You may think that when you commit a traffic offence you will simply need to pay a fine and then go about your merry way. However, some traffic offences in British Columbia can also have serious consequences with long-term effects. So, while you don’t need a lawyer to dispute every traffic offence, you should hire a traffic offence/traffic ticket lawyer if you are facing any of the following consequences:
Driving penalty points premium
Most tickets in British Columbia carry driver penalty points. This penalty points system is one that is used by the traffic authority to subtract points from your driver’s license for varying offences. When three or more points are subtracted from your driver’s license within the space of a year, you will be required to pay a premium on your insurance. The more points that are subtracted from your driver’s license, the higher your premium will climb. This can get very expensive. A traffic ticket lawyer can help you to avoid these charges by helping you to successfully dispute a ticket or tickets.
Loss of insurance
There are traffic offences for which the consequence may be the cancellation of your insurance policy. One such offence is leaving the scene of an accident or a hit-and-run as it is commonly called. If you lose your insurance you will not be able to legally operate your vehicle as driving without insurance is another traffic offence. You should consider hiring a traffic offence lawyer if you are at risk of losing your insurance.
Driving prohibitions
There are traffic violations for which you may receive a ticket as well as an order for driving prohibitions. There are different types of driving prohibitions. For example, if you are pulled over while you are believed to have been driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, the police can issue a driving prohibition for 24 hours. Depending on the circumstances, a three, seven, 30 or 90-day driving prohibition may be ordered instead. Additionally, there are 90-day administrative driving prohibitions that may be ordered by the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles for the same offence. The Superintendent of Motor Vehicles may also order a driving prohibition if he or she sees your driving record as unsatisfactory. Whenever you find yourself in such a situation, call a traffic offence/traffic ticket lawyer.
Suspension of your driver’s license
If you continue to accumulate driving penalty points, you may eventually have your driver’s license suspended. The amount of time for which your driver’s licence will be suspended depends on the number of penalty points you have acquired and for what offences. Your license can be suspended for as little as three months and in extreme cases, a lifetime driving ban may be imposed. A traffic ticket lawyer can help prevent your licence from being suspended.
Jail time
Quite a few traffic violations can land you in jail. Traffic violations that carry jail time as part of their consequences include driving without a license or while prohibited and failure to stop for a police officer. If you are facing the possibility of imprisonment, it is a good time to call a traffic offence lawyer.
Do you need a traffic offence/traffic ticket lawyer in Vancouver?
If you need an experienced traffic offence/traffic ticket lawyer in Vancouver, give Tom Doust a call. When you choose to work with Tom Doust, you will benefit from his 20+ years of experience in handling various traffic-related matters. If you have been charged with reckless driving, driving while prohibited or while your licence is under suspension, street racing or driving under the influence, Mr. Doust has successfully handled all these charges and more. So, what are you waiting for? Give our experienced traffic offence/traffic ticket lawyer a call today.