GTA, Hamilton police cracking down on street racing and ‘takeover events' with Project ERASE

Hamilton Spectator

14-05-2025

Peel Regional Police in conjunction with other police forces announced the launch of the annual Project ERASE, which targets street racing and 'takeover events' across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Eliminating Racing Activities on Streets Everywhere is a multi-jurisdictional initiative that includes the Peel, Halton, York, Toronto, Hamilton police services and the Ontario Provincial Police.
The launch event was hosted by Peel police at Chinguacousy Park in Brampton and included representatives from all the police forces involved.
'All of us here today stand with one goal — to raise awareness about the real dangers of street racing and aggressive driving. Excessive speed continues to be the leading contributor to fatal collisions in the GTA. It's precisely the reason why an initiative like Project ERASE was created by police services across Ontario,' Peel police deputy chief Marc Andrews told reporters at the news conference.
According to a Peel police news release, the month-long enforcement campaign and crackdown will focus on 'high-visibility, strategic operations to address street racing, stunt driving and illegal car rallies across the region' and will concentrate on 'hot spots.'
Andrews added that since 2022, Peel police have seen a 154 per cent increase in street racing charges, up from just over 800 in 2022 to just over 2,100 in 2024.
'This sharp rise is a clear and urgent signal. In the past two weeks alone, (Peel police) have seized 32 vehicles and laid more than 400 charges, including almost 30 related to stunt driving,' Andrews said.
In Ontario, police can lay stunt driving charges for drivers exceeding the speed limits by 50 kilometres per hour or more, as well as street racing between two or more drivers appearing to be competing and other dangerous behaviours such as performing 'doughnuts' in parking lots or driving aggressively on highways.
Penalties can include a 30-day licence suspension and a 14-day vehicle impoundment, and can carry fines of up to $10,000 and six demerit points or up to six months in jail if convicted.
'Lately we have seen a growing trend of illegal car rallies and takeover events in parking lots, shopping plazas and residential neighbourhoods,' Andrews said.
He told the Brampton Guardian that street racing and takeover events had been on the decline leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic but have regained in popularity since.
He also reminded those who attend such events in Peel Region that nuisance gathering bylaws in both Brampton and Mississauga mean both participants and spectators can face up to an $800 fine for a first-time offence.
'If you're caught, you will be fined,' Andrews said. 'We will be there. We will be watching, and we will be enforcing all applicable legislation in conjunction with bylaw officers to keep our streets safe.'
Andrews added that similar legislation is in effect in other jurisdictions taking part in the project.
Toronto Police acting superintendent Matt Moyer, who also spoke at the launch, said Toronto police have responded to 182 stunt driving calls so far in 2025 and have laid 229 stunt driving charges. In 2024, he said Toronto police laid 1,134 charges for stunt driving.
'That's astonishing and unacceptable. The message is not quite getting there. We laid a total of 3,563 charges for careless driving,' he said. 'It's an ongoing battle that we're having.'
Kelly Chester, the inspector in charge of York Regional Police's road safety bureau, appealed to young people thinking of attending takeover rallies.
'I don't think we can repeat these messages enough, especially for the young ladies and gentlemen who are taking the cars out for the first time and are showing off to their friends,' she said, adding that street racing and takeover events — largely attended by younger demographics — are a problem in her region as well.
'These stunts are often performed in front of large groups of onlookers, who stand far too close to the dangerous activities taking place just to try and capture the next viral video for social media. They are placing themselves in harm's way and are risking serious injury or worse,' Chester said.
She added that severe penalties are also in place in York Region. Chester pointed to the City of Vaughan as an example after the city amended its bylaws to prohibit any participation in illegal car rallies with fines up to $10,000.