Four drivers in Ottawa are facing stunt driving charges after a weekend traffic enforcement blitz by city police, and each has had their licence suspended for 30 days and their vehicle impounded for 14 days.

The charges stem from a #ResidentsMatter enforcement initiative carried out on the evenings of Friday, July 31 and Saturday, August 1, Ottawa Police Service said in a release issued Wednesday.

Speeding, racing and aggressive driving targeted

Officers from the police service's Road Safety Unit, West District Traffic and the Impound Vehicle Section fanned out across the city over the two evenings, focusing on speed, street racing and aggressive driving.

In total, officers handed out 11 speeding tickets along with a number of additional Provincial Offences Act charges. According to police, those further charges covered driving behaviour, vehicle equipment and documentation.

Beyond the stunt driving cases, two drivers had their licences suspended for seven days after registering a "Warn" result on an Approved Alcohol Screening Device.

Stiff penalties for stunt driving

The consequences for the four stunt driving charges go well beyond the immediate roadside suspensions and impounds.

Upon conviction, the drivers face fines ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, a further licence suspension of one to three years, and a possible jail sentence of up to six months, according to the police release.

Stunt driving typically covers the most serious forms of dangerous driving on Ontario roads, and police say the weekend results reflect an ongoing effort to crack down on it.

Enforcement to continue through the year

The campaign is not a one-off. The Ottawa Police Service said it is working in partnership with the Ontario Provincial Police and will continue to monitor roads and highways throughout the year, targeting dangerous and aggressive driving.

Police are encouraging residents to report incidents of street racing and other aggressive driving.

The service also pointed residents to two online tools: the Community Safety Data portal at data.ottawapolice.ca, where members of the public can view, download and interact with police data, and CAMSafe.ca, where residents can register their information and security camera locations to support investigations.

"Help make your community safer," the release urged.