The gleaming black Ford Expedition with tinted windows stole through the night along the Don Valley Parkway in Toronto, its speedometer needle pushing well past 140 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. What distinguished this particular speeding vehicle wasn’t its make or model, but rather the provincial government plates it carried.
This wasn’t an isolated incident. According to records obtained through Freedom of Information requests, Ontario government vehicles assigned to Premier Doug Ford’s office have been caught speeding at rates classified as “stunt driving” at least seven times since 2018, with three incidents occurring in the last year alone.
“When regular Ontarians get caught doing 50 over the limit, they face immediate roadside vehicle impoundment, license suspension, and fines starting at $2,000,” explains Brian Patterson, President of the Ontario Safety League. “There’s a disturbing pattern of one standard for the public and another for those in positions of power.”
The documents reveal that government-plated SUVs registered to the Premier’s Office transportation pool were clocked at speeds between 135-152 km/h in zones marked for 80-100 km/h. In each case, the drivers—whose identities remain protected in the records—received warnings rather than the penalties ordinary citizens would face under Ontario’s stunt driving laws.
When reached for comment, the Premier’s Office spokesperson Jessica Smith said the vehicles “are primarily used for security purposes” and that “all government drivers are expected to follow the rules of the road.” However, she declined to explain why these drivers consistently avoided penalties that would apply to regular Ontarians.
The revelations have sparked criticism from opposition parties. NDP transportation critic Jennifer French pointed out the hypocrisy: “This government toughened stunt driving penalties in 2021 with their Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, yet the Premier’s own vehicles are routinely breaking those same laws with apparent immunity.”
The 2021 legislation, championed by Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, lowered the threshold for stunt driving charges from 50 km/h to 40 km/h over posted limits on roads with speed limits under 80 km/h. It also introduced harsher penalties, including longer vehicle impoundments and license suspensions.
Ironically, at the bill’s introduction, Ford himself stated, “No one should be driving at those speeds. It’s extremely careless and dangerous, and it must stop.”
Recent polling from the Traffic Injury Research Foundation indicates 83% of Ontarians support strict enforcement of speeding laws. Yet the government’s own driving records suggest a concerning double standard.
Former OPP Commissioner Chris Lewis, now a public safety analyst, notes that while security concerns sometimes necessitate speeding, they don’t explain the pattern. “Occasional emergencies might justify exceeding speed limits, but these documents show repeated incidents in normal conditions. Security protocols don’t override public safety.”
The pattern extends beyond the Premier’s Office. Additional records show 23 speeding incidents involving ministers’ vehicles since 2019, with most receiving warnings rather than tickets. This contrasts sharply with the 9,442 stunt driving charges laid against Ontario drivers in 2022—a record high according to the Ministry of Transportation.
“This undermines public trust,” says Pamela Fuselli, President of Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention. “Road safety rules must apply equally to everyone, regardless of position.”
The controversy emerges as the Ford government faces criticism for other transportation policies, including the contentious Highway 413 project and changes to traffic enforcement that critics say favor development interests over safety concerns.
Back in North York, where one of the government SUVs was clocked at 147 km/h last November, local resident Maria Chen recounts her own experience. “My nephew got caught doing 131 in a 90 zone last summer. His car was towed on the spot, license gone for 30 days, and faced a $2,500 fine. He learned his lesson. Shouldn’t government officials face the same consequences?”
As Ford’s government enters its second term, this pattern raises questions about accountability and the equal application of laws that the administration itself strengthened. When those who make the rules appear exempt from following them, public confidence inevitably suffers.
For ordinary Ontarians navigating increasingly congested roadways, the revelation that government vehicles routinely break speeding laws with minimal consequences reinforces a troubling perception: different rules for different drivers, depending on who signs your paycheck or what plates your vehicle carries.
