Whitewater Road has a stunt driving problem.
The Thunder Bay Police Service’s Traffic Unit will be conducting focused traffic enforcement along Whitewater Road as a result of ongoing complaints about excessive speeding and dangerous driving. The dates and times of this enforcement isn’t being publicized, but area motorists can expect ongoing police presence in the coming weeks.
Members of the Traffic Unit conducted a traffic survey following complaints from area residents. The results of the survey were shocking.
The survey found that 45 per cent of all vehicles travelling along the roadway would have received speeding tickets. About 90 of those vehicles were travelling in excess of 40 km/h beyond the posted maximum speed limit of 50km/h, and another 27 motorists were travelling between 100 and 141 km/h.
Those 90 motorists would have been charged with stunt driving. A driver caught driving 40 km/h above the posted maximum speed limit, where the speed limit is less than 80 km/h, will face stunt driving charges.
When a motorist is faced with a stunt driving charge, they receive a 30-day licence suspension and a 14-day vehicle impoundment. In addition to this, they face a minimum fine of $2,000 and a maximum fine of $10,000 upon conviction, and six demerit points.
The traffic survey was conducted using a device called the Blackcat Radar, which is an automated, highly-portable device that is mounted to a utility pole or light post to record the frequency, speed and size of vehicles passing in both directions.
This device was set up for the Whitewater Road traffic survey from July 28 to Aug. 2.
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Thunder Bay