Traffic Violations and Insurance Rates

Traffic violations in Ontario can be major, minor or criminal offences.  The severity of the infraction can make a significant difference in how your insurance rates are affected, as well as in the legal consequences.  Minor offences are the less serious ones and usually result in a fine. Major offences can be much more serious, resulting in heavy fines, license suspensions and possible jail sentences.

Minor violations

Minor violations are the most frequent kind of traffic offences, and have less impact both legally and on the driver’s insurance rates.  They are chargeable on your insurance for three years from the date you are convicted (not from the date you are ticketed), and some carry a sizeable fine, too.

The most frequent minor infractions are speeding—though when exceeding the speed limit by over 50 kph, it becomes major--running red lights or stop signs, failure to obey traffic signs, and tailgating.  Others include improper turning, improper passing, obstruction of traffic, unnecessarily slow driving and driving with your view obstructed.

Minor offences differ in their impact on your insurance premiums. Not all will result in a rate hike, but that varies from insurer to insurer. It’s useful to contact your insurance agent after you’ve been ticketed to find out what to expect on your premiums. But if you are hit with an increase, it won’t take effect until you renew your coverage.

Parking violations and driving with a broken taillight are minor offences that are unlikely to affect insurance rates, as they are not usually regarded as moving violations and therefore do not concern the insurer.

Major violations

Major violations are considered to be more serious, as they are more likely to result in an injury to another driver or a pedestrian.  They include speeding (when driving above 50 km/h), speeding in a school zone, passing a school bus, failing to report an accident and driving without auto insurance coverage.

Insurers take a dim view of major violations.  They show that a driver is a higher claims risk and should, accordingly, pay higher premiums.  A major offence remains on a driver’s record just as long--three years--as a minor one when it comes to insurance premiums.   However, the premium rise is generally higher in the case of a major violation.

Major offences also have more severe legal repercussions. The offender could be hit with heavier fines and in some cases may even face a possible jail sentence.  Offences that carry a criminal record include driving with a blood alcohol level over .08, careless driving, criminal negligence, dangerous driving, driving with a suspended license, racing and motor manslaughter.  

For these types of convictions, the Facility Association of Ontario, which provides coverage to drivers who can’t qualify in the voluntary insurance market, will increase premiums by 100%.

Avoiding rate hikes

Keep in mind that being cited for more than one violation is a sure way to have your auto insurance rates rise.  Two minor violations can be more damaging than one major violation.  Statistically, if you have received a speeding ticket, there is a 20% chance that you will receive another ticket within the three year period. If you’re hit with three speeding tickets, you will be charged "high risk insurance rates" of thousands of dollars per year, for at least three years.  So it’s best to learn from the error and not repeat it.

To check which offences are considered major, minor and criminal, consult http://www.insurancehotline.com/driving-convictions-list/.

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Driving Safely at Night

If you’re going to be on the road after sunset, keep in mind that driving at night presents unique challenges that are absent during the day. The field of vision in a person’s eye is much smaller and depth perception less reliable without the benefit of natural light. Drivers also lack the benefit of color and contrast that are available in daylight.

Traffic death rates are three times as high at night as they are during the day, despite there being less traffic at night. One major factor is eye fatigue, which is a serious issue when driving at night. To prevent, or relieve, this problem, keep your eyes moving from side to side, and focusing from near to far ahead.
Here are some additional tips to help with night vision and road safety.

● Adjust to the darkness

Give your eyes some time to adapt to the dark before you begin driving. It takes a few minutes for the pupils to dilate fully, allowing the maximum amount of light to enter your eyes. The more light that your pupils let into your eyes, the stronger your vision will be.

● Avoid glare

Don’t look at oncoming headlights; instead, look toward the right side of the road and keep watching the white line marking the outside edge of the traffic lane. When the headlights from cars that are behind you reflect in your rearview mirror, adjust the mirror to eliminate as much of the light as possible.

● Use your lights courteously

Turn your headlights on an hour before sunset so that it will be easier for other drivers to see you in early twilight. Also, keep those headlights on for at least an hour after the sun comes up. Don’t flash your high beams at a car that has its high beams on, as this will result in both drivers blinding each other. In fog, use your low beams.

● Keep the car interior dark.

Turn off all the lights in your car’s interior. Any light inside the car will seem extremely bright and will make it harder to see.

● Slow your driving speed.
Reduce your driving speed in order to give yourself a longer reaction time if something unexpected occurs in front of you. It is advisable to increase following distance by four to five seconds while driving at night, in case you or the car in front of you must make a sudden stop.

● Tune up your car
Be sure to keep your car in top shape for maximum safety. This means regularly checking fluid levels, tire pressure and brakes. It also means thoroughly cleaning headlights, taillights and signal lights. And it means making sure all the windows are clean both inside and outside. (Dirty windows can increase glare, making it harder to see, and dirty headlights can lower efficiency by as much as 90 percent.)

● Wear anti-reflective glasses
Many eye care specialists recommend eye glasses that have anti-reflective (AR) coating. The ultra-thin film reduces internal reflections in the lenses. AR-coated glasses transmit more light than regular lenses, which improves vision at night.

Driving at night is never going to be as easy as driving during the day, but with appropriate adjustments, you can set your sight on a safe arrival at your destination.
For information about PRUDENT VALUE CARS, visit our web site: www.prudentvaluecars.com