What Is Careless Driving in Ontario?

The charge is defined in the Ontario Highway Traffic Act as, “Every person is guilty of the offence of driving carelessly who drives a vehicle or street car on a roadway without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other persons.”

This broad definition means many driving behaviours can result in a careless driving charge.

• Tailgating or following too closely.
• Distracted driving (e.g., texting or eating while driving).
• Speeding excessively or recklessly.
• Failing to yield or running a red light.
• Causing an accident due to inattention.

Careless driving is one of the most common and serious traffic offences under Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act (HTA 130). Careless driving is not a criminal offence but is still a major traffic violation with severe consequences.

You may think that a careless driving ticket is just a large fine, but the fine is only one of the penalties.  Convictions for careless driving can affect you for 3 years or more. Keeping your driving and insurance record clear is paramount, even if you did make a mistake in driving.

Understanding the Penalties for Careless Driving

• Skyrocketing insurance premiums: A conviction for careless driving will put you in high risk insurance rates for at least 3 years, potentially costing you thousands of dollars.  Novice drivers will be uninsurable, and a conviction for one family member can even affect other drivers in your household.

• 6 demerit points: The demerit points for a careless driving ticket stay on your record for two years. At 8 demerit points drivers maybe required to attend the Ministry of Transport offices for a demerit point licence review, leading to further penalties, including suspending your licence.

• Licence suspensions: Novice drivers face an mandatory suspension of 30 days, while fully licensed drivers in serious incidents can be suspended for up to 6 months.

• Fines and court costs: Penalties for careless driving can range from $490 to $2,000, but if someone is hurt as a result of your driving, the fine can go up to $50,000!

• Jail time for severe offences: In some cases, especially where the driver is charged with careless driving cause bodily harm or careless driving cause death, the prosecution can ask for 2 years in jail plus the fine,  and a licence suspension.
• Commercial Drivers: A careless driving charge on your record can significantly impact your career. Most trucking companies and employers are reluctant to hire drivers with such a charge, and many drivers have been terminated following accidents where they were charged with careless driving.

These penalties for a reckless driving ticket don’t just affect your driving record— they affect your life! A conviction for careless driving can have a long-lasting impact on your financial stability, insurance rates, employment opportunities, and even your freedom to drive.

Take action now! Fighting your careless driving ticket with OTT Legal is the smartest way to protect yourself and your future.  Call and lets discuss your case today.

The penalties of a careless driving conviction go far beyond just a traffic ticket— drivers convicted of careless driving can face serious and long-lasting consequences, particularly for your insurance and livelihood. In addition to demerit points, fines, and potential licence suspensions, the impact on your insurance and career can be devastating. Here’s what you need to know:

The Insurance Fallout

• Skyrocketing Premiums: Insurance companies view a careless driving conviction as a high-risk offence, often leading to significant premium increases. These costs can persist for years, even with a clean driving record afterward. Additionally, many careless driving charges are the result of being in an accident. In these cases, insurers often penalize the driver twice—once for the careless driving ticket and again for being deemed at fault in a traffic accident. This “double strike for a careless driving charge” can make premiums almost unaffordable.

• Novice Drivers at Greater Risk: Where a Novice Driver (G1, G2, M1, M2) is convicted of careless driving, they receive 6 demerit points, automatically suspending their licence for 30-days. The licence suspension adds yet another strike to the insurance record, resulting in premiums so high that it may become nearly impossible to afford coverage.
• Family Insurance Rates—A Parent’s Perspective: As a parent, a careless driving conviction for your teen or young adult can affect your entire family’s insurance rates. Insurance companies often review the driving history of everyone under the same policy, meaning one conviction can raise premiums for the entire household. This can result in a dramatic financial strain, especially for families with multiple drivers. A novice driver’s conviction could feel like a triple blow: the high-risk classification from the ticket, the suspension, and the shared increase in premiums for every family member listed on the policy. It’s a stark reminder that one mistake could impact the whole household for years.

The most immediate and costly consequence of a careless driving conviction is the impact on your insurance. Protecting yourself and your family from years of financial strain is essential, especially if you rely on driving for work.

Call now for expert advice and a strong defence!

When you choose OTT Legal to fight your careless driving ticket, you’re partnering with a team with a 20 year track record of winning careless driving tickets.

With one of the highest success rates in Ontario, and hundreds of review to prove it, we handle all aspects of your defence. Our defence includes preparing your case for trial, ordering the police disclosure and reports, pre-trial hearings with the prosecutor and ultimately any trial.

Our experienced legal professionals are skilled at fighting careless driving tickets. In most cases, we will appear in court on your behalf, saving you the time and stress of attending court yourself.

Don’t leave your future to chance—let us do the work and win your case.

Contact an OTT Legal office today >>>

The officer gives you a traffic ticket with a fine on it.  You have to make a decision as to how to proceed within 15 days.

Always Dispute a Charge of Careless Driving

Always dispute a careless driving ticket. The consequences of a conviction are just too severe.

Drivers should dispute the charge by pleading Not Guilty.  If you’re not sure, give our offices a call and we’d be happy to discuss the ticket with you.

Here’s our recommendations for careless driving tickets:

• Do Not Pay the fine
• Do Not Plead guilty with an explanation or meet with the Prosecutor
• Not Guilty Plead and set a trial date (recommended)
  
• Call OTT Legal to learn about fighting

If you choose to plead guilty, pleading guilty with an explanation, or meet with the Prosecutor, a conviction will go on your driving record for 3 years.

Where there is any conviction, plus an “at fault” accident the insurance rates are affected. The goal in fighting your ticket is to have the charge dismissed completely, not reduced.

Read more about your options to fight a traffic ticket.

Meeting with the Prosecutor

Meeting with the Prosecutor is not recommended. Although you may reduce the charge, a conviction still goes on your driving record for 3 years. You want to keep your driving record completely clean if possible. The best way to protect your driving and insurance record is to plead not guilty and have OTT Legal represent you to fight the charge.

For more serious offences, you may receive a “Summons to Appear” in court. A summons is issued for more significant traffic violations and comes with harsher penalties, including:

• Fines between $2,000 and $50,000
• Licence suspensions of up to five years
• Jail time of up to two years

The officer issues a summons when they believe the minimum fine is insufficient and that a higher penalty, including jail time, should be considered by the court. It’s crucial to seek legal representation from OTT Legal to defend your case and minimize the consequences.

Read more about your options for fighting traffic tickets.

When a police officer issues a traffic ticket for careless driving, it’s based on their opinion that the driver was either:

• Without due care and attention, or
• Driving without consideration for other drivers.

However, it’s the Justice of the Peace who ultimately decides whether you’re guilty of careless driving, not the officer.

When our legal team investigates your case, we often find that careless driving was the wrong charge and doesn’t apply to your situation. You may have a valid defence that needs to be presented in court. It’s your right to challenge the officer’s opinion by taking your traffic ticket to court.

OTT Legal has helped thousands of drivers get careless driving charges dismissed or reduced, saving demerit points and avoiding high insurance rates. Call us today to find out how we can help you!

Rory Hardman

Don’t let a careless driving charge jeopardize your driving record, your insurance rates, or your future.

Take action now and put our proven legal expertise to work for you. At OTT Legal, we’ve successfully helped thousands of drivers win their ticket and we win yours too. Let us fight for your rights and protect you from the long-term consequences of a careless driving conviction.

Contact us today for a free consultation and take the first step toward defending your case!