Say no to excessive speeding!!

[Wild Weasel]

Just a heads-up to everyone here. Looks like they've passed the law that says if you're caught doing 50 km/h or more over the speed limit, you'll be subject to the street racing laws so they can fine you up to $10k and take your car. Apparently they can only take your car for a week, but I'm sure the impound charges won't be pretty.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/246448

I'd be lying if I said I've never gone over 150 on the 401 when it's empty and wide open. Heck, some people cruise regularly at 130-140 when traffic is light. It would be a hell of an eye-opener to creep over 150 for a brief moment and have the heavy-hand of the law come crashing down on you like there's no tomorrow!

[MattC]

next thing you know, we will have people going through our mail, and listening to us while we sleep in our houses.

big brother is tightening his grip...

[sicsol]

This is BS. don't you need at least (2) cars to race ? Whats next, going to band radios in our cars.

[jaguar]

Luckily for me, I only do 140 max on the 401. The engine also starts to get louder on my 2L engine when it hits 150 so it deters me from driving at that speed.

[WhiteSpeed3]

thats it time to save it for the track no more speeding but i still think they wont do anything

[Broli]

i agree this is retarded!

not that i am regularly over 150

there should be some stipulations

time of day, class of road

if in the middle of the day ur doing 50 over on a side street, sure u deserve to get nailed


if it is the middle of the night and ur doing 50 over on the highway, thats a different story

imo

[3GFX]

I don't do over 140, usually just go with the flow of traffic. If no one is going 140 I'm not either. But if the speed stuff keeps cracking down like this I'm going to have to put "my little friend" back on the dash to keep an extra eye out.

"Speed doesn't kill, coming to a stop really quickly does" - Jeremy Clarkson (Top Gear)

[Wild Weasel]

thats it time to save it for the track no more speeding but i still think they wont do anything

You should go to the track regardless. It's just good fun. :)

As for not doing anything... in the near future at least, I'd expect quite the opposite. They're going to be circling like buzzards trying to make a few examples of people so they can justify the cost of the plane and show that they're doing something.

[b3GS]

Today's pre-election announcement at Buttonville Airport will also include $2 million in funding for an OPP plane and overhead surveillance equipment to help catch dangerous drivers.


I agree that anyone going over 150km/hr should be heavily fined.. there really is no need to do that speed on a public road/highway... you are putting other people's lives in jepordy if you lose control and take them out in the process.

BUT.. in these times of gang, gun and drug problems.. do they really think it's wise to allocate $2million dollars for planes who's only purpose is to catch the occassional speeder??? WHO MAKES THESE DECISIONS????

ridiculous waste of taxpayers money :complain:bang

[yearoftherat]

This is BS. don't you need at least (2) cars to race ? Whats next, going to band radios in our cars.

The article also says exssive speeding not just racers.

I agree with b3GG,,, wtf do you need to be going 150 km?

In Manitoba, the police have impounded cars and taken away driving priveleges for speeding. With all thats happened in the past few weeks, it was bound to happen.

[Caz]

If this plane is going to be fineing the people on the 407, it will pay for itself in about a week. I usually go with the flow of traffic, which can be around 130-135 km/h and there are always cars falling by me.

They should make an example of the guy they caught on his bike doing over 250 km/h yesterday.

[dentinger]

damn!
2 days before i leave for sudbury!!
last time i was up there i was doing, uh, 50-60 over when i got past barrie.
(highway 69, 90km/h top speed, wide open road)

but on the streets, im usually going maybe 10 over the limit.
but on the highway, like the 407, i speed, only cuz its wide open, and freshly paved. and isnt that the whole point of the 407? to save time?

[sicsol]

What about bikes. I can reash 150 km/h within seconds when cruising on the 401.

[Skarbro]

You don't need 2 cars to be racing.

[bluntman]

Aircraft work and are more effective than land based vehicles. Did anyone see the footage of that motorcycle doing more than 250km/h (supposedly) on Yonge Street late one night? That bike was alone.

[RedRaptor]

You don't need 2 cars to be racing.

What he said. You could be doing your own time trials and thats considered racing.

The new law is just there in writing with all the speeding incidents lately. I doubt a cop will pull 5 cars over who are doing 150km/h in the morning if thats what traffic flow is.

[Garu]

Yikes. I guess I won't be using 6th gear at all.

[Wild Weasel]

I like this comment from Autonet:


Fantino had said the plan had no downside and would have negligible costs, considering the savings gained from preventing tens of thousands of injuries and deaths, plus costs associated with damages, insurance and lost productivity.

