'They will be held accountable': Winnipeg police cracking down on stunt driving

Winnipeg police are working to crack down on dangerous driving and stunt driving throughout the city.

Insp. Max Waddell said Project Stunt Driving was launched in the spring following numerous complaints from residents and businesses about excessive noise and careless driving.

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During a news conference Wednesday, police showed surveillance video of drivers travelling at high rates of speed, and performing dangerous driving tricks in parking lots. The individuals have not been identified.

Coun. Evan Duncan, who represents Charleswood, Tuxedo, and Westwood, said he receives calls daily from residents in his ward due to the influx of vehicles on cruise night on the weekends.

"Let's make one thing clear; it's not all cruise night goers. It's the idiots that sit in the parking lots along Portage Avenue that are revving their engines, that are ripping down Portage Avenue, that don't care about anything but their cars or themselves," he said. "These people are making life miserable for residents in Winnipeg."

Between May 15 and Sept. 6, police received 37 calls for service for street racing, squealing tires, and dangerous driving in surface parking lots.

Incidents include vehicles taunting and surrounding a security vehicle, a motorcyclist travelling at 189 km/h down the Southwest Rapid Transit Closure and a person laying on the hood of a vehicle going 120 km/h.

Waddell said police conducted a traffic safety checkpoint on Sept. 7, after 88 vehicles were gathered in the RM of Rosser committing highway traffic infractions that were caught on camera. Sixty-five provincial offence notices were issued, including for making unnecessary smoke, making unnecessary noise, driving while disqualified, and driving carelessly.

"We hope this enforcement initiative will remind those who engage in reckless driving behaviour that they will be held accountable," he said.

Waddell said so far in 2024, there have been 22 fatal motor vehicle collisions.

Waddell said the goal of this crackdown was to ensure people stay safe.

"I hope that, through these videos, we've educated people that if you're participating in riding on a car hood or driving 189 kilometres on a motorcycle, it's probably not a good idea. Somebody is going to get hurt," he said.