traffic ticket

[keepmovingforward]

so i was in Ontario heading back from Quebec and I got a ticket going over 140km in a 100km zone. the OPP officer was nice enough to write the ticket for 120km without mentioning on the ticket that it was dropped down. i was thinking about fighting it because at 15 over, you don't lose points. but i don't know what the little town court systems are like and if the OPP will show. I was thinking about just getting a traffic ticket agency to fight the ticket for me and settle it at 15km over. but i'm scared i would run the risk of having the OPP show up and may mention that it was dropped before and they would reverse it. i dont know how it works...

i got a ticket a few years back in mississauga and the cops never showed for all the people in court....everyone went up to the prosecutor and settled before the judge even entered the room. is that standard now for all ontario courts now?

 

[CapitalGuy]

Doubtful the cop would remember dropping the overage on some random ticket he wrote, weeks/months later in court.

 

[Gentle Ben]

count your lucky stars he reduced the fine and pay it. if you go into court to fight it and he tells the court (based on his notes) he dropped from 140 to 120, how do you think your case will go?

 

[Moraff]

Unless you already have a bunch of points the points are irrelevant. The fact that you got a ticket could affect your insurance whether it's 20 or 15 over makes no difference.

 

[EntertainmentMan2000]

just pay it.

 

[jrobertson1]

i agree, take a chance, fight it. the opp probably wont show up or remember you for that matter.

 

[SoftHands813]

1) Accept responsibility for your actions and pay the ticket, being thankful that it was dropped significantly.
2) Realize that your actions have consequences (more speeding tickets --> higher insurance rates).

A few more clicks on the speedometer and you'd have had your car automatically impounded on the spot. That would have been a long walk home.

SH813

 

[doggee_01]

go to court,fight it....... most likely before you go in the courtroom the crown will come and talk to you and offer a deal you plead guilty to a lower speed no points less fine happens all the time!

 

[koreanenvy]

Fight the ticket. Worst scenario is you pay the fine and the conviction stays at 20km/h over.

 

[black booty lover]

Always fight them. They almost always get knocked down where you dont loose any points.

 

[NorthernBear]

Fight the ticket. The main reason for financial reasons is that as soon as you pay the ticket your insurance company will find out. If it your first ticket there is a chance that you may be forgiven and your rates will not increase. However if they do raise your rates, they cannot do that until after you pay the fine. That being said, even if you are found guilty, if you fight the ticket it will at least delay the process of your insurance company raising your rates.

 

[KBear]

Fight the ticket. Worst scenario is you pay the fine and the conviction stays at 20km/h over.

The cops have some code they put on the ticket or in some notes that indicates the fine was lowered. The cop will have his notes of the actual speed. Think the worst case is the fine could be reset to 40Km/h over.

 

[TheDr]

Yes, fight the ticket, but if the conviction remains what actually happens on the insurance front really depends on the insurance company you are with. They may find out if they chose to pull an abstract when preparing your renewal. What they do then depends on their underwriting rules - speeding is a minor offence in insurance underwriting, they dont care if you were 10 over or 40 over (along with no seatbelt, and various others) and most prime market companies will allow 1 or 2 minors before it affects your rate.
If you were pulled at 50 over and charged with stunt driving, that is classed as a major or criminal offence depending on the company, and almost all of them will non-renew your policy landing you in the high risk market and paying thousands.

Remember any ticket will stay on your abstract for 3 years from the date of conviction.

Points are purely a tally by the MTO to set a threshold to pull someone in to talk about their driving and take administrative action if needed. And you dont lose them, you acquire them.

 

[rld]

The cops have some code they put on the ticket or in some notes that indicates the fine was lowered. The cop will have his notes of the actual speed. Think the worst case is the fine could be reset to 40Km/h over.

uh...no.

 

[koreanenvy]

The cops have some code they put on the ticket or in some notes that indicates the fine was lowered. The cop will have his notes of the actual speed. Think the worst case is the fine could be reset to 40Km/h over.

My buddy is a detective and he told me this is BS. While the cop may have some kind of note about the reduced ticket, the judge cannot change it back to i.e., 40 km/h over. Cops lower the speed voluntarily in hope that you will just pay the fine and not go to court.

 

[eldoguy]

Always fight them. They almost always get knocked down where you dont loose any points.

I Agree.

 

[PussyHunter]

Got one last year, 35 over the limit. Family member is a cop and told me to fight it. Ask for a pre-trial mediation with the Crown Attorney if your record is fairly clean. They will try to settle it before it goes to a trial. Had mine dropped to 15 over no points. Made a big difference on the fine. If you can come to an arrangement he will have you stay and you will go in front of the Judge. The crown will present the arrangement and you plead guilty to it. They will even ask if you need time to pay the fine. Walked out within 15 minutes and paid it off.

These ticket fighters wanted 400.00 to do the same thing. What a scam!

 

[danmand]

The cop will always show up these days. They get time and a half for court time. the advice of going to pretrial meeting with prosecutor is a good one.

 

[doggee_01]

Can you or ANYONE ELSE tell any of us what effect "POINTS" have on the occasional speeding ticket like this on an otherwise good driver?

If not, please get it out of your head. You have been brainwashed into thinking that "points" are the scariest thing around!

You will be paying $6,000 a year in insurance long before you will ever get enough "points" to even warrant an interview with the MTO.


Yes, yes, yes, he is a bad boy and shoul pay the ticket for the good of society. But for his OWN good, he should plead not guilty and fight the ticket.

no points are not the scariest thing around but if you have a few on your licence the cops are much less likely to give you a break(and no matter what you may think some do!)also droppind the speed down makes a big differance to the fine if you fight it you will most likely lose if the crown lowers the speed then really you win......

 

[richaceg]

it's not the fine you have to worry about. not the points too. it's how many tickets you get in a given period. watch how your insurance rockets (even with no points). it took me 3 years to get my insurance to drop. despite having 2 tickets of 15kph over the speed and 1 parking ticket...i know, i know...