Once a speeding ticket goes on the driving record it can affect the insurance rates for up to three (3) years. If you have the demerit points at the same time, it will stay for two (2) years. By the way, if you involve an accident, the accident may stay in your insurance record for up to 6 years.
When you receive a ticket you should consider fighting to keep it off your insurance and to save any demerit points.
The insurance may check your driving record only upon renewal.
They learn of the conviction(s) one of two (2) ways:
the insurance contacts the Ministry of Transportation for a driving abstract, or
you contact the insurance and tell them about it.
No one (the police nor the courts) contacts insurance companies to tell them about your traffic tickets or driving record.
Only after a court date or your case has been confirmed by the court that you are guilty of this offense then the Ministry of Transportation will be notified.
When you apply for car insurance from a new insurance company, the insurance companies usually will ask you if you had any traffic convictions in the past 3 years and they will apply to the Ministry of Transport to check your driving record. Sometimes, even when you renew your insurance at the same insurance company, the insurance company may or may not check your record. The Ministry does not automatically send the information to the insurance.
In Ontario, a Ministry of Transportation (MTO) driver abstract is available to anyone who has your driver's license number.
An Ontario Drivers Abstract contains information like,
the status of your driver's license,
license class,
any driving restrictions e.g. glasses
any convictions for speeding tickets or traffic tickets,
the number of demerit points you have accumulated in the last two (2) years.
If you have convictions for speeding tickets, the insurance company believes that the risk of you getting into an accident or making a claim is higher than a person with a clean driving record. Therefore, your insurance fee will be higher.
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