Warning if you travel through Ontario

[JJ 911SC]

This is for my fellows Pelican living outside Ontario (apparently God country according to my Anglos friends...). It's a bit long but might save you a lot of money and aggravation.

On my way to a car show this morning, I was doing the speed limit (not) but always kept it under 50Km over the limit, as in Ontario there is a really stupid laws that is called "Stunt law" which translate to if you are over the speed limit by 50Km or more, your car is seized and you loose your license on the spot.

50 Km converted to 30 MPH, so basically on an Highway in Ontario rated at 100Km (60 Mph) anything above 150Km (90Mph) could result in bye bye Porsche (or is it Porschaaaaaaaa).

If you are plated from outside the province you might get a break or not. One guy from the 2010 Gunball Rally find out the hard way but he was warned: Gumball rally car seized in Ontario - Canada - Canoe.ca

Have fun while speeding within the limit

Cheers

J.J.

P.S. After finishing second to another Porsche last year, I did not expect and did not win anything this year trophy wise... but got the top draw prizes, $500 gift card at Future Shop/Best Buy

[800vmax4]

This "Stunting" or "Racing" traffic law IMO is dangerous as it encourages an individual to evade the Police and not stop in an attempt to get away. When driving on the 2 lane Trans Canada highway[most of it is], 50km - 70 km over is not an unreasonable figure when passing transports on the short straight stretches thru NWO. My Subaru WRX STI easily runs well over 200km when pulling out and passing a couple trucks. Setting the amount at 50km/30mph over is a rediculous figure as even my snowmobile is capable of double the speed limit let alone my 911 or my daily driver Subaru WRX STI !
JMO.

[dentist90]

Snap, that is harsh! Hope word of this doesn't make it to BC. 50km/h over is crazy easy to do on our backroads (or so I've heard )

[OttawaDave]

Nah, you BC guys are safe....if you don't like the law, you can just hold a referendum!!

[vancouver86/911]

Just so you know, the OPP has a saying when handing out traffic tickets: "Strict is fair, I don't care, sign right there!" They'd give their mother a ticket if they thought it would get them out of a northern posting faster.

[pksystems]

That's it? Last I heard they could arrest you for 40km/h over the limit.

[flatsixjunky]

50km - 70 km over is not an unreasonable figure

from 800vmax4

You are talking 100mph = 160kph (90kph + 70kph ) if you were suppose to be going at 90kpm (55mph).

Not being able to go more than 60 kph over the speed limit seems somehow unreasonable to you? I guess you're all going to have to move to Germany.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by flatsixjunky

I guess you're all going to have to move to Germany.

Ich wünschte, ich könnte

[Trackrash]

In California driving over 90mph is an arrestable offense.

[slow&rusty]

Originally Posted by Trackrash

In California driving over 90mph is an arrestable offense.

In Houston..driving less than 90mph will get you run over.

[JJ 911SC]

Originally Posted by slow&rusty

In Houston..driving less than 90mph will get you run over.

Just like in Quebec...

[whiskyb]

Highways are one thing but residential streets where the kids are racing and crashing is totally another

[800vmax4]

Originally Posted by flatsixjunky

from 800vmax4

You are talking 100mph = 160kph (90kph + 70kph ) if you were suppose to be going at 90kpm (55mph).

Not being able to go more than 60 kph over the speed limit seems somehow unreasonable to you? I guess you're all going to have to move to Germany.

Driving at a steady speed of 50 to 60km over I agree is unreasonable... but a full throttle pass on the truck saturated Trans Canada Hwy on 1/4 mile dotted line pulling out in to the opposing lane of traffic is not![if you do not pass aggressively it will end in tragedy!]

The OPP are known for handing out tickets at the end of passing lanes.

The "Stunting" charge is not just being used for kids street racing, but also for regular people that have missed the speed reduction signs on the outskirts of small towns...it all depends on the officers discretion to use it.

[JJ 911SC]

The Unconstitutional part has been overturened since... Back to square 1

Oakville woman no legal maverick, she says
September 12, 2009
Nick Aveling
TORSTAR NEWS SERVICE
There are a few things Jane Raham, alter ego "stunt-driving granny," would like to make perfectly clear.

First and foremost, she is not a legal maverick. It was never, repeat never, her intention to "take on the law," as some media outlets have suggested. "This granny did not, and would not, even though I felt a great sense of injustice," the 62-year-old woman said yesterday.

Raham found herself at the centre of a landmark legal ruling earlier this week, after an Ontario Court judge overturned her guilty verdict and ruled a section of the province's stunt driving law is unconstitutional. She had been charged under the law for passing a truck near Kaladar at more than 50 km/h past the limit – the speed at which drivers receive an automatic conviction.

As happy as she is, Raham said she can't take credit for the decision. That belongs entirely to a paralegal association, retained by Raham to help guide her through the court process, and lawyer Brian Starkman.