Give me a break! Tens of thousands of injuries and deaths are going to be prevented by this? I'd love to see them justify those numbers. Let's see... they claim that 40 people have died from street racing around Toronto since 1999. Has anyone seen stats regarding how many people are killed or injured due to excessive speeding?

When you take them to court... does the pilot have to show up? :)

[Wild Weasel]

As for the racing angle... I think that's completely stupid. They should have made the new laws target dangerous driving and then just include street racing as part of that. Speeding isn't racing. Sure... you could be doing time trials... but you might also just be in a hurry or just enjoy driving fast. It's stupid to use the term "racing" in this case. It's all just for publicity.

[Sebi]

150 is not "speeding"! My dad is 50+ and he does 150 on the "autoband" in EU just following the traffic. In perfect weather, light traffic, decent car, there is no reason to go with 100 kph....

I prefer a good driver doing 150 on a highway over a bad driver doing 80 in the middle lane while talking on the phone, reading the newspaper. I got a "careless driving" ticket for flashing a guy in daylight going with 80 in the middle lane of the 427 in perfect conditions... so I'm learning how cops think, but I believe they should look what's going on on the other side of the ocean...

[WLS ZMZM]

Its like the police just continue to make themselves look dumber and dumber... I mean really this is just getting pathetic.. I agree... that excessive speeds are dangerous... but not quite as dangerous as half the people who drive who don't know how to.... or are too old to do so properly. As for "racing" If I'm speeding I'm speeding I'm not racing... unless your doing time trials... TOUGE TOUGE TOUGE TOUGE!!! But seriously... They are going to be really busy on the 407 cuz everyone does over the limit... just think.. for those who do use the 407 how many times have you been doing 130 or 140 and get passed as if your doing 100.... I can think of a sh*t load of times.... honestly its getting quite pathetic... and the police should change their motto from "to serve and protect" and change it to "to bug & harass" or "to rip off & waste" I mean really Fantino.. Get real!!!

[Broli]

the reason it will be at virtually no cost, is revenue from tickets

they will never understand the difference between speeding and racing

[dentinger]

there is no speed limit on the autobahn!!
you could be in a ferrari doing 250km/h, and no one would care.

theres just different lanes for different speeds,
so, the left lane is the fastest, and the right lane is the slowest, or something like that.

[WLS ZMZM]

true enough denty... but figure it like this in technicality.... the left lane is for higher speeds.. but how many times have you come across some old lady in her corolla doing 90 in that lane?? when she should be in the far right lane.... people don't care about rules of the road.... but I don't understand how you can enforce the rules with people who dont care themselves.... with this whole new campaign on driving distractions with cells etc... how can a police officer give me a rough time.. when I see them doing it too....

[dentinger]

and if the cops really were smart,

they would look at the 407.
you look at the time entered the highway, the distance travelled, and the time exited the highway.

[Caz]

The funny thing is I have been taking the 407 to and from work for a year and a half and with all the speeders..opps I mean racers doing 150 km/h plus, I can only remember seeing maybe 6 accidents over that time and they have all involved a 18 wheeler.

[Sebi]

As a side note, is it true that in Canada it's still legal to talk on the cell while driving?

[MajesticBlueNTO]

there is no speed limit on the autobahn!!
you could be in a ferrari doing 250km/h, and no one would care.

theres just different lanes for different speeds,
so, the left lane is the fastest, and the right lane is the slowest, or something like that.

wrong...the left lane on the autobahn is for PASSING ONLY. once you've completed the pass of the car(s) in the right lane, you pull into the right lane.

if you're hogging the left lane you will be ticketed and there is no passing on the right.

there are speed limits in certain sections of the autobahn (with photo radar).


the reason why the autobahn can exist without much incident is because the driver education system in Germany is far better than anything in North America.

[WLS ZMZM]

It is still legal to talk on cell phones however it is at the discretion of the officer to pull you over and advise you not to.... and you can be ticketed... its just not "law" as of yet.. The CAA is campaigning pretty hard about the use of other devices when driving.... believe me I know cuz I see (after all I do work for them :p) It's just sad that the law realize the difference between speeding and racing.... just makes it a little more clear how they are unable to differntiate between a street racer and an import tuner.... Gotta love seeing my tax dollars hardly working :chuckle

Besides aren't there more pressing issues in the province then street racing and speeding....?? like how about illegal drug labs....murders and gang issues.... I know its an election year but cmon.... let's worry about the real issues here

[Skarbro]

It is still legal to talk on cell phones however it is at the discretion of the officer to pull you over and advise you not to.... and you can be ticketed... its just not "law" as of yet..
It is not a direct law against cell phones true. But the officer can charge you with Dangerous Driving, which is pretty bad on your MVR and on your Insurance rates.

