Excessive speeding and stunt driving pose a persistent problem on southern Ontario roads, leading to thousands of preventable deaths or life-altering injuries each year, police forces in the region said at the conclusion of a campaign to crack down on racing and stunt driving.
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), together with police departments in Toronto, Durham, York, Peel, Waterloo, Halton, and Hamilton, concluded the 2026 Project Erase this week. The annual two-month Eliminate Racing Activity On Streets Everywhere (ERASE) campaign is focused on improving safety on Ontario’s roads.
The campaign resulted in 2,438 charges laid under the Highway Traffic Act and an additional 118 Criminal Code charges, OPP Chief Supt. Andre Phelps told reporters during a July 7 press conference in Mississauga.
But he noted that the repercussions extend beyond a fine or a day in court. Excessive speed contributed to 75 road deaths in 65 collisions investigated by the OPP last year.
“Over the past decade, 768 people were killed in speed-related collisions investigated by the OPP,” Phelps said. “The loss of life is undeniably staggering.”
Speed was also linked to nearly 10,000 collisions, resulting in more than 1,600 people sustaining life-changing or severe injuries annually, he said, noting that excessive speed on Ontario roads is an ongoing issue.
Peel Sees Nearly 1,400 Charges
While six regional police forces took part in the operation, the Peel region just west of Toronto, which includes cities like Mississauga and Brampton, accounted for more than half of the charges laid during May and June.Peel Regional Police officers targeted “hotspot locations” across the region, resulting in 92 arrests and 1,390 charges laid, including 107 for stunt driving, Peel Deputy Chief Marc Andrews said. Officers also seized nearly 100 vehicles.
Andrews told reporters there have been four deaths and two people left with life-altering injuries on the roads in Peel Region in the past 10 days alone.
“No moment of adrenaline or brief thrill is worth the lifelong trauma families face when reckless driving takes a mother, father, or child too soon,” he said. “It’s not worth the years spent in courtrooms, time behind bars, vehicles seized, licenses suspended, and a permanent criminal record that follows you for life.”
Operation Erase allows participating police forces to address street racing, stunt driving, and illegal car rallies across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA), Andrews said.
Toronto Police Service Supt. Catherine Jackson said the city’s force issued 148 stunt driving charges and responded to 151 reports of dangerous driving as part of the operation.
Jackson said anyone who witnesses dangerous driving can help improve road safety by contacting police.
“Road safety is everyone’s responsibility,” Jackson said. “If you witness dangerous driving, report it. If you know someone engaging in this behaviour, speak up,” Jackson said. “The conversation today could prevent a tragedy tomorrow.”
A conviction results in a sentence of up to six months in jail and a fine ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. First-time offenders will face a one-year licence suspension, while those convicted a second time will lose their licence for three years. A third conviction results in a lifetime suspension of the licence.
