$10,000 speeding ticket.

[Ron From Regina]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070928/New_traffic_laws_070928?s_name=&no_ads=

New speeding laws to hit Ont. highways on Sunday
Updated Fri. Sep. 28 2007 7:45 PM ET

toronto.ctv.ca

Tougher highway traffic laws will come into effect in Ontario on Sunday, giving police more power to crack down on street racers.


The new regulations will allow the Ontario Provincial Police to impound vehicles and suspend licences for a week on the spot for dangerous and aggressive motorists who:


Drive 50 km/h or more over the speed limit;
Race and/or stunt drive; and
Drive with someone in the trunk.

"Those that don't get it, we're going to get it -- your car and your licence," OPP Sgt. Cam Woolley said on Friday.


Excessive speeding will also cost drivers thousands of dollars after section 172 of The Highway Traffic Act comes into effect.



Those travelling 50 km/h or more over the speed limit face fines between $2,000 and $10,000 or up to six months in jail -- or both.


Arguing with the OPP will also carry an additional fine of up to $5,000.



The new regulations come after a string of serious accidents involving speeding and street racing on Ontario highways over the summer.

The OPP says driving too fast is a factor in about 25 per cent of all vehicle accidents in the province.


If the new laws would have been in effect last year, about 5,000 drivers would have had their vehicles impounded and their driver's licences taken away, police said.

Wow...
Not that I drive that fast, but I'm glad I don't live in Ontario.
If I read this right, it looks like simply speeding now alone on a wide open road with no traffic can result in a street racing charge. What the fuck is next?

[TheIntrepid]

FUCK. This sucks. There's a long 3-lane (each way) road near where I live, and the limit is 60km/h. It's always empty and I regularly cruise on it at or around 100-110km/h. I better slow the hell down.

[Champ]

So they are cracking down HARD on the thing that is a factor in 25% of the accidents...what about the other SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT?

[Vinsanity]

Arguing with the OPP will also carry an additional fine of up to $5,000

haha that was always the fun part of getting pulled over

[Raza]

How can they fine you for arguing?  Is there no freedom of speech in Canada?

[Raghavan]

Trep will get pwned. I can feel it.

[VTEC_Inside]

So they are cracking down HARD on the thing that is a factor in 25% of the accidents...what about the other SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT?

Cracking down on speeding makes for better media coverage.


I have a big problem with this new law, not necessarily as it stands by itself, but that other areas that SHOULD have been addressed at the same time were completely f'in ignored.

50kph over the posted limit eh? Not that I need to tell anyone here, but NO ONE drives the posted limit.

Ask ANYONE and they will tell you that the unofficial speed on the highways here is 120kph. I was just talking to my grandpa about this yesterday and even he was saying that he had to do 130kph to keep with the flow on the 401.

So back to the 50 over thing. In reality its not a 50 over penalty. At best its a 30 over penalty, and at worst a 20 over penalty. In some cases it could still be less than that.

Keep the 50 over penalty for all I care, but adjust the posted limit to reflect what 99.9% of people are actually driving first.

Call me passive, but I wouldn't have to worry about that penalty if it took effect at 170kph.

Disclaimer: My above rant applies to highway speeds primarily. I find that MOST limits on city streets are reasonable.

[TheIntrepid]

Trep will get pwned. I can feel it.

Trep has a perfect record. Let's keep it that way.

[nickdrinkwater]

Not as bad as what happened to this guy:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/09/24/nspeed124.xml
   
172mph speeding Porsche driver jailed

By Natalie Paris and agencies

The fastest motorist ever caught speeding has been jailed for 10 weeks after reaching a record 172mph in a Porsche on a country A-road.
   

Speed machine: The Porsche 911

Tim Brady, 33, of Harrow, north west London admitted one count of dangerous driving in a ?98,000 3.6-litre Porsche 911 Turbo, Oxford Crown Court heard.

