If only the OPP would pursue all lawbreakers with such zeal!

Between this, pig-barn restrictions in Manitoba and who knows where else in Canada, and out-of-control HRCs across the country - and many other draconian measures federal and provincial governments are pursuing, I am beginning to think it is time for a REAL peoples revolution against our own oppressive governments.

(Oh yeah, won't work, they're going to take away our guns!)

Part of me is crying at the sight of our country dying. Part of me is already sizing up safe houses. (just kidding, at least for now)

I'm trying to get the point here Kate. Do you think the cops are overzelous in persuing street racers, to the point that most of them don't get convicted of it? That's one thing, though I'm not sure it differs much from other crimes.

The commenters so far seem to think this is some kind of abuse of the rights of citizens. Huh? Comparing this to for instance gun control seems a bit silly. At least the cops are going after those who are actually speeding dangerously. It's like complaining that cops are going after gun owners who are shooting their guns unlawfully in a public place.

What this represents is the police are giving you the option of facing the big charge, with huge fines, seizure of property and possible jail time - or plead guilty to the lesser charge. Most people opt for the lesser charge. It IS an abuse of rights, as the accussed has lost the presumption of innocence through intimidation - the use of fear tactics.

Sarge, sounds to me like these people are being given a break that they maybe don't deserve. If the cops tell them that they can present evidence of racing - that they were driving 50k (or whatever) over the speed limit, or whatever else it is - in court, an option to avoid that sounds like magic.

What, are you a street racer or something?

Piss all over these idiots that would put my life in the hands of their questionably driving skills.

Ever driven in Ontario? The cops ain't handing out enough of these charges.

They drive fast AND stupid!

One of the first cases I heard about was the confiscation of a doctor's Mercedes because he was doing over 150 kmh.

The doctor and his family were left on the side of the 401 to fend for themselves.

I agree with targeting youth and their rice rockets, but confiscation of a doctor's car, and the resultant hassle of his family is not what we were told when chimpy mcidiot sold us this bill of goods.

Sound's familiar, eh?

So a doctor doing 150 kmh plus is ok, because he is a doctor?

Does the term BS mean anything to you?

Here is a news flash. The speed limit is 100 (One Hundred) kilometres per hour. Not 110 like it is here in NS, not 130 like it is in France, but 100. Any moron doing 150 deserves to walk home. If he was stupid enough to endanger his family while doing it, I am pretty sure I don't want him as my doctor.

Sure, the speed limit is 100. And it's illegal to shoot a burglar who breaks int your house. You can even be charged just for threatening him with a firearm.

I don't know about you, but NONE of those seem like good laws to me. Anyone who's ever driven on the autobahn will tell you that we don't NEED these limits - and the accident statistics will back the anecdotal evidence. There's no reason why a safe driver should be charged and have his car impounded - especially not over an arbitrary speed limit.

Don't even think about comparing the drivers in Ontario with those from Europe. There is no comparison. I felt safer in Europe at 170 kmh (the average traffic flow speed)than I ever did on the 401 at 100. Of course, doing 100 on the 401 gets you rear ended at speed by some moron on their cell phone.

The folks in France, Germany etc have a major advantage over the folks from this country. They actually take driving seriously.

Racing is racing, speeding is speeding. I saw a VW Beetle Turbo getting hauled away on the 407; the woman driver looked shocked - kinda chilling really.

Excessive speeding already had a few penalties in-place: dangerous driving, speeding etc. The racing angle is pure politics and a cash grab; you don't even have to be speeding to be considered racing (I've read that you only have to look like your about to race and that's enough to get you car towed).

I've gone through the Toronto area sometimes where the median speed was 130. 100 KPH is pretty slow for some of our highways - they should bump it up to 120 and impose appropriate penalties for speeding and racing. BTW - watch those highway on/off ramps its easy to dinged for "racing" on them.

Barry

A couple of points to jim.

1. give the doctor a fine and jack up his insurance, but confiscation in the boonies borders on jackboot fascism

2. I do not know where you live, but the section of hwy 401, between Cobourg and Montreal, is a long lonely stretch of road. Even I have traveled near that speed at certain times of the day(early morning, when the coppers are at timmies)

And one other thing. I regularly get passed by OPP doing 140 - 160 kmh(I normally drive 130kmh, but being a grey hair in a taurus, I never get a ticket)and where do they end up stopping?

TIMMIES!

(all of my comments pertain to driving in the boonies, not downtown latteville)

Atlantic Jim
Barry is right. The street racing issue is serious but the new laws to combat it are imposing penalties on people who are merely speeding.
Most Toronto highways are posted at 100 km/h but traffic flows at 120 - 130 and on the 400 traffic often flows at 140 km/h.
The law may have been imposed to combat a serious problem but it is being wielded by police in a way that cannot have been the intent of lawmakers.
If it was their intent, the soft fascism of the left just got a lot more substantial.

A couple of Points:

There were already useful laws. Let's enforce the laws we have, before "needing" new draconian laws.

I'm sure this law in enforced arbitrarily... or perhaps better phrased: against those speeders who piss the police off.

Doing 150kph in a big Mercedes on a nice day in light hwy traffic does not usually constitute dangerous driving by normal people. In the perfect world the cops would pull you over and tell you off and give you a ticket. You broke a regulation, not an evil in and of itself.

Leaving people by the side of the road is A. Dangerous. B. Rude.

