Statement to the Ontario Legislature (May 3, 2007)

(CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)

Thank you Mr. Speaker.  

I rise in the house today to raise the profile of this year's E.R.A.S.E. campaign – Eliminate Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere.

Project E.R.A.S.E. is an annual province-wide campaign designed to eliminate street racing everywhere.

The campaign started several years ago with local police services across the GTA, and has expanded and grown every year.

Earlier today, I attended the launch of this year's E.R.A.S.E. campaign with York Regional Police to deliver our message that confronting the dangerous practice of street racing is a priority of this government.

We are  committed to keeping Ontario's roads safe.

And we have a simple message for street racers — stay off our roads.

Mr. Speaker, street racers need to know they are putting their own lives and the lives of innocent people at risk by racing or speeding. Almost half of all deaths on our roads are tied to speeding or loss of control.

In fact, police and media reports indicate that street racing may have been a factor in an estimated 35 road deaths in Ontario since 1999. These are senseless tragedies that should never have happened in the first place. 

That is why our government recently introduced legislation to tackle street racing head-on.  Today, drivers charged and convicted of street racing can be fined up to $1,000, assigned six demerit points, face jail time and lose their licence.

Mr. Speaker, our new legislation, if passed, contemplates even tougher sanctions for drivers who use our roads like racetracks.

If passed, the Safer Roads for a Safer Ontario Act, [Bill 203], would give police the power to immediately suspend licenses and impound vehicles for seven days when drivers are involved in street racing and stunt driving.

It would also put in place the highest street racing fines in Canada. Minimum fines would increase from $200 to $2,000 and maximum fines would go as high as $10,000.

Mr. Speaker, we've given police across the province the tools they need to get tough with speeders and street racers — to get them off our streets.

And yet …there is more we can do.

Street racing is a selfish, thoughtless act that ends lives.  By racing on our roads, people are choosing to put their own lives and the lives of innocent people at risk. 

Families and friends lose their loved ones.

We cannot remain idle and let this happen.

Our government has worked tirelessly with many road safety partners to improve safety on Ontario's roads.  With public education campaigns such as E.R.A.S.E., we can get the message out that there is no tolerance for people who create a danger on the roads for Ontarians.

I thank our police services, and our road safety partners across Ontario for their tremendous work and dedication in their fight against street racing.

Our message is clear: street racers and other speeders have no place on Ontario roads.

I call upon all members of the legislature to join me in highlighting this important public education campaign.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.