As Sgt. David Mitchell of York Regional Police traffic unit said, street racing is already illegal under the provincial Highway Traffic Act and communities such as York Region have been aware of the problem for many years.

There are no back roads in Toronto anymore, so drivers are turning to York Region, which has a reputation for being more remote and secluded, according to Sgt. Mitchell.

"(Street-racing) is almost socially accepted. People shrug it off as just boys being boys. I get it, I understand it, it's a thrill. They want to have bragging rights. But saying that the police should educate people that racing is bad, well, everyone knows it's bad. How much more do you need to say?" Sgt. Mitchell said.