York Regional Police launched an attack on street racing and the potential damage and injuries the practice causes.
Dubbed Project ERASE (Eliminate Racing Activity on Streets Everywhere), York officers are joining with other police forces throughout Ontario to combat the practice of drag racing on public roadways.
The Project ERASE website says street racing reached a peak of "epidemic proportions" in the 1990s. Drivers with cars modified to enhance performance raced through traffic at night, often becoming involved in terrible crashes that sometimes led to deaths.
Nancy Penny lives with the tragic outcome of a street race. Her daughter Andrea was killed by a street racer on May 30, 2000.
"Now Andrea is lost to us forever," Penny said. She added that while the driver served a nine month sentence, Andrea's friends and family are serving a longer sentence.
In fact, two people die and 10 others are seriously injured on Ontario roadways every day due to vehicle accidents. Many of them can be attributed to street racing.
Seventeen police forces and the Ministry of Transportation launched Project ERASE on Thursday.
Police say the practice will not be tolerated.
"Street racers beware," York Chief of Police Armand La Barge said.
"We're going to use every legal tool at our disposal to put street racers out of business, to seize their vehicles and with the proper court processes in place to have those vehicles taken out of commission."
One of the tools York police will use is a specially equipped helicopter. Complete with high-powered lights and heat sensing cameras, the helicopter will be used to catch street races and send police officers to the scene.
Police agencies including the Ontario Provincial Police plus Guelph, Durham, Barrie, Halton, Toronto and others will be participating in the program.
The Project ERASE website also has information for car enthusiasts who modify their cars on changes that are legal and others which are not.
With a report from CTV's Galit Solomon
