A Halton Police officer took to Twitter yesterday to remind Ontarians just how serious insurance laws are.
Cst . Marc Taraso shared photos of a silver Honda Accord being loaded onto a tow truck with plates removed.
The vehicle had been stopped and cited for driving on Winston Churchill Boulevard without insurance just twenty minutes prior, but had snuck back out onto the road and continued . The first $5,000 charge clearly wasn't enough, however.
According to Halton Police, Taraso first signaled the driver to stop at approximately 9:30 am yesterday . They entered a parking lot and stopped, where the driver was charged by way of a part 4 summons for "Owner operate motor vehicle on a highway – no insurance." The owner was advised to have the vehicle towed home , or to seek permission from the landowner to store it there until insured.
The officer parked his unmarked Dodge Ram :) nearby to complete his reports, at which time he "observed the driver on foot looking around the area, and then immediately returning to their vehicle and proceeding northbound on Winston Churchill." The driver was stopped and charged again for driving without insurance, as well as for driving without the seatbelt on. The vehicle then had its license plates removed and was towed to prevent a repeat offence.
Ontario's Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act sets fines for a first offence at a minimum of $5,000 and maximum of $25,000. Subsequent convictions up the range to between $10,000 and $50,000, in addition to the potential for a license suspension for up to one year.
While they might have thought it made sense to save the tow bill and sneak back home, driving anywhere without insurance is a serious risk it oneself and others. A collision as they exited the parking lot, for instance , could leave them personally liable for tens – or even hundreds – of thousands of dollars in property damage or personal injury . :crazytalk:
I don't advocate driving without insurance, but the fines seem to be a bit over the top. You can probably murder someone and pay less, but it was still a poor choice.
Wow, crazy fines.If I could pay 25K for a fine, I could pay off most accidents. LOL.
Yea...we tend to take the insurance thing pretty serious around here, that and speeding 50 KMS over... :bigmoney:
The large fine seems ridiculous. Canadian government is even bigger spender than US. May be need to pay off the insurance company. No need to buy uninsured motorist insurance.
My state Oregon requires Insurance.
Last three accidents, I am aware of through friends, were all hit by uninsured motorists.
Quote from: 7212Mopar on March 11, 2021, 03:00:19 PM
The large fine seems ridiculous. Canadian government is even bigger spender than US. May be need to pay off the insurance company. No need to buy uninsured motorist insurance.
Actually the US spends more per capita than Canada.
:stop: :rofl:
Another day, another Dodge Charger with plasti-dipped wheels impounded by police.
Ontario teenager hit with stunt-driving ticket on way to driver's test
Ottawa highway stunt charge nets new driver, passengers cab ride to Montreal
Stunt driving ranks among Ontario's most serious traffic violations, and this repeat offender could be in for a rough time if both convictions go through. Penalties for a first offense range from $2,000 to $10,000, up to a two-year license suspension, and up to six months in jail.
Throw in the six demerit points and adjustments on already-high Brampton insurance, and this fellow could be looking at well over $ 10,000 in annual insurance rates . Oh, not to mention the on-the-spot seven-day suspension and vehicle impound, tow and impound costs themselves , plus the $300 license reinstatement fee.
A subsequent offense within ten years can carry up to a ten-year driving ban . It's hard to see how any judge will be lenient on such a rapid repeat offender , so it's unlikely that this fellow will be driving this car for much longer .
The moral of the story? If you come across any used black Chargers on AutoTrader in the near future, just be sure to check to see if the rim rattles.