[whiteomega]

why speed at all? why not just give yourself more time to get where you're going? if you're too busy to give yourself the extra time, then plan a little further ahead...

[Skarbro]

why speed at all? why not just give yourself more time to get where you're going? if you're too busy to give yourself the extra time, then plan a little further ahead...
Best post in the whole thread!

But alas, we all don't heed good advice... including myself.

[MattC]

See I agree that there should be big tickets for 150+ because in most cases that speed or more on a highway is very dangerous to you and the other drivers, but the whole 10k fine and the impounded car thing is stupid.

[McGuyver_3]

Man this is BULL SH*T 150 is not racing it is a decent speed. This country is F*cked up with regards to setting their priorities straight. When you get in to an accident you have to lie to the cops to get them to show up otherwise if no one is hurt they just say swap insurance and if the car is undriveable then get it towed. But for speeding they are right on the ball WTF????? F*ck that
This kinda sh*t pisses me off
My suggestion is retest everyone who has a lic and give them proper training to operate a car at high speeds. Hence allowing us to raise the speed limits.
Raise the getting your lic from 16->18
Change the highways so that either the collectors or the express have 2 different speeds express 140 collector 120 however you want
thats pretty much all i can think of

[MajesticBlueNTO]

See I agree that there should be big tickets for 150+ because in most cases that speed or more on a highway is very dangerous to you and the other drivers, but the whole 10k fine and the impounded car thing is stupid.

150+ was already an automatic court date and a 'careless driving' charge.

[Broli]

yeah but 10K fine and impounded car is a tad different than careless and a court date. (granted that is the max (right) we dont know what the norm will be)

usually, u would plea down to 49 or 39 over and get a speeding ticket. unless the speed was greatly over 50+

[WLS ZMZM]

very true... it was a dangerous driving charge 50 or over... however.... police really weren't that interested in pulling a car over at that kind of speed on a hwy... as long as they weren't causing issues.. now... they are going to be looking for them..... as for raising the limits and teaching people thats definitely not the answer... raise the limits... and people will speed again.... raise it to 140.. .and they'll be doing 160... this was already discussed a while ago with the 407.... and there arguement was if we raise the limit.. people will speed that much more.. making it that much more unsafe... and well re-training the whole country wouldn't be cost efficient.. I do however agree with you Mcguyver about raising the age of licensing from 16 - 18... someone should not be able to drive with a G2 unless they are 19.... this would help avoid some of the dumb punks on the road I'm not saying they are all bad..but as usual a few bad apples ruins it for the bunch!!

[Wild Weasel]

How about this joker suggesting they lower speed limits across the board in the US to bring up mileage figures.

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/aug2007/bw20070814_539070.htm?campaign_id=yhoo

Gatdam tree hugger!

[McGuyver_3]

ROFL dying of laughter.
make every car a standard unless you are somehow not able to drive because of a disability. They have proven thatstandard vehicles are more efficient

[3GFX]

Its simple, everyone should be retested and requirements to be an able driver should be increased. That way knowledge and proper driving skills would be in abundance and they could raise limits along with increasing safety on the roads.

[McGuyver_3]

thats abetter version of what i was trying to say

[b3GS]

How about this joker suggesting they lower speed limits across the board in the US to bring up mileage figures.

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/aug2007/bw20070814_539070.htm?campaign_id=yhoo

Gatdam tree hugger!

nothing wrong with saving gas, and our environment in turn.. but


But in test after test, I've found that driving at 60 mph, in contrast to keeping up with the traffic by going 75 to 80 mph, easily improves mileage by anywhere from 4 to 6 mpg.

this must make him real popular on the highway :chuckle

[WLS ZMZM]

Wow what a theory.... lmao.... if it was really just that simple... why has no one thought of this before.. could it be that there are so many other implications to it?? Ones that would cause alot more bad then good??

[MattC]

i got a solution, no old pepole or women should be allowed on the highways, that would cut accidents down by 80%

SORRY FELICIA! :chuckle

[Broli]

LOL

and then we could jack up the speed limits too!

