Seatbelt Tickets for driving 11 houses.

[Jon1397]

So, on the last day of school, I was at a friends house with 4 other people, and we were going to move my vehicle from one house to the other (a distance of 11 houses), so everyone piled into my van and I started driving. Now, my van only has the far back seat, and the 2 front seats, and as we were driving, the three people in the back decide it's a great idea to toss the doors open as I drive. After repeatedly telling them to close the doors, they still hadn't, and low-and-behold there was a cop right across the street from where we were going. He pulled us over into the houses driveway.

After 45 minutes of sitting there, he gave me one $175 ticket for having a 15-year-old without a seatbelt (I had my seatbelt on, as well as the person in the passenger seat), and then the two 16-year-olds in the back got cited with $175 tickets each for seatbelts, and the 15-year-old also got hit with a $175 ticket for not having a seatbelt on. That's $700 for going 11 houses at 10km/h below the speed limit.

I understand why I got one, and the other two, but the 15-year-old shouldn't of received one.

Anyways, after paying my ticket, I received a letter saying that I received 3 demerits for this, which set me back to -2, causing me to pay $50. Then, I received another letter saying that I would have to take a Traffic Safety Education course or have my license suspended, and this course is a mandatory $150.

I just wanted to see what other peoples opinions were, as I find this horribly unfair, seeing as I even had my seatbelt on. The total comes out to $375. Is there anything I can do about this? Keep in mind, I'm in Saskatchewan.

[FullFledgedYYC]

Find more mature friends? Don't drive friends around who are too imatture to know that a seatbelt is mandatory? Stop the vehicle when people don't have their seatbelts fastened?

You broke the law. Suck it up.

I understand why I got one, and the other two,

I just wanted to see what other peoples opinions were, as I find this horribly unfair, seeing as I even had my seatbelt on.

So you know why you got a ticket.... but you think it's unfair? My opinion is that you and your friends might have learned a very expensive lesson, and hopefully some maturity will come with it.

Sorry.

[Jon1397]

Well, that all ran through my mind and all, but I was referring to the additional fees afterwards. I don't see how 3 demerits and a mandatory TSE course make sense for simply having a passenger without a seatbelt.

[Mibz]

Would you expect a father who didn't buckle up his child to get away with no demerits? Sadly, the way the law is worded has you in the same position. Like it or not, that's the law.

The mandatory TSE course has less to do with having a passenger without a seatbelt and more to do with ALL THE OTHER GODAMN TICKETS YOU'VE GOTTEN TO FILL UP YOUR LICENSE.

What's with these threads lately?

[dj_patm]

Get new friends and make those guys pay their tickets. Thats absolutely retarded.

I came hear about to lose my shit about a cop giving you a ticket for coasting down the street and reparking your car without a seatbelt, but your friends are stupid.

As for the course, you were pushing your luck anyways.

[FullFledgedYYC]

Originally posted by Mibz

What's with these threads lately?

A lack of responsibility for actions. Hoping for sympathy and a free pass for poor decisions.

[Jon1397]

That was my first ticket ever. Believe it or not, I am a good driver. And it's not like a father not buckling up his child, it's not like the 15-year-old is years younger than us. He's pretty much the rest of our age.

I'm not hoping for sympathy, and its not a lack of responsibility. I've owned up to what happened, I don't want sympathy, I wanted to know if people thought the additional $200 on top of that kind of ticket was fair. Would you be overly pleased with that? I doubt it. Don't act like you're all high and mighty and a saint. Everyone does something wrong now and then.

[FullFledgedYYC]

You are clearly lying.

Not wearing a seatbelt in Saskatchewan is 3 demerits.

After you have recieved 9 demerits, getting another 3 will result in:

A program information letter (Driver improvement program)

[Toma]

Wait, so both you and the 15 year old got the same ticket for the 15 year old?

That's ghey.

You should have fought it instead of paying it. I'm with you, I feel seatbelt tickets are incredibly stupid and unfair, and I honestly can't beleive you got demerits for it.

It's not like as a younger person (ie, not their parent), you would have any control over a rambunctious 15 year old.

For the sake of argument if the 15yo was being disruptive, and even if you chose to pull over and refuse to drive,,,, for gods sake,you probably wouldn't make it more than a block.

I'm old, so this happened to me once while driving a car load of teenagers, but it took me like a km before I could stop safely and beat some snot out of them.

Ridiculous. But you are screwed since you already paid.

[dj_patm]

Originally posted by Jon1397
That was my first ticket ever.

Holy shit that one incident maxed out your licence?



That sucks. I'd kill my friends. Definitely make them pay their share of the fee too. Oh man I would be livid!

[FullFledgedYYC]

Originally posted by dj_patm


Holy shit that one incident maxed out your licence?

No, it didn't. He is not telling the truth here.

[Jon1397]

Originally posted by FullFledgedYYC
You are clearly lying.

Not wearing a seatbelt in Saskatchewan is 3 demerits.

