Frequently Asked Questions about Speeding

Q. The officer did not let me see the radar, can I get the ticket dismissed on this?

A. No. The police officer does not have to let you see the radar or laser reading.

Especially if you are pulled over along a busy street, the officer doesn’t want to bear the liability of you being hit by traffic during the walk to the patrol car. Moreover, a radar reading can easily be tampered with.

The officer could have shown you a radar reading, but it would not be very useful as nobody could be sure that was your car. For what it’s worth, it is not even a good idea to ask to see the radar reading.

If you asked and were shown the reading, the officer could write in his notes that you saw the radar reading and “agreed” with the charge.

Q. I passed a police car and was speeding, but they did not stop me. Could the officer have written down my licence plate and give me a speeding ticket later?

A. Usually no. Theoretically they can give you a speeding ticket up to 6 months from the day it happened, but the officer has to identify not only the vehicle that was being driven but the identity of the driver as well.

Probably the officer was not interested in enforcing the speed limit at that time or they may have been doing something more important than worrying about you speeding.

Although the officer could come to your house and identify you, it doesn’t happen, and the the police cannot mail you a speeding ticket.

Q. The police officer reduced the amount of the speed on the ticket. They said if I fight it they will put it back up, should I still fight it?

A. It’s your right under Canadian Law to fight any speeding ticket you receive.

You can still plead not guilty. Although the officer can give you a speeding ticket for what ever speed they like, its unusual that the speeding ticket will be put up at court.

Many times there are hidden reasons for the officer reducing a ticket, such as:

  • like they don’t like appearing in court,
  • they are not fully qualified to operate the radar device, or
  • they didn’t actually catch you at the speed they first suggested
  • the officer is nervous about testifying in court

Surprisingly over 50% of speeding tickets that have been reduced are dismissed at court especially where a professional is fighting the ticket for you.