Penalties

The penalties for speeding depend upon;

• the rate of speed,
• what class of drivers licence the driver has,
• 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 are under the Graduated Licence System.

Have the following restrictions:

• any ticket with four (4) or more demerit points has a thirty (30) day mandatory licence suspension.
• any accumulation to six (6) demerit points has a thirty (30) day mandatory licence suspension.
• Speeding more than 50km/h over the limit:
  • immediate seven (7) day licence suspension
  • immediate seven (7) day vehicle seizure
  • possible six (6) jail
  • possible two (2) 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.

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

Any ticket for more than fifteen (15) kilometres over the limit has demerit points.

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

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 abstract to assess their risk of you having an accident where they have to pay a claim out.

Read more about insurance implications for speeding tickets >

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 record is normally only available for 3 years, the police and Ministry of Transportation keeps all records of speeding convictions for life.