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Speed demons
Tue, October 2, 2007
Eye-popping speeds light up police radar guns as a tough new law takes effect.
By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA
London police Const. Chris Riley of the the department's traffic management unit aims a speed detection device at traffic on Wharncliffe Road yesterday. (DEREK RUTTAN, Sun Media)
They were zipping along at speeds ranging from 132 kilometres an hour to 194 clicks -- not at the local dragway, but on London-area roads.
Yesterday was D-Day for leadfoots in Ontario, with such scofflaw drivers paying a heavy new price for speed.
A tough new Ontario law that treats excessive speeders as street racers has now taken effect, with no shortage of the "shock and awe" reaction police had expected.
At least eight drivers in the London region were nabbed -- licences yanked for a week, cars impounded and drivers ticketed a minimum $2,000 fine for exceeding the speed limit by 50 kilometres an hour or more.
But there's more -- they'll have to pay $400 in tow and storage fees to get cars back.
Yesterday, London police clocked a Honda Prelude at 132 km/h in an 80-km/h zone and a motorcycle at a whopping 168 km/h along the same stretch of Wharncliffe Road South.
"The point of the legislation is to protect everybody, including the drivers," said London traffic Sgt. Tom O'Brien. "Obviously, fines haven't deterred that behaviour, but the loss of the vehicle, I think, is going to be the issue for these drivers."
The new street-racing law in the Highway Traffic Act was ushered in after several fatal street-racing crashes this summer, mostly in the Toronto area.
The regulations make it easier for police to impound vehicles and suspend licences for seven days for speeding 50 km/h over the limit, racing, turning "wheelies" on highways, drifting in traffic, plus other dangerous stunts.
Fines can now range from $2,000 to $10,000 and licences can be suspended for up to two years.
London has racers, O'Brien said. To the end of September, London police issued 100 tickets to speeders exceeding the limit by 50 km/h or more.
In Elgin County, the first charges were laid about 3:30 a.m. Sunday when an OPP officer on Wellington Road South clocked three southbound vehicles at 194 km/h, 186 km/h and 179 km/h in an 80-km/h zone.
Those drivers, one from London and two from St. Thomas, face racing charges.
In Oxford County, police seized two vehicles from speeding drivers Sunday.
OPP Sgt. Dave Rector, media officer for the Southwest Region, said drivers had lots of warning.
"There were a lot of people who were surprised . . . no, I'd say dumfounded is a good way to put it," said Rector.
There is no right of appeal in the case of a suspension or impoundment, police say.
Across Ontario, OPP impounded 30 vehicles and issued seven-day licence suspensions in the first 24 hours under the new regulations.
Tue, October 2, 2007
Eye-popping speeds light up police radar guns as a tough new law takes effect.
By JOE BELANGER, SUN MEDIA
London police Const. Chris Riley of the the department's traffic management unit aims a speed detection device at traffic on Wharncliffe Road yesterday. (DEREK RUTTAN, Sun Media)
They were zipping along at speeds ranging from 132 kilometres an hour to 194 clicks -- not at the local dragway, but on London-area roads.
Yesterday was D-Day for leadfoots in Ontario, with such scofflaw drivers paying a heavy new price for speed.
A tough new Ontario law that treats excessive speeders as street racers has now taken effect, with no shortage of the "shock and awe" reaction police had expected.
At least eight drivers in the London region were nabbed -- licences yanked for a week, cars impounded and drivers ticketed a minimum $2,000 fine for exceeding the speed limit by 50 kilometres an hour or more.
But there's more -- they'll have to pay $400 in tow and storage fees to get cars back.
Yesterday, London police clocked a Honda Prelude at 132 km/h in an 80-km/h zone and a motorcycle at a whopping 168 km/h along the same stretch of Wharncliffe Road South.
"The point of the legislation is to protect everybody, including the drivers," said London traffic Sgt. Tom O'Brien. "Obviously, fines haven't deterred that behaviour, but the loss of the vehicle, I think, is going to be the issue for these drivers."
The new street-racing law in the Highway Traffic Act was ushered in after several fatal street-racing crashes this summer, mostly in the Toronto area.
The regulations make it easier for police to impound vehicles and suspend licences for seven days for speeding 50 km/h over the limit, racing, turning "wheelies" on highways, drifting in traffic, plus other dangerous stunts.
Fines can now range from $2,000 to $10,000 and licences can be suspended for up to two years.
London has racers, O'Brien said. To the end of September, London police issued 100 tickets to speeders exceeding the limit by 50 km/h or more.
In Elgin County, the first charges were laid about 3:30 a.m. Sunday when an OPP officer on Wellington Road South clocked three southbound vehicles at 194 km/h, 186 km/h and 179 km/h in an 80-km/h zone.
Those drivers, one from London and two from St. Thomas, face racing charges.
In Oxford County, police seized two vehicles from speeding drivers Sunday.
OPP Sgt. Dave Rector, media officer for the Southwest Region, said drivers had lots of warning.
"There were a lot of people who were surprised . . . no, I'd say dumfounded is a good way to put it," said Rector.
There is no right of appeal in the case of a suspension or impoundment, police say.
Across Ontario, OPP impounded 30 vehicles and issued seven-day licence suspensions in the first 24 hours under the new regulations.
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