New Fines

 

The State Legislature has issued a new fines schedule for traffic tickets.

 

 Class A fines are now $435, Class B $260, Class C $160, and Class D $110. 

 

 

Comments

[Applican't]

Is every traffic violation short of court one of the four? Here each ticket has it's own, it can get kinda confusing. (Not that any regular members here write too many outside of accidents.)

[RD]

@Applicant are traffic citations (not crimes) are in one of four classifications.

Class A violations are the serious violations like driving while suspend, carless driving with an accident, or excessive speed.

Class B violations are running red light or stop signs, fail to obey a traffic control device, talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device, driving without a license, driving without insurance, or speeding 20-30 miles over the limit

Class C violation are minor moving offenses like making an illegal U-turn or driving 10-20 miles over the speed limit.

Class D violations are for minor issues failing to register a car or driving without a seat belt.

An officer can write up to three offenses on a single citation like speeding: 22 over, no insurance, and expired tags on a car for a total of $630 in potential fines.

[Applican't]

It's far more complicated here. Every ticket has it's own fine, some related have the same one, but by and large, they're all their own. The costliest I can write is 575$ and 6 for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk. The lowest is 57 dollars for 1 km/hr over the speed limit. We write one ticket for each charge and then have the option to tear off a Summons or an Appearance Notice(I choose this one whenever possible, because failing to pay/appear usually goes to warrant.).

The person served has the voluntary payment option, with a traffic court date if they wish to plead not guilty(they can also plead not guilty by mail)

I also have the option to issue any ticket to the registered owner of the vehicle, which carries the same fine, minus the demerits. This usually is done after the fact and removes the need to prove who's driving.

I have had one traffic trial. R/O ticket for careless driving, 402$. The guy lives 6 and a half hours from here(in another province), pled not guilty via mail, shows up and has all his arguments about how there was another vehicle and someone else was driving(it doesn't matter, it's an R/O ticket) shut down and is convicted. The judge was so impressed that he told him to pay the fine prior to leaving. I even got to give evidence.