{"id":283941,"date":"2025-10-07T12:18:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T12:18:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/283941\/"},"modified":"2025-10-07T12:18:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T12:18:12","slug":"ford-government-vehicle-recorded-at-stunt-driving-speeds-on-ontario-highways","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/283941\/","title":{"rendered":"Ford government vehicle recorded at stunt driving speeds on Ontario highways"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Ontario Premier Doug Ford\u2019s office appears to have forgiven a staffer for repeatedly violating Ontario\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/tag\/stunt-driving\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stunt driving<\/a> laws, Global News has learned, after the government was told it would \u201cnever happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/70c8fc80.png\" alt=\"\" style=\"position:absolute;width:1px;height:1px\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\"\/><\/p>\n<p>New data obtained by Global News using freedom of information laws reveal that at least one cabinet-assigned vehicle was recorded driving more than 50 km\/h over the speed limit 12 times in the past three years.<\/p>\n<p>Under provincial laws, driving 150 km\/h or higher on a highway is legally classified as stunt driving. Crossing that threshold can result in a significant fine and an automatic licence suspension, along with the vehicle being impounded by police.<\/p>\n<p>The documents do not disclose which ministry the speeding vehicle was assigned to or who was driving.<\/p>\n<p>In a statement to Global News, however, the premier\u2019s office implied it was just one person who racked up the speeding notifications and that they still work for the government.<\/p>\n<p>Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe expect all government vehicles, operated by staff and\/or Ministers, to be driven in a manner that respects traffic laws and road safety,\u201d the statement read.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese expectations have been reinforced with the individual and we have been assured that it will never happen again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Global News asked the premier\u2019s office who was driving, which ministry they worked for and if they were still part of the government.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe statement stands as response,\u201d they replied.<\/p>\n<p>Provincial records show there were a total of 12 times the minister-assigned vehicle exceeded 150 km\/h.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"170\" height=\"225\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/national.jpg\" alt=\"Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\tGet daily National news<\/p>\n<p>Get the day&#8217;s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.<\/p>\n<p>The documents also suggest the driver was crossing the stunt-driving threshold multiple times in the same journey.<\/p>\n<p>The first instance of a vehicle exceeding 150 km\/h came around 6:25 a.m. on Dec. 13, 2023, when a vehicle was found to be going 153 km\/h. Five minutes later, it appears the same vehicle was pinged again, this time going 151 km\/h.<\/p>\n<p>Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<p>A couple of hours later, at 9:18 a.m., a vehicle was recorded driving 162 km\/h on a road where the speed limit was 100.<\/p>\n<p>The other incidents recorded were:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Dec. 14, 2023:\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">7:43 a.m. \u2014 159 km\/h<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">7:40 p.m. \u2014 155 km\/h<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">7:41 p.m. \u2014 153 km\/h<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">8:02 p.m. \u2014 159 km\/h<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jan. 6, 2024:\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">10:17 a.m. \u2014 159 km\/h<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">10:17 a.m. \u2014 157 km\/h<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">12:13 p.m. \u2014 153 km\/h<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">12:23 p.m. \u2014 151 km\/h<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The records obtained by Global News are internal government notifications of vehicle speed and not tickets or penalties issued by police officers.<\/p>\n<p>The current system does not proactively notify the premier\u2019s or minister\u2019s offices when a vehicle triggers a stunt driving notification.<\/p>\n<p>The premier\u2019s office did not address questions asking if they would update the rules to receive notifications when cabinet minister vehicles exceed certain speeds.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tFord government toughened law on stunt driving\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\tTrending Now\n\t<\/p>\n<ul class=\"l-inlineStories__posts c-posts c-posts--inline \">\n<li class=\"c-posts__item\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11466580\/donald-trump-tariffs-heavy-trucks\/\" class=\"c-posts__inner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-posts__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Trump-truck-1.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"336\" height=\"224\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tTrump says new 25% tariff on heavy trucks coming in weeks\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-posts__item\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/globalnews.ca\/news\/11465319\/quebec-durable-goods-law-comes-into-effect\/\" class=\"c-posts__inner\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-posts__thumbnail\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/6cf8f993e2ce8d234a5e5a3542ecfd784ec6f4001f29e594ae98e2bf7672bdfd.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"336\" height=\"224\" alt=\"\"\/><\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tQuebec durable goods law comes into effect\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Ford government has increasingly focused on stunt driving and road safety, cracking down on high-speed drivers in the wake of the pandemic, when empty highways saw an increase in racing.<\/p>\n<p>Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<p>A law introduced by the government in 2021 increased punishment for drivers charged with the offence. License suspensions for first-time offenders increased from seven to 30 days, and vehicle impoundments increased to 14 days.<\/p>\n<p>Convicted drivers also face license suspensions of one to three years, escalating to a lifetime suspension after four convictions.<\/p>\n<p>Back in 2021, several cabinet ministers warned of the dangers of stunt driving.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStunt driving and street racing are serious threats that have posed a greater risk to our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d Sylvia Jones, who was solicitor general at the time, said.<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\tCritic says there should be consequences\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>Ontario Liberal MPP Rob Cerjanec said he thought anyone driving minister vehicles at speeds of 150 km\/h or more should be disciplined.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you\u2019re doing that in the course of your work, you should be punished for that \u2014 period, hard stop,\u201d he said. \u201cOne hundred and sixty on the highway? Come on, who\u2019s doing that?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Story continues below advertisement<\/p>\n<p>The stunt driving records come after Global News revealed minister vehicles had also been caught by automated speed cameras 23 times in the past three years, including going 70 in a 40 zone in one place.<\/p>\n<p>Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the tickets for ministerial vehicles showed the speed cameras were working to enforce traffic laws.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is why we have tools like that, that\u2019s why they exist,\u201d she said. \u201cHopefully, when whoever \u2014 a minister or a driver or one of us \u2014 happens to unfortunately speed through a zone and gets a ticket, maybe it\u2019ll be the last time we do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\tMore on Politics<br \/>\n\t\t\tMore videos\n\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t&amp;copy 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Ontario Premier Doug Ford\u2019s office appears to have forgiven a staffer for repeatedly violating Ontario\u2019s stunt driving laws,&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":283942,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2147,18405,50,18404,80,146339],"class_list":{"0":"post-283941","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-canada","9":"tag-ford-government","10":"tag-news","11":"tag-ontario-politics","12":"tag-politics","13":"tag-stunt-driving"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115332848902433998","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=283941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/283941\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=283941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=283941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=283941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}