Owning your dream car in Canada brings you some responsibilities as well. While you might enjoy the prestige and comfort that your car brings to the table, it pays to drive safely on the road. You might purchase your car only once, but you must renew your insurance every year. What if you get too many speeding tickets or acquire demerit points that make it challenging to insure your car?
Prince Edward Island is one of the Canadian provinces where insurance rates are low. This doesn’t relieve car owners of the fines, penalties, and tickets they get once they breach norms.
So, it’s crucial to know the Highway Traffic Act speeding fines that you need to pay. Besides, getting traffic tickets would increase your car insurance premiums.
You can find affordable quotes in PEI by working with a reputed insurance broker like Surex.
Why do drivers get Highway Traffic Act speeding fines?
Well, you might get a traffic ticket for driving under the influence of alcohol, distracted driving or drugs, or simply speeding. Some roads in Prince Edward Island are heavily trafficked. So, the law enforcement department has created norms to regulate the speed of vehicles. Being a driver, you may face a fine if you break the rules on the road.
Besides, traffic fines for speeding can turn out to be expensive. In some Canadian provinces, you may have to shell out as much as $600 if you are convicted of distracted driving.
Thus, control your speed to avoid getting a speeding ticket on the highway. Keep your eyes open to signboards that require drivers to keep the speed within limits. In the absence of a signboard, stick to the permissible speed in your province.
Is speeding a minor fault in Canada?
In some provinces in Canada, speeding is considered to be a minor traffic norm violation. However, you would repent for paying the fine, despite it being a ‘minor’ fault. In some provinces, you need to pay a fine of $40 if you exceed the legitimate speed by 10 km per hour.
Likewise, if you indulge in excessive speeding or repeat the fault repeatedly, you will be shelling out higher amounts as fines. With speed, the value of fines also increases.
However, the problem with getting a highway speeding ticket lies far beyond the fine you pay. When you have too many tickets, your insurer will consider you to be a high-risk driver. Under such conditions, they would charge higher premiums to cover your vehicle.
If you have already landed in such an unfortunate circumstance, consult a reputed insurance broker. The professionals will recommend the right policy to keep your premiums within the affordable range.
When is speeding considered to be a major traffic infraction?
If you happen to exceed the legitimate speed limit by at least 60 Km. per hour, it would be considered to be a major traffic infraction. Also, if you fail to report an accident, the law enforcement authorities consider it a major infraction.
This is because driving at such an excessive speed makes others susceptible to injuries. A major infraction can even leave a graver impact on your insurance premiums.
Naturally, when you indulge in a major traffic infraction, the penalties will likely be more severe. Although it doesn’t come under the category of a criminal offense, you wouldn’t like to get those demerit points.
How much do traffic tickets increase your premiums?
Even though you happen to get a single speeding ticket, it would increase your insurance premium by at least 20%. On the other hand, having multiple tickets lead to a manifold increment in your premiums. For instance, if you get two traffic tickets, you need to pay approximately 67% more for coverage. Once you get three speeding tickets in Canada, your car insurance premium will double.
Along with speeding, if you commit other traffic violations, be prepared to pay even more. Top insurers would consider your driving record while determining your premium. So, if you already have demerit points for offenses other than speeding, you can’t help your premiums from shooting up.
Usually, these tickets will tarnish your driving record for three years. This implies that you won’t find affordable insurance policies during these years even if you drive carefully after getting a ticket.
You might want to consult your insurance broker and get protection endorsements for tickets and accidents. If you consider yourself a high-risk driver, these endorsements will help you keep your driving record clean. So, even if you are at fault in an accident, you can keep your premium within your affordability.
Can you remove speeding tickets from your driving record?
Unfortunately, you cannot clean your driving record of traffic violation records once you get them. So, it’s logical not to get an infraction. Talking of speeding, most young drivers tend to break norms since they are more adventurous at the wheel.
Once you turn 25, most insurers offer a lower premium. However, if you have speeding tickets on your driving record, they would portray you as an irresponsible and risky driver. So, you would continue to pay higher premiums even after reaching 25 years of age.
Can you lose your license for speeding?
Many young drivers ask insurance brokers whether they can lose their license for speeding. You must know that drivers in Canada can lose their license only if they indulge in a criminal offense. Since speeding doesn’t fall under a criminal offense category, you won’t lose your license.
Nevertheless, you must shell out the Highway Traffic Act speeding fines, and correspondingly higher car insurance premiums.
Guide to Highway Traffic Act speeding fines — Endnote
As the record of your speeding remains on your driving history for the next three years, you can expect to pay lower premiums from the fourth year.
Consult a reputed insurance broker to switch to a cheaper policy. Being industry specialists, these professionals can find a relatively affordable policy for you. Meanwhile, you can focus on your discipline at the wheel and improve your driving record.
