Several Greater Toronto Area police forces are re-issuing a warning to those who engage in dangerous driving such as street racing and stunt driving as part of a yearly campaign.
Project ERASE — which stands for Eliminate Racing Activity on Streets Everywhere — was established in 1999 and is an annual campaign to address the rise of illegal street racing and stunt driving in the GTA.
The campaign’s goal is to change poor driver behaviour through education and strategic enforcement, police said.
“Let me be clear, there is zero tolerance for street racing and stunt driving anywhere across the GTA. These actions put people’s lives at risk and are unacceptable,” Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Marc Andrews told reporters in Mississauga on Thursday.
Andrews said in Peel Region alone, their officers have laid more than 4,000 street racing and stunt driving charges since 2018. In the first five months of 2023, 500 charges have been laid.
Alongside Peel Regional Police were several other police forces including the Toronto Police, Durham Regional Police, Halton Regional Police and others.
Toronto police’s acting superintendent for its Traffic Services Unit Matt Moyer said the force saw a 31 per cent increase in stunt driving in 2022. For the first half of 2023, there have been 521 charges laid with 1,106 stunt driving charges in total last year.
“Our message is simple,” Moyer said. “Car racing should stay on the tracks where it’s legal to race.”
Meanwhile, Durham Regional Police said they laid 214 charges in relation to stunt driving last year and 104 so far this year.
Police said they are reminding drivers they could face charges and fines under the Highway Traffic Act and for breaking municipal bylaws in addition to having their vehicle seized and driver’s licence suspended.
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