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Fighting My Ontario Stunt Driving Charge: A Personal Story

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Published by:

Omar Glenn

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Reviewed by:

Alistair Vigier

Last Modified: 2025-05-18

Are you looking into a stunt driving charge in Ontario? I never imagined I’d be the guy pulled over for stunt driving. One evening, I ran late on an empty road, pushing my speed too far. Next thing I knew, there were flashing lights in my mirror.

The officer clocked me going about 50 km/h over the limit. I was stunned because I thought I’d just get a hefty speeding ticket. Instead, he told me it was stunt driving under Ontario law. In that moment, I felt my stomach drop. This wasn’t just another ticket; it was something much more serious.

He handed me a court summons on the spot and, to my shock, immediately suspended my driver’s license for 30 days and impounded my car for 14 days. I stood there on the roadside, watching my car get towed away. I had to call my family to pick me up, which was humiliating. It hit me right then that this was not your run-of-the-mill speeding situation. I kept thinking, “What the heck is stunt driving, exactly? And how did I end up here?”

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Life Without a License (The First 30 Days)

The next few days were rough. Waking up the day after the stop, I reached for my keys and remembered I legally couldn’t drive for a month. My license was gone, because it was physically taken by the cop, and I was effectively grounded. I had to explain to my boss why I suddenly couldn’t drive to work. Coordinating rides and taking transit everywhere for those 30 days was a logistical nightmare. It was also a constant reminder of my mistake. Every time I saw a car, I felt envy and regret.

Getting my car back after the 14-day impound was another ordeal. I had to wait two weeks, then arrange to pick it up from the impound lot. The towing and impound fees ran almost a thousand dollars out of my pocket, which hurt a lot.

I looked it up on the legal research website Caseway, and there was no way around it. I had to pay to get my car back. This “punishment before the punishment” was something I never knew about until it happened to me. When I got the car home, I was already out a grand and still had no license to drive it. And the real legal battle hadn’t even started yet.

Realizing How Serious the Charge Was

After the initial shock, I started researching what I was against. Ontario considers going 40 km/h over the limit on a <80 km/h road, or 50 km/h over higher-limit roads, as stunt driving. I remember thinking, “I wasn’t doing donuts or street racing. How is this stunt driving?” But the law doesn’t care if you were solo on an empty highway or actively racing someone. If you cross that threshold, it’s stunt driving, period. I had unknowingly crossed that line and now faced the consequences.

The more I read, the more scared I got. The penalties are no joke. Even for a first offence, I was looking at a fine ranging from $2,000 up to $10,000, a potential jail term up to 6 months, and a possible license suspension of 1 to 3 years if convicted. I remember seeing that and practically panicking. Jail time for speeding can be a reality.

Demerit points on your Ontario record

It can also come with six demerit points on your record. I went from worrying about a simple ticket to worrying that I might lose my license for years or even end up in jail. It felt like this one lapse in judgment could completely derail my life.

What really hit me hard were the “hidden” consequences people talked about. I read that insurance companies treat stunt driving very harshly. Some insurance companies will drop you entirely, and others will hike your premiums so high that you can barely afford to drive. I even heard of folks unable to get insurance after a stunt conviction, effectively being forced off the road for years beyond any official suspension. 

There were also mentions of mandatory driver training courses and how a stunt driving mark on your record could mess up job opportunities (since some employers check your driving record). Every time I learned something new, the situation sounded worse. I wondered, “How will I get out of this mess?”

Weighing My Options to Fight the Charge

Once I grasped the severity by reading other court decisions on Caseway AI, I knew I had to fight the charge. Just pleading guilty and paying a fine wasn’t an option if I wanted to save my license and insurance. A stunt driving charge in Ontario isn’t a simple traffic ticket; you can’t just pay it online and move on. If you do nothing or miss the deadline to respond, you could be convicted in absentia and slapped with those massive penalties.

I discovered I had fifteen days to officially file to contest the charge and get a trial date. That was priority number one. Despite being overwhelmed, I made sure to get that done within the two-week window. The last thing I needed was a default conviction because I missed some paperwork.

Can I talk myself out of this charge?

I had a lot of soul-searching about how to handle the court case. Part of me thought, “Maybe I can just show up in court, explain that I need my license for work, and they’ll go easy on me.” I quickly learned it doesn’t work that way. The prosecutors don’t exactly take pity on “I promise not to do it again.” 

