OPP officers in Elizabethtown-Kitley Township say they stopped a motorcycle on Highway 401 driving 92 km/h over the speed limit on Monday afternoon. The driver accelerated to that speed between the North Augusta and Stewart Boulevard exits in Brockville, according to OPP Const. Sandra Barr.
As a result of the investigation, the 16-year-old Brockville youth had his motorcycle, a 1997 Honda F3C, towed and impounded for seven days.
He is charged with stunt driving. Barr said this was the first charge for the Brockville youth.
If convicted, a first-time fine for stunt driving can range $2,000 to $10,000. There is also a possibility that the teen could end up spending six months in jail and have his licence suspended for two years.
Motorcycle licences that allow solo driving are granted much more quickly than G2 licences for regular vehicles. New drivers for cars are eligible at 16 to write a test to obtain their G1 licence. They must then drive with a G-class driver for at least 12 months before they can upgrade to a G2 licence, with which they can drive on their own.
The first step in acquiring an M1 motorcycle licence is also a written test, available for those 16 and up, but this licence is only valid for 90 days. Once the motorcyclist passes the written test, they are able to drive a motorcycle but must have zero blood alcohol level and are prohibited to drive on most roads with speed limits over 80 km/h. After 60 days, the motorcyclists are able to go for their M1 road test.
If they pass the M1 road test, they graduate to an M2 class licence and are able to drive on any road at any time of night. That means that a 16-year-old can be driving on a motorcycle anywhere in Ontario with only two months of experience driving motorcycles on the road.
Comments