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Many Canadian drivers underestimate the insurance repercussions of speeding tickets. Reports show that 27% of traffic fatalities on roads are the direct result of speeding, yet many continue to drive well beyond the speed limit.
People speed for a variety of reasons. They may be frustrated with traffic, running late, distracted and not paying attention to their speed, or overconfident in their driving skills. None of these reasons make up for the risks associated with driving fast. Speed limits are in place for a reason.
Getting a speeding ticket will affect the cost of your policy and your ability to be insured. The only question is what type of speeding ticket you will get and how much it will impact your car insurance.
A speeding ticket can increase your Ontario car insurance. The degree to which it will impact you will depend on the severity, and the effect will not always be immediate.
It’s important to understand which tickets will affect it and which will not – there is a difference between getting a ticket for over 15 km/h and 50 km/h. Two tickets may cause a 25% increase (comparable to three speeding tickets, which will result in a 100% increase!).
Depending on how your insurer assesses speeding tickets, you may only see a slight or no increase for minor tickets. If you receive a major speeding ticket, are charged with stunt driving because of excessive speeding, or have multiple tickets, you can expect your premiums to increase drastically.
Often, insurers become aware of a speeding ticket when it is time for your insurance renewal. They check with the Ministry of Transportation to see if your record has changed. So, don’t think your insurer won’t find out if you don’t tell them about your speeding tickets.
Although there are no points related to a speeding ticket over 15 km/hr, it will go on your record and likely impact your rates when it is time to renew. You could see an increase between 10% and 25% depending on previous fines or convictions.
A single minor speeding ticket should not increase your insurance much if you have no other traffic convictions. However, your rates will likely increase if you have more than one conviction or get a major speeding ticket.
Speeding tickets could not only affect your monthly costs, but they can also influence the type of coverage you need.
While a minor speeding ticket won’t have much impact, getting two or three minor speeding tickets in a short time or getting one major speeding ticket for 50 km/h or over could jeopardize your policy. It’s not just the fine and demerit points you have to worry about if you get caught.
Too many speeding tickets or one major conviction could get your insurance cancelled, and you may require specialized insurance for being a higher risk. Whether or not this happens to you will vary based on your provider and their rules about the number of convictions they will accept.
Any traffic conviction, including speeding, will remain on your MTO driver’s abstract for three years from the conviction date. To see if a ticket is still on your record, you can order a driver’s record from ServiceOntario.
Depending on how much you are going over, you can receive between three and six demerit points for speeding in Ontario. Even if no points are associated with your speeding ticket, you may still see an increase in your rate. An example of this would be if you are caught speeding in a school zone.
No matter where you receive a speeding ticket in Canada, it will appear on your driving abstract as an out-of-province (OOP) speeding ticket. You are required to pay the fine, or it will go into collections.
Get a speeding ticket? Our advisors can STILL help you get the best rates. They'll compare car insurance quotes from the best insurers to help you get the lowest premiums.
We recommend using the Online Ticket Lookup to check the status of your ticket or explore additional payment options. Contact our brokers to compare more affordable options for your custom rate.
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| Categories | Auto |
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| Tags | Auto Coverage |
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