After you have recieved 9 demerits, getting another 3 will result in:

A program information letter (Driver improvement program)

I can assure you I'm not lying, 3 demerits is Traffic Safety Education. The next incident is Defenseive Driving, and then the 9 demerits Driver Improvement Program.

I figured I had to pay mine, as mine made sense, but the 15-year-old has a court date set for friday this week.

I thought about pulling over, but in the time it would've taken to pull over, I would've been at the house anyways, so I just kept going.

And I was livid. I've been pissed with them all summer because they don't seem to care about it.

Seatbelt tickets just in general feel unfair.

[FullFledgedYYC]

It is my understanding that THIS is the way the driver improvement program works in Saskatchewan.... unless it is different for GDL.

Program information letter 9 or more points
Warning letter Additional 3 or more points
Defensive Driving Course Additional 3 or more points
Driver Improvement Training Additional 3 or more points
30-day suspension Additional 3 or more points
90-day suspension Additional 3 or more points
180-day suspension Additional 3 or more points
Interview and sanction Additional 3 or more points
Manual review and sanction Additional 3 or more points

[Toma]

Originally posted by Jon1397



I thought about pulling over, but in the time it would've taken to pull over, I would've been at the house anyways, so I just kept going.

And I was livid. I've been pissed with them all summer because they don't seem to care about it.

Seatbelt tickets just in general feel unfair.

That was exactly my point. Given the distance involved, you are a victim of the system, but an idiot for not fighting it.

FIGHT EVERY TICKET!

[FullFledgedYYC]

Further info:

The Graduated Driver's Licensing (GDL) Improvement program monitors the records of all drivers in the Graduated Driver's Licensing program for traffic convictions and at-fault collisions.

You'll be placed in the Graduated Driver's Licensing Improvement program if, while at any stage of the GDL program, you:

•are found at fault for a collision
•receive traffic convictions

How the program works
The program considers how many incidents you've had, as well as the point value assigned for specific traffic convictions and at-fault collisions:

•If your 1st incident is a traffic conviction with a rating of 1 point or less, you'll receive a warning letter.
•If you have a 2nd incident that is a traffic conviction with a rating of 1 or more points, or an at-fault collision, you'll have to attend a Traffic Safety Education course.
•If your first incident is a traffic conviction with a rating of 3 points or more, or an at-fault collision, you'll have to attend a Traffic Safety Education course.
•Additional incidents, whether a traffic conviction or an at-fault collision, will result in the following:
Incident Consequence
2nd Defensive Driving Course
3rd Driver Improvement Training
4th 30-day driver's licence suspension
5th 90-day driver's licence suspension
6th 180-day driver's licence suspension
7th and more Interview with SGI and further action

So basically you are in this program for a previous traffic offence, or collission. Which is it?

[Jon1397]

Originally posted by FullFledgedYYC
It is my understanding that THIS is the way the driver improvement program works in Saskatchewan.... unless it is different for GDL.

Program information letter 9 or more points
Warning letter Additional 3 or more points
Defensive Driving Course Additional 3 or more points
Driver Improvement Training Additional 3 or more points
30-day suspension Additional 3 or more points
90-day suspension Additional 3 or more points
180-day suspension Additional 3 or more points
Interview and sanction Additional 3 or more points
Manual review and sanction Additional 3 or more points

It may be different for GDL, I believe its:

3 demerits = Traffic Safety Ed.
2nd incident = Defensive Driving
3rd incident = Driver Improvement Training

Then its different length suspensions and interviews.

[FullFledgedYYC]

You'll be placed in the Graduated Driver's Licensing Improvement program if, while at any stage of the GDL program, you:

•are found at fault for a collision
•receive traffic convictions

Which is it?

[Jon1397]

Originally posted by FullFledgedYYC
You'll be placed in the Graduated Driver's Licensing Improvement program if, while at any stage of the GDL program, you:

•are found at fault for a collision
•receive traffic convictions

Which is it?

A traffic conviction is simply getting a traffic ticket. I received my ticket, which came with 3 demerits, and as my first incident had a 3 demerit consequence, I must attend Traffic Safety Education.

Well, I would say next time I'll know to fight it, but I don't plan on having a next time in this case, so I guess its one of those live-and-learn occasions.

[FullFledgedYYC]

Ok... let me get this straight, I am not trying to be a dick here, I think you have learned your lesson.

You got a 3 demerit ticket for not having a seatbelt.

Did you get ANOTHER ticket with demerits?

You should not be in that GDL improvement program unless you have had TWO tickets in your life. So did you get TWO tickets on that day, or did you have a ticket before?

[Jon1397]

•If your first incident is a traffic conviction with a rating of 3 points or more, or an at-fault collision, you'll have to attend a Traffic Safety Education course.

I haven't received any other ticket, it's just the way it works. My first incident had 3 demerits, which means I have to be in the Traffic Safety course. You may be thinking of the Defensive Driving course?