The penalties for speeding depend upon:

• the rate of speed,
• the class of drivers licence,
• your personal driving history,
• previous demerit point accumulations

The lower the class of licence the more severe the penalties. Where there are previous convictions the insurance implications compound.

Novice drivers including Class G1 and Class G2 Drivers, under the Graduated Licence System, and have the following restrictions:

• any ticket with 4 or more demerit points
  • 30 day licence suspension
• accumulation of 6 demerit points
  • 30 day licence suspension
• Speeding more than 50km/h over the limit:
  • 7 day licence suspension
  • 7 day vehicle seizure
  • possible 6 months jail
  • possible 2 year suspension on conviction
  • fine 2,000 to 10,000 dollars

Any speeding ticket that a novice driver receives will dramatically affect insurance rates, including “high rise” premiums for three (3) years.

Where a vehicle is impounded by the police, the owner of the vehicle is responsible for the towing and storage fee (approx $1,000).

Class G1 and G2 drivers face a 30 day licence suspension for any traffic ticket with four (4) or more demerit points.

All speeding tickets have hidden penalties that the police nor the courts are obligated to tell you about including;

• Fines that increase with the amount of speed.
• Demerit Points for any speed over 15km/h.
• Possible driver licence suspensions.
• Possible insurance increases.
• Affects on employment for commercial or professional drivers.
• Jail for high speeds

If you pay or are convicted of speeding, the ticket goes on your driving and insurance record for three (3) years.

The insurance company uses driver abstracts to assess their risk of you having an accident, where they have to pay a claim.

Insurance Implications for Speeding >

Driving records are available to any person, insurance companies or employer from the Ministry of Transportation.

Anyone can access a driving record if they know the drivers licence number.

When applying for jobs many employers will obtain a copy of the abstract to determine driving risk.

Convictions for speeding and traffic tickets can affect your employment.

Although the driving records are normally only available for 3 years, the police and Ministry of Transportation keep all records of speeding convictions for life.