Number of stunt driving charges laid by Guelph, Ont. police in 2023 raises red flags

The number of stunt driving charges being laid by Guelph Police Service officers appears to be on the rise.

Police said in a news release that officers have issued 14 charges for stunt driving in 2023, eight of them during the first eight days of February.

In an email to Global News and CJOY, there were nine stunt driving charges laid during the same time period in 2022.

Police say stunt driving, for the most part, involves excessive speeding where charges will be laid against drivers who go 50 km/h or more in areas where the speed limit is 80 km/h or higher.

The threshold is 40 km/h or more in areas where the speed limit is less than 80 km/h.

They say most residential streets in Guelph have a speed limit of 40 km/h and school zones are 30 km/h.

Police say stunt driving also involves behaviours such as intentionally cutting off other vehicles or preventing other vehicles from passing.

Those who are charged with stunt driving receive an automatic 30-day driver’s licence suspension and a 14-day vehicle impoundment.

2:03 Changes to stunt driving charges in Ontario