Violation Tickets
Receiving a violation ticket in British Columbia may seem like a minor inconvenience, but the consequences can be more significant than many people realize.
Depending on the nature of the offence, a ticket may result in:
Substantial fines;
Driver penalty points;
Increased insurance premiums through ICBC;
Licence suspensions / Driving prohibition; and/or
Administrative consequences.
Common offences include:
Speeding (3 demerit points);
Use of electronic device (4 demerit points);
Drive without due care and attention (6 demerit points); or
Driving while prohibited (10 demerit points).
Look up the amount of a fine or number of Driver Penalty Points for a traffic or driving offence on ICBC’s website.
Our Approach
We carefully review the details of your violation ticket, the available evidence, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged offence to determine whether there are grounds to dispute the allegation. We provide practical advice regarding the strengths and weaknesses of your case and explain the potential consequences of both disputing and accepting responsibility.
Where appropriate, we also try to resolve the ticket with the Police outside the court such as donations to charities, amending the ticket to a less included offence with less points, amending the ticket to registered owner’s ticket with no points on the driver’s abstract, fine reduction.
Where appropriate, we represent clients throughout the dispute process and advocate on their behalf in Provincial Court.
Our objective is to protect your driving record, minimize financial consequences, and pursue the best possible outcome based on the facts of your case.
Although many individuals simply pay the fine, doing so is generally treated as an admission of responsibility. Before making that decision, it is important to understand the legal options available to you. In some cases, the evidence may be insufficient, procedural errors may have occurred, or there may be legal defences that justify disputing the allegation.
Successfully challenging a violation ticket requires a thorough understanding of the applicable legislation, court procedures, and the evidence relied upon by the issuing officer.