85-year-old man arrested for racing down the highway in his Oldsmobile
Not so long ago, Ontario, Canada drafted a law to curb racing and excessive speeding on its highways. Things were getting so out of hand that stretches of road were called the Ontariobahn. In a campaign they call "shock and awe," they jacked the maximum fine up to $10,000, and threw in a 7-day suspended license and vehicle impound for anyone doing more than 50-KPH over the posted limit.
Since the traps were laid, they have been full. A recent catch was an 85-year-old man who was doing 161 kph -- 61 over the limit -- on roads with ice and snow. He wasn't racing -- he was simply "going to the bank and shopping," albeit rather quickly. So he was immediately relieved of his license and his Oldsmobile.
Since the law took effect on September 30, 2007, 2,300 Canadians have met the same fate -- 1,300 of them in the first five weeks. On average, every day 24 drivers have to learn bus routes, and 24 cars get parked somewhere for a week. The 85-year-old gent has the honor of being the oldest arrested so far, a 16-year old girl was the youngest, and the fastest driver was going 230 kph (142 mph). If your travels take you through Ontario while the shock and awe continues, try not to get frisky with the go peda else you'll be down with a very different O.P.P. -- the Ontario Provincial Police.
Thanks for the tip, Doug!
[Source: CTV Toronto]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
blade 11:59AM (4/23/2008)
hey
how about we all do the speed limit and watch there revenue drop & the death toll too,
make sense
whats the big hurry? the QEW was built in the late 50"s and are not designed for that speed unlike the 407.
unless everyone here opposed to the laws are adopted and have not family driving on the roads should stp and think for a moment.....
it could be YOU or your MOTHER or your BROTHER, dead because some ass thinks its ok to speed.
slow down or get off the roads that i & many others pay for
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Richard 7:15PM (1/11/2009)
I'm 26. I got caught at 167km in a rental car on the 401 near Trenton Ontario. 2000 fine and 6 points. 200 cab ride home and the rental fee for 7 days. I could of had the 2000 fine reduced but because of my 17 other speeding offences the judge stuck the $2000 on me. I now drive a 1989 dodge caravan and my insurance is over 500 month. That is without the 6 points. I don't even know how much it will be as soon as they find out.
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David W. 6:18PM (1/04/2008)
$10k?!?!? well okay, that's the maximum, what are people ACTUALLY being fined?
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CompWizrd 6:35PM (1/04/2008)
$2000 is the starting fine.
David W. 7:08PM (1/04/2008)
ouch $2k is still huge...last ticket I got was $150 and I was hurting from that...
Kevin 6:20PM (1/04/2008)
The 85 year old man should be made to eat a banana, give him a pat on the head, and then send him on his merry way. That's how the REAL Canadian system works anyway.
If, however, he does it again, THEN throw him in the slammer and exert retribution. Or send him to Germany and let him race to his heart's content.
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stealth 6:34PM (1/04/2008)
Geez, if your going 142 why stop?
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Kevin 6:43PM (1/04/2008)
If he hit 150mph, he would have activated the car's internal flux capacitor, which would have activated the machine time circuits, thus sending him back in time to January 4, 1955 at precisely 1:55PM.
He'll have to try again another time. Tsk tsk.
Kevin 3:05PM (1/05/2008)
Unfortunately, you can't outrun radio. If the stretch of road doesn't have many exits, and the few it has are far between... Chances are 140 isn't fast enough to be gone before they figure out exactly where you are.
So then, the solution is to buy a faster car. :D
Gardiner Westbound 6:32PM (1/04/2008)
He was driving his father's Oldsmobile.
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stealth 6:34PM (1/04/2008)
Oh and
Are ya down with OPP?
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Vexorg 6:33PM (1/04/2008)
To convert from Metric to US measurements, that amounts to roughly 100 in a 60 MPH zone,
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MikeW 6:39PM (1/04/2008)
What good are steel belted radials if you can't use them?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90ELleCQvew
I hope the Canadians have had their fill of underposted speed limits, and way nonsensical fines.
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Papi L-Gee 7:00PM (1/04/2008)
This will show those young punks to speed on the freeways!
Oh, wait...
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Jeff 7:50PM (1/04/2008)
The best part about this law is that you can't appeal the seizure of your car and license. That's right, no trial.
So the OPP is earning at least 24 x $2000 a day for violating the Charter of Rights.
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Alpha 10:23PM (1/04/2008)
I still can't believe the 401,416 are only 100km/h. They have to be the straightest best banked roads I've ever driven on. I got posted to Kingston from Vancouver Island, BC which has plenty of 110km/h roads and yet is a very mountainous area. The main issue I've seen here is the sheer volume of traffic and the differences in speed between the "slow" and "fast" lane. Even in the slow lane no one does under 110km/h and the normal going rate in the fast lane seems to be around 130km/h. The province should just get its head out of its a## and put a dual speed system with the slow lane @100km/h and the fast set to 130km/h. Better yet put a “responsible” speed limit where people have to think for themselves about what speed is right, you do 150km/h in snow and get a ticket. There’s no reason any vehicle in the North American market wouldn't be safe at 150km/h in normal driving conditions.
Darren 8:30PM (1/04/2008)
Google this story and it is one freaking reverb loop.
The same headline over and over....
Is it real?
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MemphisNET 9:04PM (1/04/2008)
This is my hometown area. $2000 CND STARTING point. Plus you pay all the fee's for impound for 7 days, towing, release, plus automatic loss of your license. It's no joke.
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Travis 9:42PM (1/04/2008)
remember the good old days when you'd hear $2000CAD and you'd go "Oh, what's that, about $47US?"
that joke's not so funny anymore.... :(
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Adam 11:04PM (1/04/2008)
im from toronto and that law is crazy but i agree with it. within the first hour of the law being in effect, some guy was caught going 160kph. and in reply of Alphas comments, increasing the speed limit would only do worse for people. i have driven through many parts of north america but never have i found a place with such terrible drivers. the problem isn't the limits its the drivers. drivers are undereducated and a lot of them don't even know the rules of the road.
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