Toronto is finally doing something about noisy Fast & Furious-style drivers

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If you're sick of hearing obnoxious car and motorcycle drivers constantly revving their engines and drag racing around the streets of Toronto, you're definitely not alone — it's been something that residents of the city have been complaining about for eons.

Some would argue that heavy construction, screeching streetcars, stunt driving yahoos and similar noise is just part and parcel of living in a huge metropolis, but others are very much over what seems to be a worsening problem.

To address the issue — which isn't just one of disruption and annoyance, but potentially of safety — the City has launched a new two-pronged campaign to crack down on ear-splitting engines and loud speeding.

"The City continues to receive complaints regarding excessive noise from vehicles and motorcycles, which is often a result of speeding," reads a release from Thursday detailing the new push, which will be part education and part enforcement by both bylaw and police officers.

Authorities will be focusing on issuing fines for driving offences such as speeding and exhaust systems that have been deliberately modified, as well as idling noise.

The efforts come two months after the province vowed to enact stricter punishments for aggressive driving, including street racing and stunts.

Under the Moving Ontarians More Safely Act, 2021, licence suspension periods and vehicle impoundment periods have been lengthened, and penalties worsened for repeat offenders, among other things. The threshold for what is considered stunt driving has also been lowered in some areas.

"Street racing and stunt driving is continuing to rise disrupting our neighbourhoods and putting the lives of pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers in the city at risk. We also know that noise from motorcycles and modified vehicles is also continuing to rise and frustrate residents across the city," Mayor John Tory said in the release about the blitz.