Traffic tickets and speeding tickets can have hidden penalties that the police and courts are not obligated to tell you about, including:

• traffic tickets affect your insurance rates
• traffic tickets for moving violations have demerit points
• some traffic tickets have licence suspensions, especially for class G1 and class G2 drivers.

Traffic tickets have more penalties than just the fine and can affect you for years to come. If you pay the ticket it goes on your driving record and insurance for three (3) years.

Traffic tickets for moving violations have demerit points.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) uses the demerit point system to penalize drivers who receive traffic tickets.  Where the driver accumulates demerit points the ministry can suspend the licence depending upon the class of driver licence.

Novice Drivers:

• Class G1 and Class G2 drivers
• 60 day suspension for accumulating nine (9) demerit points
• 30 day suspension for any traffic ticket with four (4) or more demerit points

Class G Drivers

• interview to consider suspending your licence at nine (9) demerit points
• 30 day suspension for accumulating fifteen (15) demerit points

Demerit points affect licence suspensions, not insurance.

Any traffic ticket you receive has the potential to affect your insurance rates.

Insurance companies use your driving record to base insurance rates upon.  The insurance companies believe that drivers who receive traffic tickets and speeding tickets are at a higher risk to be in an accident and to make a claim on their insurance.

The effect of a traffic ticket on your insurance can be dramatic:

• one (1) conviction – ten to twenty-five (10-25) percent increase
• two (2) convictions – forty to fifty (40-50) percent increase
• three (3) convictions – hundred (100) percent increase

Where a driver receives three (3) driving convictions most insurance companies will consider the driver “high risk” with insurance rates in the thousands of dollars per year.

Some traffic tickets like careless driving, driving with a cell phone, driving while suspended and fail to remain are considered “major insurance violations” that will, upon conviction affect the insurance one hundred (100) percent.

At OTT Legal we’re experts at fighting traffic tickets. We have years of experience as former police officers and licensed paralegals, and we can help you.

With OTT Legal you receive;

• A professional team you can trust.
• Personalized and affordable service.
• Proven track record of traffic tickets defence.
• A company with years of experience fighting traffic tickets.

Contact us to discuss your case, there is no obligation or fee to learn about your ticket and how we can help you.

1) Plead Guilty – Not Advisable

2) Early Resolution, Meeting with the Prosecutor – Usually Not Advisable

• At the court house the court clerk may offer to allow you to… “meet the prosecutor, to come to a resolution and avoid going to trial”.
• If you meet with the prosecutor, you lose any chance to win your case completely.
• All the prosecutor will do is reduce your charge.
• The driver may still lose demerit points.
• The ticket still goes on your driving record and insurance for three (3) years.
• It is improper and against the law for a court clerk to give legal advice.
• There may be many issues that can cancel your ticket.
• A court clerk is not qualified to give you legal advice, nor are they going to tell you that you can win your case.

Qualified expert legal advice on any traffic ticket is given without cost or obligation from OTT Legal.

In some situations, selecting option 2 (early resolution) would be preferable to option 3 (trial). It is important that you speak to one of our paralegals prior to selecting an option. We will take all factors into consideration, including but not limited to: court location and process, class of licence, past convictions and previous licence suspensions.

3) Trial – Fight Your Speeding Ticket

• Fighting the traffic ticket is the best option
• Fighting the ticket keeps your driving record clear and your insurance low.
• The police officer and any witnesses must appear in court.
• The prosecution has to prove the case against you, before you have to defend yourself.
• Where they cannot prove the case for any reason, the traffic ticket will be dismissed.
• When you fight the ticket you always have a chance to win.

OTT Legal know the legal technicalities in order to win your case in traffic court, contact the office in your area >