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Ontario Demerit Points System And What It Means For You
The person or office in charge of demerit points is the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario. The Ministry of Transportation office controls the Ontario drivers by adding a system of demerit points to traffic tickets for such things as speeding and nearly all other traffic violation tickets.
Demerit points are issued from the Ministry of Transportation office in order to reprimand drivers who collect more than their fair share of driving offenses. Consequences of demerit points include the removal of driving privileges by the Ministry of Transportation office.
Ontario drivers who are considered probationary drivers can accrue up to six demerit points with fully licensed Ontario drivers being allowed to accumulate 15 demerit points before driver licenses are suspended. The Ministry of transportation office will suspend a driver's license for 30 days upon the first offense of 15 accumulated demerit points. They have the power to suspend the license for up to six months for successive collected demerit points. Additionally, once a person has accumulated nine demerit points the Ministry of Transportation office may request the driver to attend an interview. This interview is a chance for the driver to plead their case against having their license suspended.
Besides the possible suspension of ones license, traffic tickets that contain demerit points have a direct impact on ones financial situation because the demerit points directly affect insurance rates.
Seven demerit points are the highest amount of one time demerit points received for a single incident and these are given for racing and failing to remain at the scene of an accident. Demerit points can be given in a combination, for example someone can leave the scene of an accident which carries a penalty of seven demerit points in addition to being ticketed for failing to stop for a school bus which carries six demerit points making the total demerit points for one single incident 13 demerit points. This single incident will land a person an interview with the Ministry of Transportation office for possible license suspension.
Demerit points from the Ministry of transportation office stay on someone's driving record for two years from the offensive date before they fall away.