20,000 traffic charges laid in first half of 2024 as police crack down on street racing in Mississauga and Brampton

Street racers, speeders and rowdy motorists have racked up more than 20,000 traffic charges so far this year as police are working to curb ongoing issues with car rallies in Mississauga and Brampton.

The numbers come from Peel Regional Police Acting Insp. Shawn Rice, who gave a presentation to Brampton City Council last week about the growing number of loud and dangerous vehicle meet-ups happening in the city.

In the first six months of 2024, more than 20,000 charges have been laid by Peel police under the Highway Traffic Act including some 4,200 for speeding, 1,300 for noisy mufflers, 400 for careless driving and 900 related to stunting and street racing.

Street racing and car rallies in Mississauga have been an ongoing concern for police in recent years, and Rice said the meet-ups have become more frequent in Brampton following bylaw changes in nearby Vaughan that increased penalties for anyone participating in a takeover event.

Residents in Mississauga’s Churchill Meadows area started a petition last year calling for an increased police presence at a local plaza, enforce laws and set up speed cameras, and Brampton City Council is looking to toughen its bylaws to crack down on the growing number of rallies.

Officers were called to 21 different car rallies in Brampton between May 29 and June 24, and the city has asked staff to review Vaughan’s new special events and noise bylaws to see if similar measures can be brought to Brampton “in respect to car rallies for the purpose of increased public safety in our community.”

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Vaughan’s new maximum fine for participating in an unauthorized car rally is $10,000, and attendees can also receive administrative penalties of $1,000 for a first offence and $2,000 for each following offence.

Just last month police laid over 350 charges and inspected some 900 vehicles in an operation called “Project Offramp” aimed at clamping down on street racing and stunt driving across the GTA.

Peel police have also teamed up with law enforcement in Toronto, Halton, Hamilton and York for Project ERASE (Eliminating Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere) – an operation running until the fall which will see investigators step up efforts to clamp down on stunt driving, street racing and other dangerous activity on the roads.

You can get a stunt driving charge in Ontario if you are caught driving:

• 50 km/h or more over the speed limit where the posted limit is above 80 km/h
• 40 km/h or more over where the limit is 80 km/h or less
• at a speed of 150 km/h or more on any road or highway