Red Light Traffic Ticket or Disobey Amber Light
Traffic Tickets

Like most traffic tickets the fine for a Red Light traffic ticket or Amber light traffic ticket is not the only penalty for the offence. Any Disobey Red Light ticket or Amber light ticket has four different penalties:

Disobey Red light Traffic Tickets

The Highway Traffic Act of Ontario states,

   "Every driver approaching a traffic control signal showing a circular red indication, or red light and facing the indication shall stop his or her vehicle and shall not proceed until a green indication is shown."

Ontario Highway Traffic Act Section 144.18

As the wording for Disobeying a Red Light suggests the driver shall stop their vehicle before proceeding through a red traffic signal at an intersection. Althought the charge sounds simple there are numerous issues that only a qualified court agent of Ontario Traffic Tickets will be able to argue, for example; where exactly is a driver actually required to stop? in the intersection, before the intersection, before the crosswalk or before the stop line?

When facing a Red Light traffic ticket unless you know the essential elements that the prosecution has to prove against the driver, you risk being convicted of the ticket.

Insurance Implications

As well as the demerit points implications, any insurance company will consider a Disobey Red Light ticket as a serious offence. The insurance company perceive that the a conviction for Disobeying a Red Traffic Signal means driver is driving through intersections on a red traffic signal putting themselves and other drivers at risk of being involved in an accident.


Subsequently as any insurance company basis an insurance premimum based on their risk of having to pay out on a claim, expect the insurance company to increase your policy rates for this ticket.

A conviction for a Disobey Red light/Amber light violation stays on a driving record for three years from the date of the offence and will dramatically affect insurance rates

The Police and Prosecutor must prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt before a conviction can be entered against the driver. This means that the Justice of the Peace must be one hundred percent certain that the motorist committed the offence before he can register a conviction.

The police are required to prove all the essential elements of the charge described in the Ontario Highway Traffic Act. If the prosecution is not able to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt the Justice of the Peace should dismiss the charge.

At trial the police officer will have a government appointed prosecutor or lawyer to assist them as counsel. It is equally important that the defendant to be likewise well represented or they risk being convicted and receiving the four penalties described above.

The Court Prosecutor is the agent for the police and municipality, many prosecutors are actual lawyers. The prosecutors job to register a conviction against the motorist. Most Prosecutors are extremely fair individuals; however, they are not in court to help the motorist.

For most Disobey Red Light violations the prosecutor will want to have a trial, considering a red light ticket a more serious traffic offence. If you do not know how to run a trial, make legal arguments, or have appeared in traffic court before the unrepresented motorist will be at a distinct disadvantage, and stands to be convicted of the red light traffic ticket.

Disobey Red light charges require trial knowledge with technical experience regarding time and distance.

For example, if a vehicle is traveling at a speed of 50km/h the vehicle is traveling at 44 feet every second. If the officer at trial says the vehicle was one car length behind the line when the light turned red, what the officer is really saying is that for .06 of a second or less the driver violated the traffic lights

When a trial can involve technicalities of as little as .06 of a second you know it’s important to have the qualified experts at your side. Ontario Traffic Tickets have the expertise to win your traffic ticket. 

Disobey Amber Light

The Highway Traffic Act of Ontario states,

     "Every driver approaching a traffic control signal showing a circular amber light and facing the light shall stop his or her vehicle if he or she can do so safely, otherwise he or she may proceed with caution."

Ontario Highway Traffic Act Section 144.15

The penalties for disobeying a amber traffic light are the same as if you went through a red traffic light.

• Three demerit points
• A fine of one hundred and eighty dollars ($180.00)
• A conviction registered on your driving record for three years
• Insurance increases

There are different issues to take into consideration for an amber light traffic ticket. During the charge of disobey amber light the defendant (driver) has to prove to the court that they "did not believe that they could stop safely before reaching the intersection, so they proceeded through the intersection with caution".

As well as being assisting and guiding you through testifying at court, an experienced trial agent will be able to properly cross-examine the Police Officer, and prepare and present any legal arguement that may arise during the preparation of your court case.

As traffic tickets can have a dramatic affect on your insurance rates and demerit points to properly represent yourself and to win your case, court representation is recommended. If you haven't appeared in traffic court previously, ran a trial, or know how to make motions, applications and legal arguements you are are at a disadvantage against a government appointed prosecutor and police officer.

There are important issued that the agent will want to bring up in the police officer's testimony, like how long was the amber light at the location, where was the vehicle prior to the officers observation of the traffic signals, and what was the colour of the traffic signal when the vehicle entered the intersection.

As with any court case the prosecution has to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. At court the police officer has do to their job properly, the prosecution has to properly prepare and present the case and the court system has to full fill the requirements placed upon them.

Even if the driver acknowledges that they may not have complied with the law the court system may not be able to prove the case. Court cases and traffic tickets are won on legal technicalities every day.

Red Light Camera Tickets

Red light camera tickets are traffic tickets that are issued as a result of a traffic camera being placed at an intersection to photograph vehicles who enter the intersection after the traffic signal has turned red.

Upon being photographed traveling through the intersection on a red traffic signal, the municipality will issue a notice to the owner of the vehicle.

The violation notice will have a picture of the vehicle showing the speed it was traveling, and that the traffic signal was red when the vehicle entered.

The penalty for a Red light Camera Ticket is 180 dollars. There is no accumlation or loss of demerit points for this ticket. Nor is a record kept with the Ministry of Transportation, or available to the insurance companies.

Red light camera tickets will not affect your insurance rates.