Tickets and Your Insurance Rates

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.

“Should I just pay the ticket?” is a question that is often asked. The answer is, it depends on the type of ticket received.  For example Parking Violations carry no demerit points. So paying Parking Tickets will not impact your clean driving record or increase your insurance.

However, paying the fine on Traffic Tickets issued under the Highway Traffic Act can seriously affect your right to drive in the province of Ontario, your Insurance Rates and your ability to seek gainful employment in fields that require a clean driving abstract.
Before your make that important decision, consider the penalty involved with the offence you have been charged with and the following:

How Demerit Points Effect Your Ontario License

Class: G1 and G2

2 Points – Ministry of Transportation (MTO) sends a warning letter.
6 Points - An interview with the MTO is scheduled to determine why your license should not be suspended.
9 Points – Your license can be suspended for 90 days

Class: G

6 Points – Warning letter from the Ministry of Transportation
9 Points - Interview with the MTO is scheduled to determine why your license should  not be suspended
15 Points – Licence Suspension for 30 days. Failure to surrender license can  lead to an additional 2 year suspension

Demerit points determine if your driver’s license is going to be renewed or if the driver needs to be re-tested.

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.
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.


This entry was posted on Sunday, June 5th, 2011 at 2:05 pm and is filed under Auto. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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