Eight people charged with stunt driving in northern Ont.

Ontario Provincial Police are concerned after eight North Bay-area drivers were among 137 charged with stunt driving over the long weekend.

Stunt drivers kept the North Bay Ontario Provincial Police busy this Thanksgiving weekend, with eight people being charged in just three days.

On Highway 11 in Powassan on Oct. 11, three people were charged, including a 43-year-old from Cambridge (157 km/h in a 100 zone), a 23-year-old from Wasaga Beach (164 km/h in a 100 zone) and a 28-year-old from Toronto (150 km/h in a 100 zone).

On Oct. 12, an 18-year-old from Powassan was charged with driving 111 km/h in a 60 km/h zone on Alderdale Road in Chisholm Township.

And on Oct. 13 on Highway 17 in Bonfield, two people -- a 33-year-old from Powassan and a 39-year-old from Corbeil – were both charged in the same traffic stop for driving 145 km/h in a 90 zone.

Later the same day, on Highway 17 in Papineau-Cameron, a 53-year-old from Kanata was charged with driving 155 km/h in a 90 zone.

Finally, later the same day on Highway 11 in Powassan, a 24-year-old from Ajax was charged with driving 152 km/h in a 100 zone.

The weekend incidents are part of a larger trend that has seen charges for stunt driving increase by 130 per cent between 2013 and 2019.

The offence not only can lead to legal issues, but to much higher insurance costs.

High-risk driver

“You will quite likely find yourself as a high-risk driver and that means the premiums that you’re paying now could very easily double or in some cases triple,” said Anne Marie Thomas of the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

“Stunt driving is one of the most dangerous and reckless behaviours on our roads today,” Const. Rob Lewis told CTV News.

“Follow the rules of the road, follow the speed limits. Try not to drive aggressively or make maneuvers that are dangerous to other drivers.”

Police remind residents that stunt driving means losing your vehicle for two weeks, your driver’s licence for at least 30 days, fines up to $10,000, six demerit points and possible jail time.