Reciprocal Agreements With New York and Michigan See Points Assessed to Your Ontario Drivers Licence

August 03, 2017, Kitchener, Ontario

Posted by: Robert Deutschmann, Personal Injury Lawyer

Most of us don’t think twice about jumping in the car and driving to the US, whether that’s a day trip or a holiday. Thousands of Canadians fly and rent cars in America as well. While I’ve talked about the importance of making sure you have health insurance in America, and adequate car insurance, I haven’t focussed much on traffic offences.

Many Ontario drivers aren’t aware that Ontario has reciprocal agreements with all other Canadian provinces, and with many American states. These agreements which in Canada are allowed under the Canadian Driver Licence Compact (1989) have an impact on the drivers who lice and are licenced in all of the regions addressed in the reciprocal agreements.

The Canadian Driver Licence Compact implemented in 1990, established the free flow of information on traffic offences. It means that infractions committed by the driver will result in demerit points in the driver’s home Province driving record. In 2001 changes were made to the Compact which require the notification of the offence to the driver’s home province.

There is also a reciprocal agreement between the Province of Ontario and the States of New York and Michigan which will result in the Province being advised of specific offences committed in those states.  The states can also suspend your driver’s licence for certain listed offences like being impaired, reckless or dangerous driving, manslaughter resulting from the operation of a car, and other serious violations.

Speeding violations, and points are also shared freely between jurisdictions and with insurance companies, meaning that a ticket on your holiday will end up on your home record. In Ontario speeding tickets tend to range between 3-6 points. Depending on the excess speed.

When Ontario gets notice of your conviction they will assign you with the number of points that the speeding violation would have gotten you here.

1. If you exceed the speed limit by 16-29 kilometers per hour, you will receive 3 demerit points.
2. If you exceed the speed limit by 30-49 kilometers, you will receive 4 demerit points.
3. If you are caught going 50 kilometers or more, then you will receive 6 demerit points.

As always, I recommend you don’t speed. Speeding and accidents are closely related, and personal injury rates and speeding are also closely linked. The faster you go the more likely you are to be seriously hurt or die in a car accident.

About Deutschmann Law

Deutschmann Law serves South-Western Ontario with offices in Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge, Woodstock, Brantford, Stratford and Ayr. The law practice of Robert Deutschmann focuses almost exclusively in personal injury and disability insurance matters. For more information, please visit www.deutschmannlaw.com or call us at 1-519-742-7774.

It is important that you review your accident benefit file with one of our experienced personal injury / car accident lawyers to ensure that you obtain access to all your benefits which include, but are limited to, things like physiotherapy, income replacement benefits, vocational retraining and home modifications.