Is getting a ticket an easy way to rev up your car insurance premiums? Determining whether a ticket will affect your insurance rates is based on a number of factors including whether or not the ticket was your first conviction, the severity of the offence, your licence type, and your driver's abstract.
Speeding Tickets
Speeding penalties in Ontario range from $40 and no demerit points for driving 10 km over the speed limit, to more than $600 and 6 demerit points for going 50 km or more over the speed limit.
Even a minor ticket can impact your car insurance rates. If you're a safe driver with a clean record, your first minor conviction may be forgiven.
According to Ontario Traffic Tickets, minor speeding tickets on average have the following consequences on your car insurance rates:
- One ticket: 0 to 10% increase
- Two tickets: 25% increase
- Three tickets: 100% increase
If a criminal conviction comes with your traffic ticket, you're looking at even more of an impact on your rates.
How long do tickets stay on my record?
Traffic tickets stay on your record for three years from the time of conviction. Conviction is automatic when you pay the ticket or administered upon being found guilty in court.
Typically when it's time to renew your car insurance, your provider will pull your record (also known as a driver’s abstract) from the Ministry of Transportation's database to ensure they're aware of all your convictions. Although you may think quietly paying that small fine for a minor traffic conviction will keep your insurance provider in the dark, your car insurance premium can (and likely will) still be affected.
Typically, drivers see premium increases at renewal time, but if your ticket coincides with an insurance claim you may be looking at increases sooner.
Parking Tickets
Parking tickets are the only tickets that don't affect your car insurance rates. However, those little yellow tickets do affect your ability to renew your licence plate. If you are caught driving with an expired licence plate, there is a $65 fine, not including surcharges and fees. This ticket does count as a traffic offence and can result in an increase in your premiums.
Reducing your premiums after a ticket
Since traffic convictions stay on your record for three years, your best defense against having your car insurance rates increased further is to ensure you don't get any additional tickets. This means following the speed limits, practicing safe driving techniques and avoiding distracted driving.
To find out if you could be paying less for your car insurance, obtain a free car insurance quote from OTIP today.