Traffic tickets vs. convictions - by RocketMan
RocketMan on 2/2/2012 at 22:05
I have a very specific question that I'm hoping someone can help with.
Suppose you get a ticket for something like speeding. Now in Ontario where I live, you have 15 days to decide what to do. Suppose you choose to go to court. Now they set up a court date and you wait. My question is this:
While you have your ticket but BEFORE having gone to court to decide the outcome (either the ticket is thrown away because the cop didn't show for example OR you get convicted of the crime or a lesser crime) does the ticket (the accusation of speeding) show up on your driver's record and can that be seen by insurance companies or whoever looks are your record? Can you proceed to change insurance companies in the middle of all this and join a new insurance company before any kind of conviction takes place or do they need to know about the fact that you simply got a ticket?
I mean, if you tell them you have a ticket and then it gets thrown away, it's like they punished you for nothing by jacking up your rates... that's why I'm asking.
Anyway, if anyone knows how this works, would love to know. Thanks.
SubJeff on 2/2/2012 at 22:24
Is this secretly "how do I get cheap insurance before my speeding conviction is sealed?"?
AR Master on 2/2/2012 at 22:28
Quote Posted by RocketMan
I have a very specific question that I'm hoping someone can help with.
Suppose you get a ticket for something like speeding. Now in Ontario where I live, you have 15 days to decide what to do. Suppose you choose to go to court. Now they set up a court date and you wait. My question is this:
While you have your ticket but BEFORE having gone to court to decide the outcome (either the ticket is thrown away because the cop didn't show for example OR you get convicted of the crime or a lesser crime) does the ticket (the accusation of speeding) show up on your driver's record and can that be seen by insurance companies or whoever looks are your record? Can you proceed to change insurance companies in the middle of all this and join a new insurance company before any kind of conviction takes place or do they need to know about the fact that you simply got a ticket?
I mean, if you tell them you have a ticket and then it gets thrown away, it's like they punished you for nothing by jacking up your rates... that's why I'm asking.
Anyway, if anyone knows how this works, would love to know. Thanks.
the speeding ticket is the conviction... it's a provincial offence and you were (as you have to be) caught committing. The court is simply the option for you to argue down your fine or give mens rea defence (you were speeding because of some horrible emergency you couldn't avoid like being chased by someone attempting to kill you, the carpet sticking down the accelerator, etc) in which case the ticket is voided and removed from your record.
as soon as a ticket is processed at the end of the day (when its dropped into the box at the station to be signed off on). Insurance will be able to "see" it whatever way they have access to your driving record, which is up to date as of every 12 hours so yeah it's probably there by now.
A speeding ticket won't raise your insurance unless it's a) one of many b) horribly over the limit or c) with a really, really shitty insurance company. Wait until your court date, wherein I guarantee the JP is not going to throw it out barring the constable not showing up (he will) before applying to a new insurance
RocketMan on 3/2/2012 at 00:10
Well that sucks... so your reason for me waiting is that the charge might be reduced and so when I tell the insurance company about it, it won't have as much of an impact? Is that the best course of action?
Even if I join a "good" insurance company I have to wonder if they will refuse to take me or jack my rate up because I'm a new customer with no history with that institution and they see me as an immediate risk?
AR Master on 3/2/2012 at 00:21
okay settle down beavis
a single speeding ticket isnt going to affect your insurance rates... maybe if you're 16 or so. You can switch insurance companies right now if you'd like; if they do a record check this will already appear. If you're confident you can get it voided then wait. All the court is there for is to reduce your fine if they want... insurance companies dont look at the fine and im not even sure they look at the clocked speed, just the existence of one and if its been paid or not. But some pencil pusher might put 2 and 2 together and wonder why you're jumping ship 2 days after a speeding ticket and determine that youre trying to game the system or whatever and decide you're a risk- that youll jump them if you get another ticket
RocketMan on 3/2/2012 at 00:50
Pretty sound logic to me. Personally I could care less about the fine itself. I'm more concerned about having them reduce the charge or the points. 49 over doesn't exactly beg for forgiveness if you know what I mean. Yeah I deserved to get caught but everybody screws up once in a while. That day my battery died in the driveway and I had an important meeting so I decided to make it up on the road... not one of my best judgement calls.
june gloom on 3/2/2012 at 01:26
And then there's the municipalities that use speeding tickets as their primary source of income.
"You were driving 89 miles per hour. Here's a $200 ticket."
> was actually doing 60, passed by someone going at least 80, cop was lazy
Rug Burn Junky on 3/2/2012 at 02:20
Quote Posted by AR Master
the speeding ticket is the conviction...
Conviction. You keep saying this word, and I do not think it means what you think it means.
CCCToad on 3/2/2012 at 06:41
Quote Posted by dethtoll
And then there's the municipalities that use speeding tickets as their primary source of income.
"You were driving 89 miles per hour. Here's a $200 ticket."
> was actually doing 60, passed by someone going at least 80, cop was lazy
Sounds like the miserable little town I grew up in. Their favorite was pulling over any car with kids in it to see if the could write a ticket for an improper (or better yet, absent) child seat.
Sg3 on 3/2/2012 at 18:37
Quote Posted by dethtoll
And then there's the municipalities that use speeding tickets as their primary source of income.
"You were driving 89 miles per hour. Here's a $200 ticket."
> was actually doing 60, passed by someone going at least 80, cop was lazy
Happened to me, too. My first speeding ticket cost me ~$9500 U.S. in total, considering the insurance rate increase. One citation
does make a big difference. The courts here consider you guilty until proven innocent, where alleged speed violations are concerned. (I'm guessing that other countries do the same.) When I contested one, the officer didn't show up. Contrary to popular wisdom, I was told that it wasn't going to be thrown out and that I could either plead "no contest" for a point reduction or else accept another court date at the officer's convenience. My brother contested one, once, and the judge simply said, "It's your word versus his. Pay your fine." Corruption abounds. It isn't quite as bad as it is in Africa or Russia, but it isn't too far.
