Not so fast & furious: Edmonton police crackdown on street racers; 15 fatalities in 2025
Posted June 13, 2025 10:18 am.
Last Updated June 14, 2025 10:26 am.
Edmonton police are ramping up efforts to crack down on street racing, stunting, and other reckless driving taking place around town, reminding motorists that it is punishable by law.
“Illegal street racing occurs weekly in Edmonton in the summer. And with our 2025 fatal collisions already sitting at an unacceptable high of 15 in only the first half of the year, we are reminding Edmonton drivers that police are out enforcing traffic laws and charging those who choose to put everyone’s safety at risk,” said Sgt. Kerry Bates with the EPS Traffic Safety Unit.
Cst. Cassandra Grant with EPS said, “It’s just a matter of time before somebody gets severely injured or killed.”
Adding, “There’s only so many police officers in the city and we can only be in so many areas, so a lot of times when people are calling us about these, by the time we get there, they’re already over.”
In 2024, 26 fatal collisions were reported, and 23 in 2023. Police said so far this year, 583 complaints involving street racing have been made, and 1,251 complaints were made in 2024.
In 2025, EPS issued 133 dangerous operation charges and 76 stunting tickets. As well, police issued 444 mandatory court summonses in 2024 for excessive speeding of more than 50 km/h above the limit. In 2025 to date, 202 of these excessive speeding violations have been issued.
“The only way to stop someone who is speeding on Alberta’s highways is through traditional enforcement,” said Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors.
Minister Dreeshen couldn’t say what other steps are being taken to help cities and towns enforce traffic laws without photo radar this summer, however, he did say that $13 million is going toward longer-term safety, redesigning some of the province’s most dangerous intersections.
However, EPS is streesing that more resources are needed.
“Obviously, the cameras can’t do the job for us anymore, so we need to have more officers on the ground.”
Sgt. Bates said fines for Traffic Safety Act violations, such as stunting, start at $567 and may lead to a possible driver’s license suspension and, in the case of a Criminal Code violation like a dangerous driving charge, a criminal record.
Police say extreme speeding, street racing, and general dangerous driving are often seen on Edmonton streets. Sharing a video from May 2, police said charges were laid against a 25-year-old man after he was seen driving a 1989 Ford Bronco was attempting to do donuts on Roper Road near 42 Street, and struck a motorcycle that was also operating at high speed. The motorcycle operator was thrown from the bike and sustained serious injuries.
Citing other instances, police said on April 26, they were called to a three-car, speed-related collision near 175 Street and 129 Avenue, an industrial area that is well known as a street racing location. Police arrived to find at least 100 people, with many vehicles leaving the scene prior to police arrival, and charges are pending.
In 2024, 26 fatal collisions were reported.
While street racing charges were removed from the Criminal Code of Canada in 2018, police continue to lay charges for dangerous operation and issue tickets for stunting.
