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I was caught speeding on highway 65, off highway 11 near Temiskaming Shores. I was driving 120km/h in a marked 80km/h zone. I don't normally speed, but this time I did. This is my first ticket and I'm not quite sure what to do. The ticket is $298 and 4 demerit points. I'd like to try to have the ticket lowered a bit in both the price and the points. The reason I'd like this is because I can't afford for my insurance to go up with the cost of my student loan payments Im making every month.

Is it normal for a speeding ticket not to be lowered a little when it is being issued?

Also, I live approximately 3 hrs away from the area where the infraction occurred. That being said, how do I fight this without having to miss work? Is that even possible?

And, I'm not sure if it matters, but the officer never asked me how fast I thought I was going, she just told me. Is this normal procedure?

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you.

It's totally up to the officer's discretion regarding any roadside reduction. It's common but not a given. There's also no need for the officer to ask you about your speed, etc.

If you plan on trying to fight the ticket outright, you'll either need to miss work to attend Court or hire someone to represent you (like a paralegal). If you simply want to try and work out a plea deal to a lower speed, you can try for an early resolution meeting. Some Courts allow such meetings and resolutions to take place by telephone. You'd have to see if that's an available option in the jurisdiction where you were charged.

Be aware that even with reduced points/speed, ANY speeding conviction can count against you in terms of insurance. Typically a 15 over ticket is treated no differently then a 40 over ticket.

Take some time to read through the forums. General questions on speeding tickets are pretty common and you'll find lots of info.

Stanton wrote:Typically a 15 over ticket is treated no differently then a 40 over ticket.

This is debatable. Many insurance companies do only look at the number of infractions, but 15 over is listed as a minor offence and 40 over is a major offence - even though they don't see the points they can still see this and it can definitely affect rates.

That said, any conviction is a conviction. A major usually increases insurance by about 15%.

gamerzfuse wrote:This is debatable. Many insurance companies do only look at the number of infractions, but 15 over is listed as a minor offence and 40 over is a major offence - even though they don't see the points they can still see this and it can definitely affect rates.

That said, any conviction is a conviction. A major usually increases insurance by about 15%.

That would be dependent on the actual insurance provider. Most set the "major offence" threshold at 50+, though I've seen some as low as 35. Some also consider speeding in a community safety zone to be a major offence. Again, always best to verify with your actual provider.

gamerzfuse wrote:

This is debatable. Many insurance companies do only look at the number of infractions, but 15 over is listed as a minor offence and 40 over is a major offence - even though they don't see the points they can still see this and it can definitely affect rates.

That said, any conviction is a conviction. A major usually increases insurance by about 15%.

Stanton is correct. He said typically.

Typically, any speeding charge 49km and under is seen as a minor offense. 50km and over is seen as major. Surcharges vary by company. Facility Association rules are usually used as a

guideline.