LOL

[WLS ZMZM]

okay the old people... I tend to agree with... I still don't understand how these people can hardly walk... but still drive.... its like one of my buddies grandmothers.. *sweetest lady in the world* but it takes her 40 years to walk from the house to the car.... and as for her reaction time I've seen snails move faster then her at top speed.... so i dont understand how she can have control of a car.... last time I was in the car with her I swear I was going to die... and shes just so sweet as people are flipping her off shes waving back saying "what a nice young man waving at me..." or she'll wave and say "hello to you too" its hard not to laugh.... but... I mean really.... as for the women.. becarefull they aren't all bad drivers... there are exceptions to every rule... and i know a few girls who could probably out drive each of us....

[KOKKINO]

i got a solution, no old pepole or women should be allowed on the highways, that would cut accidents down by 80%

SORRY FELICIA! :chuckle

lol...hey hey...some women drive better than u men......

Atleast my car is standard :chuckle HA!

[b3GS]

^^ Ohhhh Buuuuuuurn

[sp3GT]

It is not a direct law against cell phones true. But the officer can charge you with Dangerous Driving, which is pretty bad on your MVR and on your Insurance rates.

I was told that if you have a G2 then it's illegal you can be ticketed but with a G license there's no law for it yet.

[ptwonline]

I like this comment from Autonet:



Give me a break! Tens of thousands of injuries and deaths are going to be prevented by this? I'd love to see them justify those numbers. Let's see... they claim that 40 people have died from street racing around Toronto since 1999. Has anyone seen stats regarding how many people are killed or injured due to excessive speeding?

When you take them to court... does the pilot have to show up? :)

Those numbers are wildly exagerrated, but he is right on the principle: reducing the most excessive speeding will save both lives and money. A lot of the accidents that end up shutting down highways and killing other motorists are the people driving way, way too fast and losing control.

[WLS ZMZM]

I was told that if you have a G2 then it's illegal you can be ticketed but with a G license there's no law for it yet.



no sir..... there is no law in place right now... you can be charged with it... thats just a scare tactic.... its in the hands of the officer right now if he feels it's impeding your driving ability then the will ticket you....

[sp3GT]

no sir..... there is no law in place right now... you can be charged with it... thats just a scare tactic.... its in the hands of the officer right now if he feels it's impeding your driving ability then the will ticket you....


Really? I think I have a pamphlet that says that, it's part of the restrictions for G2. Maybee it is to scare, doesn't matter to me now anyways.

[Fuman]

Really? I think I have a pamphlet that says that, it's part of the restrictions for G2. Maybee it is to scare, doesn't matter to me now anyways.
nope, no such restriction
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/gradu/index.html

[yearoftherat]

why speed at all? why not just give yourself more time to get where you're going? if you're too busy to give yourself the extra time, then plan a little further ahead...

+1

[bubba1983]

i guess y'all hate guys liek me who sit with cruise at 110km/hour

[b3GS]

^as long as your not sitting in the fast lane.


and at least your doing above the speed limit. I can't stand those people who drive 100 or under and go into the middle and fast lanes :bang

[3GFX]

On the contrary!!! I love people who keep a constant speed and stay in the middle lane. Its better than the guy doing 130 and then 100 and then 120 and then 100. I'm the guy who will join you in your wonderful cruise controlled train.

[rktsci]

I know that the German autobahn has been mentioned as an example to discourage the government from changing the speeding penalties but I think that its a very poor comparison.

The autobahn is constructed very differently from our highways to handle the speed and other unique aspects. Also drivers must follow very strict rules while driving on the autobahn that most drivers here would find reprehensible. I find that most drivers on our roads don't care enough about those around them and would just ignore these rules as well. I found a great documentary about the Autobahn on the National Geographic channel that goes into great detail about it. There is a wikipedia entry that has some of the info but not all of it ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn ).

As for the proposed government changes, I don't really have an issue with it. Although I am more in favour of doing repeated drivers testing (ie: every 5 years or so) to ensure continued driver knowledge and development. Also, I would suggest banning cell phones (even hands free ones!).

[ptwonline]

^as long as your not sitting in the fast lane.


and at least your doing above the speed limit. I can't stand those people who drive 100 or under and go into the middle and fast lanes :bang

It only bugs me when there are cars going at the same speed in every single lane, which makes it impossible for others to pass.

As for the most dangerous drivers out there, I have noticed two things: the fastest and most aggressive drivers I see on the city streets that aren't in performance/sports cars or taxi cabs are:

1. 40-something guys in station wagons (not with their wives, of course) trying to prove that they are still cool. I always laugh when I see the "Baby on board" decals vanishing in a flash as the guy floors it.

2. (Some) Indian/Pakistani women. I kid you not. I can't count the number of times I've seen family sedans doing 90+ km/hr down Victoria Park or tires squealing as someone's Accord rockets off at a green light or a car leaning dangerously as it takes a corner far too fast...being driven by an Indian or Pakistani woman. That really surprised me.

