Hamilton Police lay 805 charges during stunt driving crackdown amid COVID-19 pandemic

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Published May 20, 2020 at 11:26 am

The Hamilton Police Service has wrapped up Project Recalibrate, which was aimed at addressing increased speeds and stunt driving on Hamilton’s roads amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Hamilton Police Service has wrapped up Project Recalibrate, which was aimed at addressing increased speeds and stunt driving on Hamilton’s roads amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hamilton Police said it had noticed an increase in speeding since the Provincial State of Emergency was declared on March 17.

Over the two-week period, a total of 805 charges were laid, including the following:

  • 637 speeding charges
  • 24 stunt driving charges
  • 1 impaired
  • 143 other traffic-related offences

The other charges laid include:

  • Operate motor vehicle while suspended
  • Operation motor vehicle without a validation tag
  • Failure to surrender a driver’s licence
  • No ownership or insurance slip

The Service said its campaign’s goal was to educate the public and curb the recent speeding trend on Hamilton roads.

Drivers charged with stunt driving face an automatic court date, seven-day driving suspension, and those convicted can lose their vehicle for seven days.

“This number is unacceptable,” said Superintendent Marty Schulenberg. “We know there are fewer vehicles on the road right now but there is still an expectation that drivers will obey the rules of the road.”

Project Recalibrate ran from May 4 to 17 in various locations across Hamilton. While Project Recalibrate may be over, Hamilton Police emphasized that it will continue to enforce traffic laws.

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