Insurance Corner: Tickets - Moving violations
by Martha Maton
Everyone knows that getting a ticket for a moving violation will increase your insurance premium. When a driver is convicted of a driving offence, the points will remain on the driver's record for two years from the date the offence occurred.

Insurance companies look at the last three years of your driving record. (Insurers calculate these 3 years from the date the offence was posted to the system, not the date the offence occurred.) Each insurer has their own schedule of how much the premium increases will be and rules about who is an acceptable risk.

If you have a lot of demerit points, it is a good idea to shop around for the best rate. Accumulate too many, and you will have a more limited choice of insurance companies that are willing to take you.

To see what the MTO has on your record, go to:

http://www.mto.gov.on.c a/english/dandv/driver/recor d.htm

This will give you a look at your 3 year conviction record, the same information that is available to your insurance company. Parking tickets do not affect your driving record. Accidents do, of course, but are not shown on this report.

Obviously, the best way to keep your insurance premium reasonable and stay safe is to drive responsibly. If you do get a ticket, be sure to pay it promptly or you risk suspension of your driver's license.

Below is a table outlining the demerit point penalties for driving offences:

7 Points

- Failing to remain at the scene of a collision

- Failing to stop when signaled/requested by a police officer

6 Points

- Careless Driving Racing

- Exceeding the speed limit by 50 km/h or more

- Failing to stop for a school bus

5 Points

- Driver of a bus failing to stop at an unprotected railway crossing

4 Points

- Exceeding the speed limit by 30 to 49 km/h

- Following too closely

3 Points

- Exceeding the speed limit by 16 to 29 km/h

- Driving through, around or under a railway crossing barrier

- Failing to yield the right-of-way

- Failing to obey a stop sign, traffic control stop/slow sign, traffic light or railway crossing signal

- Failing to obey the directions of a police officer Driving the wrong way on a divided road

- Failing to report a collision to a police officer

- Improper driving when road is divided into lanes

- Crowding the driver's seat

- Going the wrong way on a one-way road

- Driving or operating a vehicle on a closed road

- Crossing a divided road where no proper crossing is provided

- Failing to slow and carefully pass a stopped emergency vehicle

- Failing to move, where possible, into another lane when passing a stopped emergency vehicle

- Improper passing

- Improper use of high occupancy vehicle lane

2 Points

- Improper opening of a vehicle door

- Prohibited turns - Towing people- on toboggans, bicycles, skis, etc.

- Failing to obey signs

- Failing to stop at a pedestrian crossing

- Failing to share the road - Improper right turn - Improper left turn

- Failing to signal

- Unnecessary slow driving

- Reversing on a divided high-speed road

- Driver failing to wear a seat belt

- Driver failing to ensure that a passenger less than 23 kg is properly secured

- Driver failing to ensure that a passenger under 16 years is wearing a seat belt

- Failing to lower headlamp beams

- Backing on a highway

- Driver failing to ensure infant/child passenger is properly secured in an appropriate child restraint system or booster seat

For additional information, contact Martha Marton at Tupling Insurance Brokers Limited

marthamarton@tuplingin surance.com

(705) 431-5585