Recieved a ticket? Demerits? Fight it? READ FIRST!
Before creating a new thread about your latest citation, please read the following outlines.
First, some basic laws:
69(1) A person shall not install, replace or cover the window glazing in a windshield or in a left or right side window of a motor vehicle that is beside or forward of the driver with a transparent, translucent or opaque material.
Tint is Illegal
61(2) A person shall not drive or operate a motor vehicle propelled by an internal combustion engine if the exhaust outlet of the muffler has been widened.
(3) A person shall not drive or operate a motor vehicle propelled by an internal combustion engine if a device is attached to the exhaust system or the muffler that increases the noise made by the expulsion of gases from the engine or allows a flame to be ignited from the exhaust system.
13(4) A tail lamp must be capable of emitting a red light that is visible from at least 150 metres to the rear.
Loud Obnoxious huge mufflers are illegal
Ticket Errors:
Ticket Errors were once thought to be a free ride, however this is not the case. An error on your summons is by no means the end of the road for the courts, as police have up to 6 months to reissue a revised ticket. Also, errors must be major, and occur on the vital fields, such as having a completely wrong name, or citing you for the improper violation.
Speaking to the Crown:
You may plead your case ahead of the stated time and date of your hearing to the Crown Prosecutor and Justice of the Peace here in Calgary, for violations occurring within Calgary, at Rocky Mountain Plaza Downtown. 100, 7th Ave SE. If you are a Minor, Provincial Court Family & Youth - 3rd Floor, J.J. Bowlen Bldg, 620-7 Ave SW. The line-ups are generally long, so get there early (8:30 at the latest) as they can only see a specific amount of people per day. This would be where you would go to argue any sort of disagreement between what the Peace Officer said happened, and what you say happened. You may have luck in having the fine lowered, the charge changed to a lesser offence, however as of July 2006, the reduction/removal of demerit points has been strictly mandated and is not an option anymore (see:THREAD). The CP may also throw the ticket out completely, depending on the circumstances.
Dealing with Police Officers:
First and foremost, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES give them attitude. If you're looking for a good way to rack up tickets, give yourself a hard time, and make matters worse, give them the good ole mouth off. Understand that they are doing their jobs, and that not all cops are homicide and burgler detectives. There are traffic dept cops too, which deal with what you've just been pulled over for. Getting hostile, and giving them attitude, acting like a punk, will only get you treated like a punk. They dont draw up the rules, they merely enforce them, yell at your MLA or members of city council to push for reforms if you feel them unjust.
Face it, you broke the law. Take it like a man, accept it, and move on. If it's something which is questionable or can be construed differently from the drivers point of view, or you just want to plead your innocense because you can, thats what the courts are for.
Demerit Points:
Description of offence Enactment and Section Number Demerit
(for convenience Traffic Safety Use of Highway Points
of reference only) Act and Rules of the
Road Regulation
1 Failing to remain at the scene
of an accident 69(1) 7
2 Speeding - exceeding limit by
more than 50 kph 115(2)(p) 53(5)(c) 6
3 Careless driving 115(2)(b) 6
4 Racing 115(2)(c) 6
5 Bet or wager 115(2)(d) 6
6 Fail to stop school bus,
explosives at uncontrolled
railway crossing 42(5) 5
7 Fail to stop for a peace officer 166(2) 5
8 Speeding unreasonable rate 2(1)(a) 4
9 Speeding exceeding limit
by over 30 but not more
than 50 kph 115(2)(p) 53(5)(c) 4
10 Following too close 18 4
11 Failing to stop for school bus 72(1) 6
12 Failing to notify owner:
