'This behaviour is dangerous': How Saskatoon police are working to stamp out burnouts, stunting and high speeds
Driving along several main streets, Saskatoon police are noticing a potentially dangerous activity among some drivers
"Burnouts, smoke show, accelerating hard in a parking lot full of pedestrians. Too much potential for things to go wrong” said Staff Sargeant Patrick Barbar.
Police provided CTV News with an up-close view of what can sometimes go on in parking lots or roadways.
Barbar said it is not uncommon to see crowds of people gathering in locations where vehicles spin tires or perform stunts such as drifting.
"We don’t really have a problem as police with cruisers or anything like that. Where we get concerned is people who do dangerous things. So we’ve got motorists who gather in parking lots for example. And they’ll stunt with people standing nearby. And these are really dangerous situations that can go really bad in just an instant," Barbar said.
As CTV News accompanied Barbar down Eighth Street on a Saturday night, he handed tickets to drivers for stunting and driving without due care and attention.
Barber says it's become an issue over the last few years.
Numbers from SGI show that across Saskatchewan, over a six-year period between 2014 and 2019 there were an average of 409 convictions per year for stunting and 2,999 a year for driving without due care.
"In addition to the message about stunting we are very concerned with the high speeds that have become commonplace in the summer over the last 3-4 years as well. So we're seeing people in the city go double the speed limit.”
BURNOUTS GO BIG ONLINE
The reason drivers engage in risky activity can range from attempts to show off a brand new or modified vehicle to trying to emulate what they see in Hollywood movies.
But Barbar also adds the dramatic expansion of social media may also be playing a role.
"They will fishtail in circles or whatever it is they do. And you see these videos on social media, and you got people standing within a few metres of this. And you just cringe thinking this can go bad so quickly."
A quick search of YouTube will brings up videos of vehicles performing burnouts, or ‘smoke shows’ in parking lots, with crowds of people close by.
“It is becoming a social problem, not just a driving problem.” Says Barbar.
And for some people, the impact can be felt in their own homes.
Barbar says the squealing of tires and revving of engines creates noise, which has generated complaints from residents who live in areas where this type of activity often occurs.
ENFORCEMENT A CHALLENGE
Motorists can expect police to be keeping a closer eye on careless behaviour behind the wheel.
But when it comes to dealing with stunting, Barbar says enforcement can be difficult.
“They’re very difficult to get too. You got several hundred cars gathering in a parking lot. And of course, as soon as you arrive in a police car, everybody scatters. So it’s tough to do enforcement with them.”
Barbar says police will be engaging in raising awareness about the issue, trying to alert the public about the dangers of stunting.
"This behaviour is dangerous and someone will eventually get hurt, or God forbid, die. And we really want to prevent that from happening.”
Do you have a story idea or news tip? Email us.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.