What increases your insurance premium? This worry is normally part of the stress and stigma surrounding the traffic court experience. Discussed are insurance rate hikes, fines, penalties such as losing your licence, and demerit point loss. If none of these things are your main concern you should still familiarize yourself with all of them as they are part of fighting your ticket. Even if you feel that the fine is a small, an inconsequential factor, you will deal with these issues in court and will have to familiarize yourself with them to a degree. To see how these affect your particular circumstance we offer the case check and search option on this website. For these services that are more detailed to your particular situation we charge a respectable fee. You can have this information downloaded to your computer and utilize it when you need it.

Insurance rates

Insurance companies are governed by certain laws that say what they can and can't do. There is a central database where all accidents and/or a traffic tickets are logged into. On this system the insurance companies can find out if you have ever had an accident and if it was your fault. Secondly, they have the ability to see what your driving record is. For the most part of your quote they base their decision of how high your rates are on these two main criteria. There are other relevant criteria such as your age and how many cars are in the house hold, and what area you live in but are not as effective in raising your rates. You may live in a high risk area of the city but you still do not want to have at fault accidents and traffic tickets on your record. If your rates are already high without a traffic ticket or accident then you will want to keep your record clean. Parking tickets (these have no effect on your insurance premiums).

The general formula is that you do not want to have more than any 2 convictions on your driving record. Convictions stay on your driving record for 3 years from the day you are convicted or from the day that the court finds you guilty. Demerit points come off after 2 years beginning from the day the officer issues you the ticket. The court can find individuals guilty if they pay the fine as soon as they receive the ticket and the three years starts then. 

Some insurance companies offer accident forgiveness for the first accident but make sure that this is in your policy.

Demerit points

The Ministry of Transportation deal with the demerit points on your driver's licence and the court do not directly deal with demerit points. Go to the links page and review the ministry and licensing in your province.

Sentencing and fines

Sentencing here refers to penalties and fines. The court can hear reasons why you should have your fine reduced. This is done in front of either a justice of the peace or a judge. The prosecutor can make a recommendation to the court where you both agree on a set fine but the finally say is always the courts. It does help if the prosecutor agrees to the fine with you before the trial or during a resolution meeting. If you would like to pay your fine out of court but would only like to argue to see if you can have the fine lowered then this is still a process that must be done in court with a resolution meeting with prosecutor or a trial. If you do not agree with the ruling of the court then you have the option of appeal in front of a judge who will entertain arguments by you on why you should have the fine lowered.