Thunder Bay’s city police handed out 247 charges under the Highway Traffic Act during a spring enforcement blitz campaign.
Officers were out on Tuesday and Wednesday in Thunder Bay and Oliver Paipoonge targeting a variety of problematic driving behaviours that are frequently factors in serious collisions.
The charges included:
- 151 – Speeding tickets, with the majority of these being at least 20km/h over the posted limit and occurring in primarily residential areas.
- 31 – Court summons for various offences
- 14 – For failing to slow down or move over for an emergency vehicle
- Seven – Stunt drivers who were exceeding the speed limit by at least 40 kilometres per hour on roadways with posted limits of 50km/h or less.
- Six – Distracted driving
- Four – Driving without insurance
- One – Vehicle removed from the roadway for being unfit
A 40-year-old was also charged with impaired operation of a motor vehicle, operation of a motor vehicle while impaired with a blood alcohol concentration of 80 or higher, and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, along with other highway traffic act offences.
The driver was found travelling over 90km/h in a 50km/h zone on Balmoral Street before 8:00 a.m.
Police issued a three-day alcohol warning range licence suspension to another driver, who was also charged with stunt driving on a roadway with a posted speed limit of 50km/h.
In the first quarter of 2025, city police say they have seen an increase in high-speed motorists, particularly those considered stunt driving.
Motorists found to be stunt driving (speeding by 40 km/h or more on a road with a posted speed limit less than 80km/h) are subject to a 14-day vehicle impoundment and a 30-day licence suspension.
“With the warmer weather, there is an increase in pedestrian, cyclist and motorcyclist traffic,” said city police in a release. “Road safety is a shared responsibility, and a split-second delay in reaction time due to excessive speed, inattention, or an unfit vehicle can have catastrophic consequences for other road users.”
