Sixty-five tickets were handed out after police, who began investigating “car enthusiasts” driving dangerously in and around Winnipeg this spring — learned dozens of drivers had gathered just outside the city one night last month.
The Winnipeg Police Service, with help from its drone and tactical support teams, and the RCMP, set up a traffic-safety checkpoint on the 300 block of Goldenrod Drive on the night of Sept. 7. Police had learned the drivers of 88 vehicles had gathered, “with many committing highway traffic infractions.”
The location is in the Rural Municipality of Rosser, just outside Winnipeg’s northwest boundaries.
Of the 65 tickets handed out under the Highway Traffic Act and the Vehicle Equipment, Safety and Inspections Regulation, 31 were for improper equipment or operation of equipment. Nine were for failing to display the correct number and type of number plate. Six were given for driving carelessly, and another six were given for squealing tires.
Five people were issued serious offence notices and will undergo driver fitness hearings, as mandated by Manitoba Public Insurance, the WPS said at a news conference Wednesday.
Other offences included making unnecessary smoke, driving while disqualified, driving with an obstructed view, driving with an obstructed licence plate, driving without a valid licence, failing to produce a licence or insurance, and riding in a vehicle without being seated.
“We hope that this enforcement initiative will remind those who engage in reckless driving behaviour that they will be held accountable,” the WPS said in a news release handed out to journalists.
The WPS said it received 37 calls for service because of vehicles racing, squealing tires and acts of dangerous driving on large surface parking lots between May 15 and Sept. 6.
“The majority of these incidents occurred between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., amplifying frustration amongst Winnipeg residents due to the excessive noise and safety concerns,” the release said.
Police said they have worked closely with business owners of the parking lots as part of what they called Project Stunt Driving, with some investing in security cameras and infrastructure improvements to thwart the reckless drivers.
Police released a compilation of videos of incidents that happened during their investigation.
One shows three vehicles purposely circling a security vehicle.
An image from video obtained by police shows a person stretched out on the hood of a vehicle as it travels at speeds higher than 120 km/h in a 50 km/h zone in an industrial park. (Supplied)
Another video shows a person stretched out on the hood of a vehicle as it travels at speeds higher than 120 km/h in a 50 km/h zone in an industrial park.
Another shows a motorcycle on the Southwest Rapid Transit Corridor at speeds of 189 km/h in a 30 km/h zone, passing civilians waiting for the bus. Civilian vehicles are not allowed in the corridor.
In another video, a black Chevrolet or GMC pickup truck is seen performing power turns in a parking lot.
No one in the videos has been charged, as the people involved have not been identified.