[ptwonline]

I know that the German autobahn has been mentioned as an example to discourage the government from changing the speeding penalties but I think that its a very poor comparison.

The autobahn is constructed very differently from our highways to handle the speed and other unique aspects. Also drivers must follow very strict rules while driving on the autobahn that most drivers here would find reprehensible. I find that most drivers on our roads don't care enough about those around them and would just ignore these rules as well. I found a great documentary about the Autobahn on the National Geographic channel that goes into great detail about it. There is a wikipedia entry that has some of the info but not all of it ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahn ).

As for the proposed government changes, I don't really have an issue with it. Although I am more in favour of doing repeated drivers testing (ie: every 5 years or so) to ensure continued driver knowledge and development. Also, I would suggest banning cell phones (even hands free ones!).


The Autobahn is indeed different, and German drivers are more disciplined than North American drivers (or at least they used to be).

I also wonder if the bad weather in Canada and also the long driving distances (compared to Europe) leading to fatigue are factors in keeping the speed limits lower.

[WLS ZMZM]

maybe it's time we just put more graphic commercials.. and advertising.. such as this..

http://www.all4humor.com/videos/extreme-videos/extremely-graphic-commercial.html

certainly makes me think twice about excessive speeds!!

[3GFX]

That commercial is pretty good. Gets the point across.

[sp3GT]

Anyone read about this http://www.thestar.com/article/246448

[WLS ZMZM]

when I first saw the commercial i thought it was even more disturbing then those Vdub adds..... but definitely gets the idea across

[Garu]

The word disturbing for that video is I think very fitting description.
Dayummmmm...

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Anyone read about this http://www.thestar.com/article/246448

check the first post in this thread (http://www.torontomazda3.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=19935#1) ...that is what spawned the whole discussion :loco

[sp3GT]

haha, my bad. I never read the first post. lol

[bubba1983]

^as long as your not sitting in the fast lane.


and at least your doing above the speed limit. I can't stand those people who drive 100 or under and go into the middle and fast lanes :bang

if i am in the middle lane, and a car ahead of me is going slower than me, and i go to pass said car, and the car coming up behind me is doing 130km/hour (for arguments sake) they can wait the few extra seconds untill i safely pass, i don't care who you are.
i had a motorist behind me last night on highway 8 (kitchener) who was right up my arse, i was passing a convoy of vehicles (already doing 95km/hour, and its an 80 zone) had the cruise controll on, so then said motorist decided to keep on the high beams constantly behind me...no biggie, they don't bother me, so i jus kept on my way, cruise controll and all...the van blows by me finally, and honks its horn as it passes me, gets in front me of, and slows down to 40km/hour. some motorists, go figure....

[Wild Weasel]

if i am in the middle lane, and a car ahead of me is going slower than me, and i go to pass said car, and the car coming up behind me is doing 130km/hour (for arguments sake) they can wait the few extra seconds untill i safely pass, i don't care who you are.
i had a motorist behind me last night on highway 8 (kitchener) who was right up my arse, i was passing a convoy of vehicles (already doing 95km/hour, and its an 80 zone) had the cruise controll on, so then said motorist decided to keep on the high beams constantly behind me...no biggie, they don't bother me, so i jus kept on my way, cruise controll and all...the van blows by me finally, and honks its horn as it passes me, gets in front me of, and slows down to 40km/hour. some motorists, go figure....

I agree 100%.

I generally cruise around 110 on the highway (in the right lane) when I'm driving any sort of distance. If I pull out to pass, I'll usually speed up to around 115-120 as a courtesy to the faster drivers, but I don't feel the least bit bad about holding up the people who want to do 125+. I just make sure I pull back to the right as soon as I get past whoever I'm passing.

If everyone did this... things would run a lot smoother!!

[b3GS]

^oh I agree with you guys.. if you're already doing above the speed limit and you pull out to pass.. and some ass behind you doing in excess decides you're not going fast enough for him.. well **** him...

I'm just talking about those who drive bang on 100km/hr.. they should stay OUT of the fast lane alltogether

[Wild Weasel]

This wouldn't have been news... until now.

http://www.thestar.com/News/GTA/article/247318

Come Sept. 30th, you just know they're going to be looking out for that special someone to make a media example out of. Don't be that someone!!!

[WLS ZMZM]

and whoever they choose as their media darling is gonna get raked across those coals...

[b3GS]

156 in a 60 is just plain stupid