Speeding Tickets

Speeding Ticket Markham

Speeding is one of the most widespread problems (across Canada) when it comes to driving violations. According to the law, every person driving a vehicle is required to comply with established speed limits and is not allowed to exceed them. 

At first glance, speeding ticket in Ontario might seem not like a serious offence, but in reality, the consequences can be really disappointing – up to $1,000 in fines, up to 6 demerit points and hugely inflated insurance rates.

Let’s get to the details!

Consequences of a Speeding Traffic Ticket

• 0 – 6 demerit points;
• Fine payable according to table victim fine surcharge to be added;
• Conviction registered on your driving record for 3 years;
• Possible increased insurance premium with 0 to 3 points for a duration of up to 3 years;
• Definitely increased insurance premium with 3 or more points for the duration for up to 3 years or longer depending on your insurance company.

Important:

• there are no 1 or 2 point speeding offences – only 0, 3, 4 and 6. Speeding 0 – 49 km/hr over the speed limit will be issued on Part I – Offence Notice, with an ‘out of court set fine’;
• any speeds in a ‘Community Safety Zone’ will be dealt with in the same manner; however, the fines will double.
• with speeds 50 km/h and 35 km/h over posted speed limit in a ‘Community Safety Zone’ the officer will issue a Part III summons to appear in court.
• convictions resulting in 4 – 6 demerit points may result in having your license suspended for 30 days.
• speeding infraction of 50 km/h over the maximum-posted limit will dramatically affect your insurance rates by at least 100% per year. This is an absolute liability offence and is considered a major violation. 

When fighting speeding tickets it is imperative that you are familiar with the speed-measuring device used by a police officer at the time. In order to prove the alleged traffic ticket fine, the officer has to complete specific obligations before evidence is accepted as accurate. The equipment used may change depending on different police agencies.

Markham Speeding Fines 2024 Set in Court at Trials

Penalties will depend on how fast you were driving over the speed limit:

Demerit Points Associated with Speeding Tickets

In addition to fines you may receive demerit points depending on km/h over the speed limit:

Having some relatives or rookie paralegals “selling the best advice” when you ask them quick advice with questions like: “How to get out of a speeding ticket?” or “How to beat a speeding ticket?” or something in this fashion. But unfortunately, it’s not that easy, and in most cases, they will do you a disservice.

Generally, working with an experienced speeding ticket paralegal is the best practice for anyone interested in reducing the risks of gettings maximum fines and demerit points in court.

Also, here are a few things to remember:

• Every case is different. Hence, fighting your first speeding ticket in Markham cannot be based on the process your friend’s speeding lawyer or paralegal used in the past to help them out. Well, the actual process is almost the same when it comes to administrative work to be done; however, utilizing the most suitable approach or tactic in each specific situation is exactly where the magic happens.
• Most Canada speeding tickets must be filed with the court within 15 days to request a meeting with a prosecutor or trial date depending on a court location.
• A lot of people think that showing up to trial will result in automatic speed rate reduction which will ultimately reduce their demerit points, but often once police officer was requested to show up in court, prosecutors must proceed with a trial process and fighting a speeding ticket can result in less than favourable results to you and your future driving record.
• Prior to your early meeting with a prosecutor, you should request or obtain a police officer’s evidence that will be used in court to prove your guilt in committing a speeding offence. 

How to Fight a Speeding Ticket in Markham

Step 1: As mentioned above, the best possible first step is to get professional help on your side (speeding ticket attorney or paralegal). This fact alone will immensely increase your odds of getting a positive outcome compared to just going to court on your own. 

OR

Step 2: File a Markham traffic ticket with an appropriate court in order to receive a date with a prosecutor to discuss a possible reduction of your speeding ticket to a lower reduced speed resulting in less or 0 demerit points. Keep in mind that in order to fight a speeding ticket it takes at least 2-3 times to attend the court and for most people it means taking time off from work. But as stated above, you can get a legal professional on your side who will be able to go to the court on your behalf.

Step 3: Show up at trial prepared to be questioned about every little fact from the day when you were caught speeding. Also, be prepared to ask police officer questions about relevant facts about your speeding ticket that would help you draw answers proving that events in your case might have been different than what the police officer is suggesting.

Remember that courts have heard it all: “I was speeding because I needed to go to use the restroom and I had a sick stomach” or “I was helping to drive a sick friend to the hospital”.

When it comes to fighting a speeding ticket which is an absolute liability offence there can only be two possible defences. But be prepared that the standard of proof for each of these excuses is very high. Here they are:

1 – “I believe my life was in danger and I was dialling 911 while being followed by a dark car through a dark alley”

2 – You were the only person who could have potentially saved a person’s life and there were no other alternatives but to break the law and speed to maximize their chances of survival. The importance of breaking the speeding law must have been far greater than the actual act of speeding because you helped to save another person’s life.

Hiring a lawyer to fight a speeding ticket, might be an investment that will be repaid a hundredfold in the future (both time and money). 

We employ only the best speeding ticket lawyers, paralegals, former police officers and prosecutors that are now helping people fight speeding tickets anywhere in Canada. Even if it’s your first case, don’t worry – we’ll help you with it!