(a) of an unattended vehicle
damaged in accident 69(2)(a) 3
(b) of property damaged in
accident 69(2)(b) 3
13 Driver fail to make accident
report 71(1) 3
14 Speeding - exceeding limit by
over 15 but not more than
30 kph 115(2)(p) 53(5)(c) 3
15 Improper passing in school
zone 8 3
16 Meeting and passing
oncoming vehicle 14 3
17 Passing on hill or curve 19(1) 3
18 Passing when meeting
oncoming vehicle 20 3
19 Overtaking and passing 21(1) 3
20 Passing restrictions 23 3
21 Passing vehicle stopped at
crosswalk 41(2) 4
22 Driving left of centre 12(1) 3
23 Driving wrong way on
one way highway 17 3
24 Impeding passing vehicle 21(2) 3
25 Impeding passing vehicle
multi lane highway 22(2)(b) 3
26 Failing to yield right of
way to a vehicle:
(a) at intersection 34 3
(b) at “yield” sign 39 3
(c) in traffic circle 40 3
(d) at “merge” sign 50, 51 3
(e) at green light 52(1), (3) (5) 3
(f) at flashing yellow light 53(3) 3
27 Failing to yield right of
way to a pedestrian:
(a) at alley entrance 36(3) 3
(b) in a crosswalk 41(1) 4
(c) at a green light 52(1) (5) 3
(d) at flashing yellow light
(intersection) 53(3) 3
(e) at flashing yellow light
(not at intersection) 53(4) 3
(f) at flashing yellow light
(with zone sign) 53(5)(d) 3
28 Failing to stop:
(a) before entering highway 36(2) 3
(b) at “stop” sign 37 3
(c) for vehicle sounding siren 65(1) 3
(d) following emergency
vehicle too close 65(2) 3
(e) at railway crossing 42(2) 3
(f) driving around barrier
at railway crossing 42(3) 3
(g) “stop” sign at railway
crossing 42(4)(a) 3
(h) yellow light at intersection 53(1) 3
(i) yellow light not at
intersection 53(2) 3
(j) red light at intersection 54(1)(a) 3
(k) red light not at
intersection 54(4) 3
(l) flashing red light at
intersection 54(5)(a) 3
(m) flashing red light
not at intersection 54(6)(a) 3
29 Proceeding when unsafe:
(a) entering highway at
“stop” sign 38 3
(b) “stop” sign at railway
crossing 42(4)(b) 3
(c) to pass school bus 72(2) 3
(d) red light at intersection 54(1)(b) 3
(e) flashing red light at
intersection 54(5)(b) 3
(f) flashing red light
not at intersection 54(6)(b) 3
30 Stunting 115(2)(f) 3
31 Speeding exceeding limit
by up to 15 kph 115(2)(p) 53(5)(c) 2
32 Traffic lane violation:
(a) slow moving vehicle 3 2
(b) drive near centre line 2(1)(b) 2
(c) solid lines 15(1) 2
(d) unsafe lane change 15(4) 2
(e) failing to drive in
middle of marked lane 15(5) 2
(f) straddling 2 lanes 15(6) 2
(g) 3 lane highways 16(1) 2
(h) lane marked with “X” 27(4) 2
33 Failing to obey instruction
of traffic control device 57 2
34 Slow driving impeding
traffic 2(1)(c) 2
35 Driving at less than
minimum speed 115(2)(q) 2
36 Failing to obey peace officer
to increase speed, etc. 2(4) 2
37 Failing to signal:
(a) when changing lanes 15(2) 2
(b) turning left or right 24 2
(c) when stopping 35 2
38 Improper turns:
(a) right turns, various 25 2
(b) left turns, various 26 2
(c) turns controlled by
traffic control device 27(1), (2) 2
(d) U turns 29, 30 2
(e) U turn by school bus 31 2
39 Improper backing 32, 33 2
Current Fines as of 2017-08-19:
Demerits
Km/h Over Demerits Fine
1-15 2 $78-$120
16-30 3 $140-$239
31-50 4 $253-$474
51+ 6* $650-$2000
*may also result in licence suspension in which case you do not get demerit points applied to your driving record
Fines
All fines listed include a 15% surcharge
Km/h Over Fine Km/h Over Fine
1 $78 26 $211
2 $80 27 $217
3 $83 28 $225
4 $87 29 $233
5 $89 30 $239
6 $93 31 $253
7 $96 32 $262
8 $98 33 $274
9 $102 34 $285
10 $105 35 $296
11 $109 36 $309
12 $111 37 $319
13 $115 38 $333
14 $118 39 $345
15 $120 40 $357
16 $140 41 $369
17 $149 42 $380
18 $154 43 $393
19 $163 44 $403
20 $167 45 $414
21 $175 46 $426
22 $185 47 $439
23 $189 48 $450
24 $198 49 $462
25 $203 50 $474
Demerit Points remain on your record for 2 years from date of conviction (not the date it was issued) and for 3 years for insurance purposes.
Thank you for reading, please refrain from creating any further “I got a ticket for breaking the law, how can I get out of my lumps” type posts.
Cheers.
