A charge for stunting or street racing in Winnipeg carries severe immediate penalties, including a mandatory 7-day vehicle impoundment and a 7-day driver’s licence suspension right on the side of the road. Fines under the Highway Traffic Act typically exceed $672 CAD, and a conviction will severely damage your MPI Driver Safety Rating.
Driving aggressively on main thoroughfares like Route 90 or doing burnouts in a quiet Winnipeg neighbourhood might seem like harmless thrills, but Manitoba law treats these actions with zero tolerance. The province has implemented incredibly strict rules targeting street racing and stunting to reduce fatal accidents. If a police officer believes you are engaging in these behaviours, your punishment begins before you even see a judge.
Being charged with stunting goes far beyond a simple speeding ticket. It is a major provincial offence that immediately disrupts your life by stripping you of your vehicle and your right to drive. This guide outlines exactly what to expect if you are charged with stunting or racing, how the impoundment process works, and why consulting a traffic defence law firm is critical to protecting your driving future. 📍
Step-by-Step Process Following a Stunting Charge
The police in Winnipeg have broad powers under the Highway Traffic Act to issue immediate roadside sanctions. Here is exactly what will happen during and after the traffic stop, and what you must do to get your life back to normal.
Step 1: The Traffic Stop and Immediate Sanctions
If an officer stops you for stunting, they will not just hand you a ticket. They will instantly suspend your driver’s licence for 7 days. Furthermore, they will call a tow truck to seize your vehicle on the spot for a mandatory 7-day impoundment. You will be left on the side of the road and must find your own way home. 🚨
Step 2: Serving the Licence Suspension
During the 7-day suspension, you are strictly prohibited from operating any motor vehicle in Canada. If you are caught driving while suspended, you will face massive fines, another 30-day impoundment, and potential jail time. You must wait out the full week before you can legally drive again.
Step 3: Retrieving Your Vehicle from the Tow Yard
After 7 days, you can retrieve your car from the designated Winnipeg tow yard. However, you must pay all towing and storage fees out of your own pocket before the yard will release the vehicle. Even if you plan to fight the ticket in court later, you are still responsible for paying these immediate impound costs. 🚗
Step 4: Consult a Traffic Defence Lawyer
Before paying the actual fine on the ticket (which acts as an automatic guilty plea), it is highly advisable to consult a Winnipeg law firm that specializes in traffic defence. The long-term costs of a stunting conviction on your Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) premiums can be staggering. A lawyer can review the police evidence to see if the officer misapplied the law.
Step 5: Attending Provincial Court
If you choose to plead not guilty, you or your lawyer will attend the Provincial Offences Court on Broadway to fight the charge. A trial will be scheduled where the officer must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that your actions met the strict legal definition of stunting. If successful, you avoid the conviction and the long-term insurance penalties. 👤
How Much Does It Cost in Winnipeg?
A stunting or racing charge is one of the most expensive traffic offences you can face in Manitoba. The immediate costs and long-term financial fallout include: 💰
- Towing and Storage Fees: Towing your car to the impound lot and paying for 7 days of storage generally costs between $300 and $500 CAD.
- The Ticket Fine: The statutory fine for stunting or street racing is severe, commonly starting at $672 CAD, but can be much higher depending on the specific charge.
- MPI Premium Increases: A stunting conviction will cause you to plummet on the MPI Driver Safety Rating (DSR) scale, usually dropping by 10 levels. This means you lose your insurance discounts and will pay hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars more for your licence and Autopac coverage over the next few years.
- Legal Fees: Hiring a traffic paralegal or defence lawyer for a stunting trial typically ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 CAD.
How Long Does the Process Take?
The roadside penalties are immediate: a 7-day vehicle impoundment and a 7-day driver’s licence suspension. However, resolving the actual ticket in the Winnipeg Provincial Court is a much longer process. If you decide to plead not guilty and fight the charge, it typically takes 6 to 12 months to get a trial date. It takes several years of clean driving to rebuild your MPI DSR rating if you are convicted. ⌚
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What exactly counts as “stunting” in Manitoba?
Under the Highway Traffic Act, stunting covers a wide range of dangerous behaviors. This includes doing burnouts, popping wheelies on a motorcycle, driving with someone in the trunk or on the roof, drifting, or driving in a way that indicates an intention to cause tires to lose traction.
Is stunting a criminal offence?
Generally, a stunting ticket is a provincial summary conviction offence under the Highway Traffic Act, which does not result in a federal criminal record. However, if your driving was extremely reckless and endangered lives, the police could escalate the charge to “Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle,” which is a serious Criminal Code offence.
Can I appeal the 7-day vehicle impoundment?
No, there is generally no practical appeal process for a 7-day impoundment because the suspension period is so short. By the time an appeal could be heard, the 7 days would already be over. You must simply wait out the time and pay the tow yard.
What if the impounded car does not belong to me?
If you borrow a friend’s or parents’ car and get charged with stunting, the vehicle will still be impounded for 7 days. The registered owner will be responsible for retrieving the car and paying the impound fees, which often leads to complex civil disputes between the driver and the owner.
Will this ticket show up on my criminal background check?
No. Provincial Highway Traffic Act offences do not appear on a standard RCMP criminal record check. However, they will appear on your provincial driver’s abstract, which can affect your employment if you drive for a living.
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