Sask. drivers who stunt or street race now face new licence suspensions, longer impoundments

As of Wednesday, Saskatchewan drivers caught stunting or street racing willlose their licence for a week and their vehicle for a month.

The penalties also apply to drivers who travel at twice the speed limit or exceed it by more than 50 km/h.

The measures are on top of increased fines that date back to October 2022, when tickets for stunting and street racing previously at $150 and $205, respectively increased to $580.

Subsequent tickets for street racing within a one-year period increase to $1,400 for a second offence and $2,100 for a third.

According to Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI), the registered owner of the impounded vehicle is also responsible for the towing and storage fees.

Tyler McMurchy with SGI said impoundments will take place on the spot.

"Now, if you are getting somebody else's vehicle impounded for 30 days, that's a pretty tough conversation you're likely to have, and hopefully that would also deter somebody from engaging in that behaviour," he said.

Expect some discretion from police: SGI

According to SGI, stunting can include spinning a vehicle and driving while not in the driver's seat. But it can also mean driving in a way that prevents another vehicle from passing and stopping or slowing down to interfere with another vehicle's movement.

McMurchy said police will use some discretion and watch for intentional, egregious behaviour.

"I liken it to any type of behaviour that you're likely to see in a Fast and the Furious movie," he said.

McMurchy said he hopesno one has to gettheir vehicle impounded or their licence suspended.

"The point of all of this is not to punish people," he said. "The point is to deter the unsafe behaviour."

According to SGI, there were 3,247 collisions caused by speeding and stunting in2022 just over twice the 1,615 recorded in 2019. The numbers are based on police reports and data SGI collects through insurance claims.

It also said there were 201 convictions for stunting last year, down from 385 in 2021. But the 242 stunting-related collisions in 2022 were a five-year high.