Traffic Tickets and Your Insurance Rates
“Forget About World Peace…Visualize Using Your Turn Signal.”
Tickets issued under the Highway Traffic Act, Insurance Act or Criminal Code appears on your driver abstract and affects your insurance rate.
Car insurance rates between auto insurance companies can vary by hundreds, even thousands of dollars. The easiest way to find which insurance companies offer the lowest prices is to do an online rate search. InsuranceHotline.com offers free rate searches for consumers
This article tells you the types of tickets that affect your insurance rate.
Ticket Classifications: Tickets are divided into 3 classifications: minor, major and serious convictions, which include criminal acts. All ticket classifications, regardless of demerit points, affect your insurance rate.
Parking Tickets: Parking tickets do not affect your driver’s license, insurance record or appear on your driver’s abstract. The only consequence of not paying a parking ticket means that your license plate will not be renewed. In other words, you will not be able to get your renewal "sticker" unless you pay for your parking tickets.
Minor, Major and Serious Convictions: Here’s a list of the ticket classifications and the various types of minor, major, serious, and criminal convictions that will affect your insurance rate:
Minor Tickets
Crowding Driver’s Seat
Defective Brakes
Drivers License Violations
Failing To Share The Road
Failing To Signal
Failure To Use Seatbelts
Failing To Yield
Failing To Yield To A Pedestrian
Failure To Surrender Your License
Failure To Produce Evidence Of Insurance
Failure To Produce Or Carry Insurance Card
Following Too Closely
Headlight Offenses
Improper Driving In A Bus Lane
Improper Lane Change
Improper Opening Of Door
Improper Passing
Improper Towing
Improper Turn
Improper Use Of Divided Highway
Insecure Load
Obstructing Traffic
Overloading
Use Of Radar Warning Device
Improper Railway Crossing
Speeding
Stop Sign Infraction
Traffic Light Infraction
Trailer Passenger
Unnecessary Noise
Unnecessary Slow Driving
Unsafe Move
Unsafe Or Prohibited Turn
Unsafe Vehicle
View Obstructed
Wrong Way On One Way
Obstruction Of View
Obstruction Of License Plate
Driving without an up to date Inspection Sticker
Major Tickets
Speeding 60 mph over posted speed limit (or set limit in your province)
Failing To Report An Accident
Failure To Report Damage To Highway Property
All Insurance Offenses
False Statement Of Insurance
Operating Motor Vehicle With No Insurance
Driving With No Insurance
Produce False Evidence
Driving In Contravention Of Restrictions
School Zone, Improper Passing Zone
School Bus, Improper Passing, Fail To Stop
Speeding in a construction zone is double the fines and points
Serious & Criminal Tickets
Driving Impaired, Blood Alcohol Over .08 (or set limit in your province)
Careless Driving; Undue Care Or Attention
Criminal Negligence
Dangerous Driving
Driving While Under Suspension
Failing To Obey Police
Failing To Remain At An Accident Scene
Motor Manslaughter
Racing
Refuse Breathalyzer
Stunting / Drag Racing
All Serious Convictions; Can Be Unspecified
License Ramifications
Driver’s Abstract, What Is It? It’s a document issued by your province’s Ministry of Transportation that reports on the status of your license. It states the type of license you have, and lists all the tickets you’ve been convicted of in the last 3 years. It lists your renewal date, the date you were first licensed and any license suspensions, or reinstatements.
For a small fee, usually around $10, you can get your Driver’s Abstract from the Ministry of Transportation or corresponding office in your province.
Demerit Points: Drivers begin with zero demerit points and accumulate points for convictions. Demerit points stay on your record for 2 years from the conviction date. Too many points can cause a suspension of your license. The Ministry of Transportation assigns demerit points.
Demerit points determine if your driver’s license is going to be renewed or if the driver needs to be re-tested. Here’s how demerit points work.
Demerit Points for a Speeding Ticket:
* 16 to 29 km over the limit = 3 points
* 30 to 49 km over the limit = 4 Points.
* 50+ km over the limit = 6 Points.
As a fully licensed driver in Ontario:
At six demerit points, you will be sent a warning letter.
At nine points, you may have to go to an interview to discuss your record and give reasons why your licence should not be suspended. If you don’t attend, your licence may be suspended.
At 15 or more points, your licence will be suspended for 30 days from the date you surrender it to the Ministry of Transportation for the first suspension. You can lose your licence for up to two years if you fail to surrender your licence.
After the suspension you may be required to complete a driver re-examination (vision, knowledge and road tests), the number of points on your record will be reduced to seven. Any extra points could again bring you to the interview level. If you reach 15 points again, your licence will suspended for six months.
Points usually have no bearing on your insurance. To your insurance company, a ticket is a ticket, whether or not it has demerit points, it will affect your insurance rate.
A license suspension severely affects your insurance rates. If you fail to attend a hearing, or fail to give good reasons for needing to keep your license, your license may be suspended.
hope that helps,
hmisabpk