When the police is wrong, THEY should eat the towing and storage charges. Loser pays.

Obviously, 100kph in good conditons is way too slow, and it's way too fast in bad conditions.

North American Drivers are, in general , not so good. It's nothing that an obligatory drivers re-ed course couldn't cure - and frankly that would be a better idea than fines and confiscation - the police gives you 6 months to pass a "tough practical class" ...or your license dies. IT's A. a pain in the butt to those caught. B. It actually will make most people better drivers.

On-the-spot confiscation of the vehicle is wrong, period. That's a clear case of seizure of property without due process, and is simply far too easy a power for the police to abuse.

Whoops - this is Canada. We have no property rights under our Charter of Rights. Thanks again, Trudeau!

Saw a story about this on the local Ottawa news. I think it was on the 401 where an OPP officer pulled over a family of 4 for speeding. The father admitted he was speeding.

The OPP impounded the car and left the 4 of them standing on the side of the highway.

Who needs property rights when we have socialist McGuinty to tell us what to do.

I had a 69 Dodge Swinger with a 340 high performance, low restriction exhaust etc. etc. Kids need a place to drag. What's wrong with closing off a street, setting up a few bales, and letting the motors roar!! Oh and by the way, I outran a '69 Ford police cruiser with my Dodge. No remorse from this cowboy!!

record of driving link to criminal court recently and you need to stand before crown to explain to open your lience if it get suspended

public create the rules red, yellow and green light and if you are not stick to law you also nt stick to too many law in city

police can figutre out if the person has too manydriving and parking ticket the person may chance to otehr illegla act or criminal or civil law to break it

break law in driving cause damage to you to otehr who drive near you

it is as result of drinking,
drugs ,
sleep tables or mental ill,
old age can affect you can not drive bad

car not safty in your car cause tire of car kill other drivers,

eye glaas not wear

not train to young driver to drive safe

talk too muhc or use cell phone whne you driving

----

if you have few or less bad recorc in driving you are less likly also to do otehr illegal act or criminla act as well

but not all the time

driving school are not do correct training
time need to experince driver to prevent accident

road or some time whether cause accident
in Caanda we need better tire for winter but not expensive to use it

better asphault road matrials mising all the time this road changer keep change the road since ashphalt they are using are not strong or good enouhg stand for few years

car design can preventand reduce car accident or warn them in head or see the back ward

behavaiour of drivers need to check if the person who drive is mentaly or physically some disalbe may cause accidnet is healthy to able to drive

some teenager are not patienst to not wait in red or be carfull in yellow light or watch the speed

some law and speed limit also is funny
some ticker are can prevent since city need to made faiclity not purposly made them easy to toy the car to charge them

in down twon are is worste teh city traffic do lazy too many law with not right facilty for parking and timing
may need ticket can tell the person the time is finish when you put money in parking and you go to meeting the tiem may expire teh ticket can go in future to warn the driver the time is finish for two time before they charge them

I do not like easy some get charge for trafic as well

only people who live in down town know the all rule and trikc of traffic ticket then let all k now the trick a nd teach them the rules before give them the ticket

carless driving cause all above said

Curious, when comments say things like "There were already useful laws. Let's enforce the laws we have, before "needing" new draconian laws." are you criticizing the stricter racing laws that were introduced by Harper or those introduced by McGuinty?

It's a test.

Posted by: Alex at June 13, 2008 7:44 AM

*Alex*, Sorry, but your view makes you a *work in progress*.

** I don't know about you, but NONE of those seem like good laws to me. Anyone who's ever driven on the autobahn will tell you that we don't NEED these limits - and the accident statistics will back the anecdotal evidence.

There's no reason why a safe driver should be charged and have his car impounded - especially not over an arbitrary speed limit. **
============
READ: AtlanticJim . . . 7:05 AM [Just before your comment]

** Here is a news flash. The speed limit is 100 (One Hundred) kilometres per hour. Not 110 like it is here in NS, not 130 like it is in France, but 100.

Any moron doing 150 deserves to walk home. If he was stupid enough to endanger his family while doing it, I am pretty sure I don't want him as my doctor.
Posted by: AtlanticJim at June 13, 2008 7:05 AM

============
So Alex, please do not come and drive here on our new Van Isl highways.

Mechanical failure and blowouts above 100 kmh will almost certainly send you to the bone yard.

Admittedly, the general public seems to have no idea of the terrible ripping forces on man and machine at higher speeds.

No such thing as a *safe driver* beyond 100 KMH unless he keeps it to a race track. = TG

Its really simple. Stay less than 50k over the speed limit and it won't apply to you. Drive like an idiot and you get what's coming. As far as those found not guilty, it's the Justice System, the same one where killers get 3 years house arrest. Let the whiners whine...

the graph shows that traffic judges are as stupid as the criminal ones. They'll let it go as long as the fatalities and/or the persons charged aren't anyone they know. This is a great law, every jurisdiction should have one.

if in city you need maximum 100 km/h

then why car makers made the car go higher sppend
made new car can get lock the kilometer by creating machine able to know look like crouse control but able to help driver

this care never built can be built though

then cut the high kilometer or made attached can be lock it
these reduce car accident and
reduce all trafic ticket

ask engineer to built one

instead we hear most car they add speed to their small car and this kind of advertise made young driver to race it to drive the car

put more camera to control cars