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Spring thaw brings more stunt driving, speeding, police say

‘The speed limit is 80. We get people going 140, 150, 160,’ says South Simcoe Police Const. Paul Catling
2019-03-15-south simcoe police radar gun
South Simcoe Police Const. Paul Catling, pictured with a radar gun, said officers lay more stunt driving charges when warmer temperatures arrive. Supplied photo

Above-zero temperatures are melting snowbanks — and also attracting more speeding and stunt driving on local roads, said South Simcoe Police Const. Paul Catling.

“They’re all in the communities we live in, not on the highways at all,” he said. “When the road conditions are improving … and there is less moisture on roads … the speeds do increase significantly, (and) we see an increase in stunt driving.”

Just in the last two days, police charged two men with stunt driving — at least 50 km/h over the limit — for going 139 km/h in an 80 zone on 10 Sideroad in Innisfil, and 104 km/h in a 50 zone on Dissette Street in Bradford West Gwillimbury.

Catling said police often charge people driving 60 or 70 km/h over the speed limit in some areas, including Yonge Street and 10 Sideroad in Bradford.

“The speed limit is 80. We get people going 140, 150, 160,” he said. “We start to see it once there’s no ice (on the roads). People tend to take more risks, especially when passing… one, two, three vehicles at a time.”

With higher speeds also comes more crashes, he said, so people should still be careful while driving.

“We try to do as much enforcement as we can (and) educate as well,” he said.

“Injury is always related to speed of the vehicle. The higher the speed, the worse the injuries. Lower the speeds, less chance of a collision. You have more time to stop.”