Some friends said I could try to represent myself and challenge the evidence, like whether the radar gun was calibrated correctly or the officer followed procedure. I read online about cases where people got off because of technicalities in the evidence. Honestly, that route felt like a long shot for me. I’m not a lawyer, and the thought of cross-examining a police officer in court made my palms sweat. I was way over my head.

Another common piece of advice I came across was negotiating the charge down. Many said the best outcome would be reducing the stunt driving charge to a simple speeding offence. That would mean no automatic license suspension, no criminal-like penalties, and likely just fines and demerit points. 

That sounded infinitely better than a stunt conviction. But how to make that happen? Usually, it’s by talking to the prosecutor and possibly making a deal, or by poking holes in the case so they’re willing to offer a lesser charge. I realized I probably needed someone on my side who knew the system to have any chance at this.

The Court Process and the Waiting Game

At first, I didn’t fully realize that these things take time. Months passed before I even had my day in court. My charge happened in the summer, and I didn’t get a court date until well into the fall. That period was stressful.

There was hopelessness, worrying, and countless scenarios playing in my head. Whenever I checked the mail, I was anxious about getting the notice. During this wait, I had brought my driver’s license back after the 30-day suspension, which was a relief, but I was driving on eggshells. I feared getting a ticket or doing anything that might affect my case. It’s like living in limbo, knowing a hammer might still fall.

The court date finally arrived. I showed up with my lawyer (all suited up, which felt surreal for a speeding incident). Walking into the courtroom was nerve-racking. This wasn’t traffic court for a parking ticket; this was provincial offences court, and it felt quite serious. The prosecutor talked with my lawyer, and they discussed my case while I waited nervously. I’m not gonna lie, I was sweating. 

Stunt Driving Charge in Ontario

I was ready to fight at trial, but hoped for a deal to avoid the worst outcomes. After what felt like an eternity, my lawyer returned with good news. The prosecutor was willing to reduce the charge to plain speeding (49 km/h over) if I agreed to plead guilty to that. I almost couldn’t believe it. It was exactly what we hoped for. That meant no stunt driving conviction on my record. I would face a fine and some demerit points for speeding. But at least there’d be no further license suspension and no risk of jail from this deal.

I agreed in a heartbeat. When my case was called, I answered the judge’s questions. I was basically confirming that I was pleading voluntarily guilty to the amended charge. The judge imposed a fine (a few hundred dollars) and four demerit points for the speeding offence. I was never so happy to pay a speeding fine in my life. Like that, the stunt driving charge was withdrawn in favour of the lesser charge. I walked out of the courtroom feeling like I dodged a bullet. All the preparation and advice paid off.

It’s worth noting that not every case will get a deal, and some might still go to trial. In my situation, having a clean driving record and showing genuine remorse probably helped.

My lawyer mentioned to the prosecutor that I had already taken a defensive driving course on my own initiative while waiting for court. I did this to show I was taking it seriously. I think little things like that, plus having someone who knew the system speak for me, convinced them I wasn’t a habitual reckless driver.

Outcome and Aftermath

So at the end of everything, I was convicted of a regular speeding offence, not stunt driving. I got a fine (which I paid promptly) and the demerit points. There was no additional license suspension beyond that initial 30-day roadside hit I’d already served.

And of course, there is no criminal record since it wasn’t a criminal charge. I consider this a major victory given what I was originally facing. Walking out with my license intact and no stunt driving on my record felt like being handed a second chance.

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That said, the experience still cost me a lot. In total, I paid about a thousand in towing and impound fees, a few hundred in fines, and yes, I did invest in a legal advisor. Hiring a lawyer wasn’t cheap, but looking back, it was worth it. 

My insurance did bump up a bit due to the four demerit points from the speeding conviction, but it was nothing compared to what it could have been if I had a stunt driving mark. Some insurers might have outright cancelled my policy if I were convicted of stunt driving. Financially and mentally, it was an expensive lesson, but I’m grateful I fought it and came out with a livable outcome. It could have been so much worse.

The biggest change is how I drive now. I won’t claim I’m a perfect angel on the road these days, but I’ve reined it in. That scare was real. Every time I even think of going 20 km/h over the limit now, a little voice reminds me of what I went through. I also talked about it with my friends because many people do not know the severity of stunt driving laws in Ontario. I sure didn’t, until it happened to me.

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