"The paralegal said the association really wanted to appeal this case because they thought the law was written badly," said Raham. "I said, `You can appeal it, but I'm going to pay the fine.' Based on what had happened, I had no hope that there was going to be any room to manoeuvre there."

Enter Starkman.

According to court documents, Raham's paralegal filed a motion that included the lawyer's submissions from a similar case. Fearing the paralegal was in over his head, Justice G.J. Griffin invited Starkman to take on the appeal.

Ten months later, Raham received a call from her paralegal, who congratulated her for making "provincial history."

"I said, `What?'"

Raham hadn't paid Starkman a cent; he did it for free. Nor had she heard from him until after the appeal was won.

"The law defines stunt driving in several different ways," Starkman said. "One of them is driving a car while you're not seated in the driver's seat. I'd say that's a pretty good definition of stunt driving.

"But why should driving 50 (km/h) above the speed limit be stunt driving? It's speeding. There's another section that deals with speeding, and it already includes penalties for going 50 past the limit and more."

At this point, what worries Raham even more than the stunt driving law is the lack of regulation around impound lots in Ontario, where private operators are free to charge what they please.

She said she was quoted a fee of $100 a day, a price she challenged after a local taxi driver told her it was far above average.

In the end, said Raham, she paid a total of $588 over the course of a week. The cost was knocked off the $2,000 fine she paid before the LPA launched its appeal. "If the municipality has enlisted operations to (impound vehicles), why aren't they regulated?" she asked.

[flatsixjunky]

I'm not familiar with that neck of the woods so please forgive my ignorance. I understand what you all are referring to now that I've read the "speeding granny" article.

You go boy.

[johnsjmc]

Signs are also posted on major highways showing fines for speeding can be as high as $10,000 let alone impound and license loss. About 20 years ago I was caught going about 100 kph over in Ont. by then new rear facing moving radar. I was driving my new 944 turbo. I hit the brakes as the officer reached to lock in my speed.He was really pissed when he locked in his radar and found I was only 49 over thanks to my fast reaction and big brakes.. In those years the fine was set below 50 over at about $350 and above required an automatic court appearance where a judge could impose a higher fine and a drivers license suspension. I was very lucky ,it would be much worse today. (100 kph=62 mph)

[NewfieMZ3]

Hey JJ, I was just in Ontario as you know.........they never got me........but then again I would never speed. Any luck with that Swepco yet?

[Drisump]

There is , and should be, discretion employed by cops who pull over and ticket speed offenders. When passing in an area with few opportunities, a certain amount of excess speed should be tolerated for safety sake. I know the "law is the law" crowd will say ...."then don't pass". How many times have you pulled out to pass someone at 50mph and the car you're passing suddenly "wakes up" and it becomes a race? Fortunately the P-car is more than able to handle these events in short order......but my Land Cruiser....not so much. When there is nothing but blue sky and no cars on a perfect road, the cop should use his best judgment in the assessment of the situation. The problem occurs when a cop has the right to award a ticket, and does so, in situations where there is no danger to the offender, or anyone else, at speeds marginally above the accepted limit. This smacks of revenue generation instead of safety enforcement. As an aside, I think there are a few good reasons why a reasonable speed limit is in place in North America (as opposed to Germany)......the amount of large wild mammals for one. It's interesting to note that most speed limits haven't changed probably since the sixties, but a typical car using those roads can brake in half the distance and corner like a sports car from that era. Anyway....drive your Porsche responsibly....but with flair. Cheers

[longhornchris04]

Thank god they don't have this law in California... SoCal drivers don't have any manners so passing on a 2-lane road is a nightmare.

There are several stretches on PCH that are 2 lanes & windy with the occasional striped section and a handful 3-lane sections... only on hills. I don't know how many times I've been stuck behind someone crawling at 25-30 mph (on a 50/55 mph road) through the curves (easily 45 mph, 50 if you were aggressive in a normal car). But, hit a straight and they would rocket up to 60mph. If I tried to pass, they would race me... I hit 70+ without passing, it took getting to over 80, then standing on the brakes to negotiate the next turn. 2-4 turns later I was gone because they went back to crawling and I had a 10mph advantage.

Now, an isolated incident would be one thing, but this seemed to happen ever time I got on PCH or any other 2-lane road. I soon got used to just going straight to 3rd gear and standing on it to pass.

Of course, I was spoiled growing up... Texas has the "Courtesy Law" where if practicable, you pull off the to the shoulder if you are impeding traffic. Best part is most people actually do it, which makes driving on the backroads quite enjoyable.

[9dreizig]

I got a ticket for 140 in a 100 a few years ago in Ontario.. Early morning no traffic on the hwy.. Middle aged American white guy in a Porsche. I never had a chance. If he would have cut me a few km break I'd have been ok with that, but not a bit.. So I never paid it,, since then I've switched states and drivers licenses.. F-em!!!! They got nothing from me!!