[Updated May 2023]
Speeding is, by far, the most common traffic ticket issued across Canada. Our busy lifestyles, coupled with vehicles that reach posted speed limits almost effortlessly, can easily trigger a response from the radar gun. Being stopped for driving over the speed limit can be an anxious experience. For most drivers in Ontario, the focus of that anxiety will quickly go from the cost of the speeding ticket, to the impact it will have on their auto insurance.
Yes. In addition to the speeding fine and possible demerit points, that speeding ticket you received will also result in your car insurance rates rising. However, you won’t see your rates increase immediately. Paying your ticket is, essentially, your acknowledgment of guilt. That triggers the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to add the infraction to your driving record. Your insurance company will be made aware of this when your policy comes up for renewal and factor it into the calculation of your new rate. So, depending on when your auto insurance renewal date is, the effect of your ticket may not be seen for months.
Once you’ve paid your speeding ticket, and/or been found guilty, the infraction will remain on your driving record for 3 years. This will result in your insurance premiums being impacted for the duration. Receiving additional speeding tickets, or other violations during this 3-year period, can further increase your car insurance premiums.
By definition, driving any speed beyond the posted speed limit is a violation and puts you at risk of receiving a ticket. However, the penalties progressively increase, quite significantly, with elevated speeds.
For example, if you were driving less than 15 km/h over the speed limit in Ontario, your fine will be $3.00 for each kilometre over the limit and you will not receive any demerit points. Contrast that with being ticketed for driving 25 km/h over the limit – where your fine will be $7.00 per kilometre over the limit and you will be given 4 demerit points. This will make a substantial difference to the cost of your fine.
Depending on how fast you were driving, a speeding infraction can carry the additional penalty of demerit points. Demerit points are added to your driving record for various infractions, including speeding, and can lead to licence suspension once certain thresholds are reached.
The number of demerit points assessed for a speeding violation in Ontario is determined by a progressive criteria:
Demerit points will also be applied if speeding violations take place in New York or Michigan.
Fully licenced drivers will have their licence suspended if they accrue 15 or more demerit points; while newer drivers, or novice drivers – defined by having a G1, G2, M1, M2, M1- L or M2- L licence – face suspension once they’ve reached 9 demerit points.
No, in Ontario, any demerit points you’ve received will stay on your driving record for 3 years. Time and a commitment to safe driving are the only ways to achieve a clean record and return to zero demerit points.
In Ontario you have the right to appeal your speeding ticket. The back of your ticket will include instructions if you wish to exercise this right. If you believe your speeding ticket has been wrongly issued, or there were errors or inaccuracies in the course of it being issued to you, appealing it can be a wise option. In many regions of Ontario, you can also request a meeting with a prosecutor prior to an actual trial. This may be an efficient way of reaching a reasonable resolution but, in most cases, it will require a guilty plea – resulting in a conviction that’s reflected on your driving record. Taking your dispute to a trial enables you, and/or your representation, to have your arguments heard and, hopefully, result in the ticket being dismissed.
Be mindful of the 15-day time limit you have to exercise your options. Once that has elapsed, you will no longer be able to dispute this and the infraction will go on your driving record.
Fines and demerit points – leading to warnings and licence suspensions – are the primary penalties issued for speeding. As a fully licenced driver, if your speeding ticket results in you eclipsing 15 demerit points, you will have your licence suspended for 30 days. For a novice driver, a 60-day suspension is imposed after receiving 9 points. Novice drivers are also subject to Ontario’s escalating penalties program – which imposes stiffer penalties and suspensions when additional infractions occur.
In situations where speeding is particularly dangerous, drivers can face penalties that go beyond the simple charge of speeding. If a driver is found to be going 40 km/h, or more, over the limit where the posted speed limit is less than 80 km/h, or driving in excess of 150 km/h, they will face stunt driving charges. That can carry fines as high as $10,000, jail time of up to 6 months, and licence suspension of up to 3 years.
Aggressive and careless driving, both of which could stem from speeding, also carry substantial fines, lengthy licence suspensions, and the possibility of jail terms.
If you have any questions about how your driving record may, or may not, affect your insurance rates. Give us a call at 1-800-516-6275, or book an appointment with one of our experienced auto insurance agents, and we can provide you with the answers you’re looking for.
Yes. Your insurance provider will review the number of offences you’ve been convicted of, as well as their severity. An offence for excessively breaking the speeding limit indicates a higher risk factor and, thus, will be represented in the calculations of your premiums.
The effect of a speeding ticket on your insurance premiums will depend on your provider. The severity of the speeding ticket, the number of demerit points you received, as well as your driving history, will all be factors that determine how much your premium will increase.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation will inform your insurance company of your speeding ticket once a conviction of guilt has been confirmed – either through a trial or by receiving a payment.
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