Careless Driving Charge – Toronto, Ontario

A careless driving charge in Toronto can lead to potentially severe legal consequences. At OTD Legal, we have a vast amount of experience contesting careless driving tickets and are prepared to provide you with reliable legal guidance and representation.

What is Careless Driving?

Careless driving, as defined by Section 130 of the Ontario Highway Traffic Act (HTA), is an offense committed when a person operates a motor vehicle or street car on a highway without due care and attention or without reasonable consideration for other highway users. This offence encompasses a range of driving behaviours that demonstrate a disregard for the safety and consideration of others on the road.

Types of Careless Driving Offences

There are three main types of Careless Driving Offences, each with its own penalties:

• Careless driving ticket: This ticket typically alleges a violation of traffic laws under the specific statute related to careless driving.
• Careless driving summons: A careless driving summons is a legal document requiring a driver to appear in court for a hearing related to allegations of driving without due care and attention or reasonable consideration for others on the road. This summons is usually issued for more serious instances of careless driving compared to those meriting only a ticket.
• Careless driving causing bodily harm or death summons: This type of summons is issued in cases where careless driving is alleged to have resulted in bodily harm or death. It represents a very serious legal charge, requiring the accused to appear in court. This summons indicates a severe offence that goes beyond basic traffic violations.

Given the complex nature of the charges associated with driving carelessly, it is important to have a seasoned legal advocate in your corner to best navigate the process.

Reach out to OTD Ticket Defenders to fight a careless driving charge. We’re here to support you throughout the process.

Careless Driving Penalties

If you have been charged with careless driving, you could face some or all of the following penalties:

• Court Fine: The total set fine for careless driving is $490. A careless driving summons carries a total-payable fine ranging between $490.00 and $2,500.00, and if the careless driving offence involved bodily harm or death, the total-payable fine can range between $2,500.00 and $62,500.00.
• Demerit Points: A careless driving charge carries a penalty of 6 demerit points, whether it was issued as a ticket or by summons.
• Driver’s Licence Suspension: A suspension can occur due to accumulating too many demerit points for your class of driver’s licence. A suspension will also occur due to having a G1 class licence or G2 class licence and receiving a conviction for any single offence carrying 4 or more demerit points. If charged by summons, you could lose your licence for up to 5 years.
• Imprisonment: If you are convicted by summons, the court may issue a term of imprisonment up to 6 months, leaving you with a criminal record. In cases where the careless driving criminal offence involved bodily harm or death, you could face imprisonment of up to 2 years.
• CVOR Points: A careless driving conviction will result in a 5 CVOR point penalty
• Increased Insurance: Careless driving charges may result in significant insurance increases or uninsurability.
• Driving Record – Convictions, demerit points or license suspensions remain on your record for an extended period of time. 

Generally when it comes to careless driving penalties, the more severe the incident was, the more severe the penalties will be.

Fight Your Careless Driving Ticket in Toronto

Being charged with careless driving in Ontario, although stressful, becomes more manageable with OTD Legal by your side. Our experienced team will use their profound knowledge of such intricate cases to formulate a strategic response tailored to your specific situation. We thoroughly assess every detail of your case, from the initial alleged offence to the complexities of your charge, with the aim of getting your careless driving ticket dismissed.