including a 30-day licence suspension at roadside, a 14-day vehicle impoundment at roadside regardless of vehicle ownership, a minimum fine of $2,000 up to a maximum of $10,000, a potential jail term of up to six months, and six demerit points upon conviction.
Upon conviction, drivers face a further licence suspension of one year for a first offence, three to 10 years for a second offence, and an indefinite suspension for a third conviction.
In recent years, Peel police have identified racing and stunt driving hot spots in Mississauga and Brampton. The ongoing enforcement strategy targets those areas as part of the broader regional crackdown. Street racing in Mississauga and Brampton continues to pose a significant danger to the public, police have emphasized.
The collaborative nature of Project ERASE means that enforcement will be visible across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously, with Durham Region roads included in the targeted patrol areas. Residents can expect to see increased police presence on major roads and highways throughout the campaign period.
