Driving with No Insurance in Ontario: The Truth about Canada No Insurance Tickets
Automobile insurance covering medical expenses and loss of income related to recovery from driving-related injuries is compulsory in all provinces of Canada. If you get caught driving without insurance, Ontario officials won't take it lightly. Driving with no insurance in Ontario is a serious offence.
Although you won't get any demerit points, the conviction of operating a motor vehicle without insurance carries a minimum mandatory fine of $5,000.00 and a maximum of $50,000.00. There is also a minimum license suspension of 30 days and a maximum of one year. Furthermore, your vehicle will be impounded.
Ontario Driving without Insurance Fine
When you receive an Ontario no insurance ticket, you face more than just the minimum mandatory fine of $5,000.00 because when you factor court costs in, it ends up being a minimum fine of around $6,280.00. You are also charged a 25% victim fine surcharge. If you are convicted of the same offence a second time, the minimum mandatory fine doubles.
Driving with No Insurance in Ontario is under What Act?
Driving without insurance in Ontario is under the Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act of Ontario. It is an offence that carries one of the highest minimum fines under this act. There are actually two offences related to insurance and they are: driving with no insurance card and driving with no insurance.
The Consequences of Driving without Insurance Card, Ontario
Driving without insurance card in Ontario is not as serious of an offence as driving without insurance in Ontarip. It has no demerit points but it does show up as a conviction on your driving record. Your insurance rates could go up if you are convicted because insurance companies look at the number of convictions you have on your driving record rather than points. In fact, your insurance rates could as much as double with a single conviction on your driving record.
Insurance Increase after No Insurance Ticket
If you are charged with driving in Ontario without insurance, insurance companies may label you as a “high risk” driver, which will lead them to charge you higher monthly premiums or refuse to sell you insurance altogether.
If you get into an accident while driving or occupying an uninsured vehicle, you may not be entitled to income replacement or be able to sue the driver at fault for compensation for injuries resulting from the accident. If you are the at-fault driver in an accident, you may be held personally responsible for covering the victims' medical costs and other damages.
How to Beat a No Insurance Ticket in Ontario
Want to know how to get a no insurance ticket reduced in Canada? Your best bet is to hire a professional who has experience dealing with the insurance ticket offence. Even if your “driving without insurance in Ontario” charge cannot be entirely defended, a professional can almost always have your fine reduced by thousands of dollars.
Driving without insurance in Ontario is an absolute liability offence, meaning that you, the ticket holder, must prove that the vehicle was insured at the time that the alleged offence of driving without insurance in Ontario occurred. One of the most effective ways to reduce fines for no insurance in Ontario charges is by attacking the proof that the defendant did not have insurance. After all, how can you prove something that didn't even exist?
The other method of reducing fines for driving without insurance in Ontario is hiring a professional to defend you. A professional paralegal can portray your financial and personal situation in a certain light in order to ask the Court for a reduction of the minimum mandatory fine.
Don't stand by while you are charged for driving with no insurance in Ontario. To learn more about how we can help you get the penalties for driving without insurance in Ontario reduced, contact us today for a free consultation.