He was caught in January by a police constable holding a speed gun in a random speed check on the A420 near Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

Previously, the fastest recorded speed resulting in a conviction was 156mph, reached in 2003 by Aberdeen car dealer Jason McAllister on the A90 between Aberdeen and Dundee.

Judge David Morton Jack gave Brady a three-year driving ban and ordered him to pay ?474 costs.

We were talking about the fastest speeds we had driven at work the other day and one of my colleagues said his was 186 mph    Might have to have a word with him 

[The Pirate]

Not as bad as what happened to this guy:

We were talking about the fastest speeds we had driven at work the other day and one of my colleagues said his was 186 mph    Might have to have a word with him 

What does he drive?  And you guys don't use km/h over there?

[Northlands]

"Arguing" will net you a $5k fine? Wow, and here I thought we had free speech where we live.

I can just smell this law coming into place in Manitoba. I'm surprised no one has suggested to provincial legislature and/or Parliament that all Canadian vehicles come equipped with a 100 km/h governor in place.

Give it 15 years. Our cars will be driving themselves down roads. Small towers will be built alongside roadways telling each vehicle what speed it is allowed to drive at, when to stop...etc. We will soon be out of the equation.

Does that last paragraph qualify for conspiracy theory of the day?

[Champ]

Here in MN they claimed to have caught a motorcyclist for going 206mph (I think, over 200 anyways) and he went to court and won because he proved his motorcycle couldn't even go that fast.  I am not sure if he got some fine for still going redonkulously fast because he was clearly pedal (throttle) to the metal.

[Northlands]

Here in MN they claimed to have caught a motorcyclist for going 206mph (I think, over 200 anyways) and he went to court and won because he proved his motorcycle couldn't even go that fast.  I am not sure if he got some fine for still going redonkulously fast because he was clearly pedal (throttle) to the metal.

That reminds of the article in C&D about some guy getting nailed by a camera while driving his Hyundai Sonata. The speed claimed was higher than the car's top end ability.

[Colonel Cadillac]

Traffic lawyers will benefit from this, that's for sure.

$5,000 for arguing!! I'm starting to think that's not in the public's best interest and the elected officials are abusing their power, that is simply ridiculous.

[James Young]

That reminds of the article in C&D about some guy getting nailed by a camera while driving his Hyundai Sonata. The speed claimed was higher than the car's top end ability.

The original Chippie that called in Rodney King claimed he was going 100+ in his Hyundai with 4 adults aboard.  Down the backside of Hoover Dam maybe. . .

[AKL]

Cracking down on speeding makes for better media coverage.


I have a big problem with this new law, not necessarily as it stands by itself, but that other areas that SHOULD have been addressed at the same time were completely f'in ignored.

50kph over the posted limit eh? Not that I need to tell anyone here, but NO ONE drives the posted limit.

Ask ANYONE and they will tell you that the unofficial speed on the highways here is 120kph. I was just talking to my grandpa about this yesterday and even he was saying that he had to do 130kph to keep with the flow on the 401.

So back to the 50 over thing. In reality its not a 50 over penalty. At best its a 30 over penalty, and at worst a 20 over penalty. In some cases it could still be less than that.

Keep the 50 over penalty for all I care, but adjust the posted limit to reflect what 99.9% of people are actually driving first.

Call me passive, but I wouldn't have to worry about that penalty if it took effect at 170kph.

Disclaimer: My above rant applies to highway speeds primarily. I find that MOST limits on city streets are reasonable.

I agree.

I rarely drive the speed limit on the highway. I'm usually around 120-130KM/HR.

I really disagree with this new law. Speeding isn't just the problem. I was driving on the DVP on Saturday and was REALLY close to getting into a serious accident. Up ahead I noticed a X-trail constantly swerving through lanes rarely using his turn signal. He was on the HOV lane finally but got stuck behind a slow car. I caught up to him and was beside him on the left lane. Out of no where I see the X-Trail get really close to the side of my car. I slam the brakes and swerve to the right and blast the horn. He ignores me and just pushes me off the lane. Just to show him I was pissed I held the horn for 15 seconds and made sure he heard me.

