Yes, the penalties for a Stunt Driving charge in Ontario are severe.
Stunt Driving may be a charge under the Highway Traffic Act, but it is very different than your average speeding ticket. The consequences of a regular speeding ticket will affect your insurance rates, but life goes on. Stunt Driving in Ontario, on the other hand, can ruin your insurance completely, leaving you without the ability to drive. This can have dire impact on your ability to work, take care of your family, and earn income. It’s that serious.
Even if you are younger, it will stain your driving record, making it hard to get proper insurance rates as you get older.
Bottom line? You need help to minimize the penalties of a Stunt Driving charge in the Ontario courts. But first, you need to understand the penalties that are available to the Province in a Stunt Driving charge.
Fines
The minimum fine for a Stunt Driving charge is $2,000. That is the MINIMUM. This means that the prosecutor, if they are going easy on the charge, will only ask for the $2,000. However, if the prosecutor feels that your Stunt Driving charge warrants a higher fine, they can ask anywhere up to \$10,000. And keep in mind, there is something called a “Victim Fine Surcharge”, which means that every fine in Provincial court gets an additional 25% fee added to the total. So a $2,000 fine ends up as a $2,500. A $10,000 fine will cost you $12,500.
Demerit Points
A Stunt Driving conviction will register 6 demerit points on your Driving abstract. There is no way to negotiate a lower demerit point total. Once you are convicted, the Ministry of Transportation will add 6 points to your record.
License Suspension – Updated June 3, 2021
The new minimum mandatory suspension as of June 2021 is 1 – 3 years driving suspension for a first-time offender. This means, upon conviction, you will get an automatic 1 – 3 year suspension from the MTO. This will dramatically affect your ability to work and function. And, if you are caught driving during a period of suspension, you risk being charged with “Driving Under Suspension” which carries penalties, including 6-month further suspension, jail, fines and probation.
Jail
Even though a Stunt Driving charge is not a criminal charge, you risk facing up to 6 months in prison upon conviction. You get the idea how serious this can be.
Probation
In order to enforce the penalties, the prosecutor also has the ability to ask up to 2 years probation for a Stunt Driving conviction in Ontario.
