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Hello Forum members

I would like to seek some advice. I recently received a ticket for disobeying a “do not turn right between 0700AM-0900AM” sign, Highway Traffic Act 182 (2). I was in downtown Ottawa on a busy street (Slater) that I was not too familiar with. When I entered the right lane to turn right on O'Connor, I did not notice the do not turn sign, but I observed there was a no right turn on red light sign, so I waited for the green light, looked to check if there was any bicycles in the lane, then turned right. The police officer was on O'Connor looking directly at that intersection and promptly pulled me over. I pleaded with him, with no effect. He gave me a $110 ticket. Although it is not stated on my ticket, it seems that I would also face two demerit points.

Because I already have two offences on my driving record (speeding 133km in 100km zone in March 2018 (4 demerit points) and speeding 70 km in 50km zone in June 2019 (3 demerit points) and seven demerit points, I am very concerned about what this inadvertent right turn will have on my driving record, whether I will lose my license and whether this will increase my insurance premiums. When I asked the officer, he quickly snipped to me that “you have existing tickets on your record, so there was nothing I can do”.

My questions to the forum are:

1. Should I contest the ticket? I have read posts here, and I fear that I might not have much to stand on. Advice is appreciated

2. Do all such offences include two demerit points, even if this is not mentioned on the ticket per se.

3. Should I reach out to my car insurance company and come clean, to let them know. They will eventually find out, so I was wondering if this would make sense. When I shopped around for insurance, I was told that my record of speeding tickets made it harder for me to get insurance and/or harder to get good rates.

4. What is people’s experience with being called in for an interview and the possibility of having my license suspended. I received a “Driver’s Warning Notice” a few months ago, that stated that I could be asked for an interview and could have my license suspended if I reached 9 demerit points. This makes me nervous for sure.

Thank you very much.

Chihuacadie wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:17 pm

1. Should I contest the ticket? I have read posts here, and I fear that I might not have much to stand on. Advice is appreciated

This is a question that can be answered in thousands of words with different scenarios.

The short answer is most of your everyday charges are worth contesting. That doesn't mean you'll end up having a trial. Best case scenario is you'll take the time to make a disclosure request and make the most of it. It's not required, but it's recommended.

At worst, you just plead guilty on your trial date. If you've got that magic horseshoe, maybe your officer moved to Florida and is enjoying the sun. However, it's not a common occurrence for officers to no show.

Chihuacadie wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:17 pm

2. Do all such offences include two demerit points, even if this is not mentioned on the ticket per se.

Officers don't issue demerit points. It wouldn't be listed on a ticket. That's a Ministry of Transportation thing. They add the points once a conviction gets sent to them.

Chihuacadie wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:17 pm

3. Should I reach out to my car insurance company and come clean, to let them know. They will eventually find out, so I was wondering if this would make sense. When I shopped around for insurance, I was told that my record of speeding tickets made it harder for me to get insurance and/or harder to get good rates.

You haven't been convicted of anything yet. There's nothing to tell them.

Technically, you're supposed to always tell your insurance company. It's in your policy. Do people actually do this? Not really.

I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Chihuacadie wrote: ↑Mon Dec 02, 2019 10:17 pm

4. What is people’s experience with being called in for an interview and the possibility of having my license suspended. I received a “Driver’s Warning Notice” a few months ago, that stated that I could be asked for an interview and could have my license suspended if I reached 9 demerit points. This makes me nervous for sure.

Demerit points last two years from the date you were issued your ticket. Your 4 points will expire March 2020.

You might as well request a trial. Most trials don't happen for months. It depends on scheduling.

If you're lucky, you'll get a date after March. Even if you have no intentions of trying to contest the charge, you can just show up and plead guilty. You'll avoid the interview or any possible suspensions.

Your insurance is another story. None of this really matters to them. They don't calculate points. They are meaningless to them. They'll just see 3 convictions and base your rates off that. Your tickets would all be considered minor. The problem is the surcharge jumps with multiple convictions. First one might be 5%, second 15% and third 25%. That's a whole can of worms separate from your demerit points issue.