Considering the stringent traffic norms in Alberta, car owners are habitually worried about traffic tickets.
When it comes to dealing with traffic tickets Alberta drivers find it to be an overwhelming experience. With more demerit points against your driving record, you would witness a gradual increment in your insurance premiums. Besides, at one point, these demerit points can get your driving license suspended. So, you must be looking for a viable way to deal with traffic tickets in your city.
Experienced insurance brokers can help you save on your insurance premiums here — https://www.surex.com/Insurance/vehicle/alberta.
Moreover, you should be aware of the legalities while dealing with Alberta traffic tickets. Let’s find out what you can do to handle the legal problem stemming from your traffic convictions.
Traffic tickets and demerit points: the consequences
Demerit points get credited to your driving records as a result of traffic convictions. Whether you get a ticket for speeding, violating traffic norms, rash driving, or any other fault, you get these demerit points once a ticket is registered to file the offense. Here are some consequences of these demerit points.
Spike in insurance premiums
If you have several traffic tickets Alberta automobile insurers would consider you a high-risk client. Eventually, they would increase your annual insurance premiums.
Unless you go for a defensive driving course or wait long enough to get the demerit points removed from your driving record, be prepared to fork out higher premiums. If you get several traffic tickets for speeding in a span of three years, you will notice a significant spike in premiums.
Some insurers might even refuse to insure your car further. In such consequences, it would be an intelligible move to consult a reputed insurance expert. With their industry knowledge, the experts can recommend the right insurer who would be ready to cover you.
Suspension of driving license
In case you accumulate around 15 demerit points, you can get your driving license suspended. When it is revoked, you may get a summon at the court and rationalize the adverse history of your driving track record. This way, you can get the license validated once again. In most situations, you would need reliable legal support to bail you out.
Therefore, too many traffic tickets or demerit points can have an adverse impact on drivers. Some of the parameters that determine how adverse the impact would be include:
1. Speed:
Usually, you would get traffic tickets if you are speeding on city roads by 10 or more km/hr over the designated speed limit. On highways, this is more than 20 km/hr. So, you would get the demerit points depending on how severely you violated the speed limit.
2. Conviction record:
The number of conviction records that result in speeding tickets can also directly impact your driving record.
3. Number of tickets:
This refers to the traffic fines the law enforcement department levies on you in combination with speeding tickets.
How to check if you have traffic tickets online Alberta?
Drivers or owners need to shell out a small fee of around $25 to obtain the abstract regarding their driving record. Visiting the registry office can help, but these days most people prefer the option of checking it out online.
In case you want to fight a traffic ticket, you can visit ontario.ca to check out the status of your traffic convictions online. One needs to furnish the following information to confirm the status.
1. The offense number and location code on your ticket.
2. In case the authorities have issued a summon to you, get the case number indicating your offense. The municipal court office can help you with relevant information.
However, you won’t be able to check the status of fines or tickets under certain situations. These include:
- Cases under appeal
- Parking convictions
- Criminal offenses
- Cases where publication bans are imposed
- Convictions involving a minor
Fighting a traffic ticket: How to go about it?
For each type of traffic ticket, there’s a specific procedure to contest it.
Offense notice
In Alberta, Offense Notices are pretty common among traffic convictions. You have three options to proceed in case you get an Offense Notice.
1. After signing the ticket, an owner can plead guilty and make the necessary payment.
2. You can also come up with an explanation while pleading guilty. This process involves speaking to a Justice at the courthouse. The Justice may minimize your fine or grant you additional time by which you can pay it off.
3. Drivers can also opt for the trial option to dispute the charge. You would need legal support to reach out to the court office and follow up at the court.
If you fail to appear for the trial or don’t respond within 15 days after receiving a ticket, the justice of peace will review it and register a conviction against you. However, the court has the power to dismiss the ticket in case it contains a fatal flaw. For instance, the ticket might not have the defendant’s name on it, or the offense date might be absent. Also, it might not be valid if it doesn’t have the officer’s signature or the location details.
Summon
In case you receive a summon, you need to be at the court on the mentioned date and time. Failing to appear before the justice is an offense. Law enforcement officials file summons only when you commit a serious offense. In these situations, you need to seek legal help from a lawyer.
In case of a summon, you might have to shell out fines between $500 and $5,000. This can also lead to imprisonment or suspension of the license.
Traffic tickets Alberta — Endnote
Remember, the accumulation of too many demerit points following traffic tickets in Alberta can mess up your driving record. Ultimately, you would find it challenging to get proper insurance coverage for your car. In case you are encountering such difficulties, reach out to insurance experts. With professional support, you will be on track while choosing the most affordable insurer in Alberta.
