Hamilton police issue 104 tickets in crack down on stunt driving, speeding, modified cars

Hamilton police say they've issued 104 tickets, laid 33 charges, and seized 15 cars after two weekends of cracking down on stunt driving, speeding, and modified cars.

Police say they've received numerous complaints about groups of people racing vehicles in and around the city. They say the cars violate highway traffic offences causing "unsafe road conditions and an overall nuisance to the general public."

Many of the cars are modified, which police say can leave them in an unsafe state.

Council voted for an enforcement blitz in June to focus on people who have modified the mufflers on their vehicles, saying that they create excessive noise.

Project Pit Stop, which started on July 3, is running for three consecutive weekends. It'll end July 19. 

The project targeted the area of Queenston Road between Centennial Parkway and the Red Hill Valley Parkway. 

During the first two weekends, police issued 104 provincial offence notices for: 

• Stunt driving.
• Speeding.
• Improper muffler.
• Obstructing plate.
• Failing to display two plates.
• Failing to surrender insurance card.

They've also laid 33 charges for acts such as driving while suspended, stunt driving (including wheelies, burnouts, and fishtails), having an unsafe vehicle, and for various driver's licence and plate-related offences.

Police seized 15 vehicles through these charges, and laid nine criminal charges in follow-up investigations. 

Police say the fastest recorded speed on Queenston Road was on July 3, when a vehicle clocked in at more than double the speed limit, at 115km/h in a 50 km/h zone. The driver was charged with stunting, his vehicle impounded and licence suspended for seven days.

Police say they'll run another project — a Pit Stop 2 — later this summer.