Toronto Police have launched a crackdown on aggressive and reckless driving behavior in the Greater Toronto Area, with a focus on stunt driving, street racing, and excessive speeding.
Project ERASE, which stands for Eliminating Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere, is a multi-jurisdictional enforcement campaign involving the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, York Regional Police, Peel Regional Police, Halton Regional Police, and Hamilton Police Service.
During the two-month campaign, which ended in June, the Toronto Police Service issued 148 traffic tickets for stunt driving offences and responded to 151 reports related to dangerous driving.
Inspector Paul Qureshi expressed concern over the high numbers of reckless driving behaviors, stating that just one person or car taken off the road could potentially save a life. He emphasized that fines for these offenses can range from $2,000 to $10,000 upon conviction.
Qureshi noted that these behaviors are not limited to highways and occur in various locations, including parking lots and empty streets. He stated that the police are making a dent in addressing this issue through enforcement and education.
The police are using undercover operations and intelligence gathering to identify and prevent these events from occurring. Qureshi said that the goal is to educate the public and prevent these behaviors from happening in the first place.
In neighboring Peel Region, police made 92 arrests with 1,400 charges, including 107 for stunt driving, during May and June. The Ontario Provincial Police also issued 19,000 traffic offenses, including 8,600 speeding charges and 311 stunt driving charges, during the Canada Day holiday week.
Toronto Police are committed to addressing this issue and ensuring that the community is safe from reckless driving behaviors.