Drivers like these need to be off the road. They don't know how to use their signs, mirrors and are simply stupid. What does swerving through traffic do? Buy you what, 5 minutes?

The arguing part is also ridiculous.

[Raza]

What does he drive?  And you guys don't use km/h over there?

They use MPH in the UK. 

[Pancor]

Speed isn't a problem on our 400 series highways, its the idiots that don't keep right!

[TheIntrepid]

Speed isn't a problem on our 400 series highways, its the idiots that don't keep right!

Damn right. This morning I had an empty 403 in the HOV and I was pushing 170-180km/h and then I remembered the new law and tried to keep it below 150.

[etypeJohn]

What does swerving through traffic do? Buy you what, 5 minutes?

Which is just about how much time you will save on a thirty mile trip if the posted limit is 60 and you drive 75. 

[Champ]

Which is just about how much time you will save on a thirty mile trip if the posted limit is 60 and you drive 75. 

Which is a big chunk of change if you do it twice a day 5 days a week.  That's almost an hour a week.

[nickdrinkwater]

What does he drive?  And you guys don't use km/h over there?

Was driving his parents' Bentley.  No, MPH!

[etypeJohn]

Which is a big chunk of change if you do it twice a day 5 days a week.  That's almost an hour a week.

Oh, my.  Free time to watch Dancing with the Stars.   

 
Except that the average commute in the US is under ten miles one way, so in reality one is on average saving about 20 minutes a week, maximum.

[Champ]

Except that the average commute in the US is under ten miles one way, so in reality one is on average saving about 20 minutes a week, maximum.

Where did you read something like that?  I thought it was much longer since all of the urban sprawl has started.

My personal one is 25 miles one way @ ~32 minutes (25-27 if I think there are no speed tax collection stops setup).

Used to be 22 miles, thanks 35W bridge collapse!!!!!!   

[etypeJohn]

Where did you read something like that?  I thought it was much longer since all of the urban sprawl has started.

My personal one is 25 miles one way @ ~32 minutes (25-27 if I think there are no speed tax collection stops setup).

Used to be 22 miles, thanks 35W bridge collapse!!!!!!  

I was talking about trips in general, not just commutes.

From the EPA:  "A typical automobile on the road in 2002 had an average trip length of 4.0 miles, and, with slightly more than 7 trips per day, an average of about 29 vehicle miles traveled per day."

I'ver read elswhere that the average commute is under 10 miles one way.

[Champ]

Yes then I can see that, I was thrown off when you said commute!

[Soup DeVille]

Not as bad as what happened to this guy:

We were talking about the fastest speeds we had driven at work the other day and one of my colleagues said his was 186 mph    Might have to have a word with him 

186 MPH is the cut-off point for 'Busas.

[Soup DeVille]

The original Chippie that called in Rodney King claimed he was going 100+ in his Hyundai with 4 adults aboard.  Down the backside of Hoover Dam maybe. . .

120: In a 68 horsepower 1986 Hyundai Excel.

[Payman]

This outrage, plus the "Civil Remedial Fee" they're charging in Virginia, is the start of a disturbing trend. 

[MaxPower]

That reminds of the article in C&D about some guy getting nailed by a camera while driving his Hyundai Sonata. The speed claimed was higher than the car's top end ability.

I remember that article.  C&D decided that a Sonata could indeed to 147mph and that the photo-radar was accurate: ". . .a C/D test driver took our long-term Sonata V-6 to the track and ? surprise ? got a top speed of 144 mph. The section of road. . .is slightly downhill, making his 147-mph speed seem plausible."
http://www.caranddriver.com/carnews/12563/the-147-mph-hyundai-sonata.html