Excessive speed killed at least 75 people on Ontario roads last year
Police forces across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area laid more than 2,500 charges during an annual crackdown on speeding and stunt driving this year.
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Excessive speed was a factor in at least 75 deaths across 65 fatal collisions on Ontario roads last year, Ontario Provincial Police said Tuesday, July 7.
The announcement came as police forces across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area revealed they had laid more than 2,500 charges during a May–June crackdown on speeding and stunt driving. Officers seized 173 vehicles and charged drivers with 2,438 Highway Traffic Act violations and 118 Criminal Code offences.
"Every one of these members represents a person, a family and a community forever changed," OPP Chief Superintendent Andre Phelps said at a news conference. Officers have recorded speeds ranging from 150 km/h to more than 300 km/h during enforcement efforts.
Over the past decade, speed-related collisions have killed 786 people in the province, with more than 1,600 suffering serious or life-altering injuries annually. Speed is linked to nearly 10,000 collisions every year.
Peel Regional Police led the charge with nearly 1,400 of the charges, including 107 stunt-driving offences. Deputy Chief Marc Andrews delivered a blunt message to reckless drivers: "Consider this your notice: we're not stopping. We're coming for you. No moment of adrenaline or brief thrill is worth the lifelong trauma families face when reckless driving takes a mother, father or child too soon."
Toronto police issued 148 stunt-driving tickets and responded to 151 dangerous-driving reports during the campaign.
