Just Explain It: The true cost of speeding tickets

So you think you’re sly, pumping the breaks a second after seeing the police cruiser on the highway. Unfortunately, the fine officer of the law is wise to your commuter Jedi mind tricks and pulls you over.

For the police officer, your excuses – though well thought out – are probably not going to do much to deter or escape his B.S. meter. For him, it’s all in a days work, after all, on an annual basis 750,000 drivers in Ontario alone are busted and convicted for speeding.

At the top end, if you’re 50 km/h over the limit, you’re apt to have your car impounded and get slapped with a hefty fine of up to $10,000.

But that’s the worst-case scenario for dangerous drivers.

What about the law abiding ones with the occasional penchant for heavy right-footedness – how much does a speeding ticket cost them?

Well, that’s a bit of a discretionary gray area.

In some province’s traffic patrol is a little more lenient, in other’s they just might toss a few demerit points at you to make a… point. Some use a bracket system where you pay the same fine for being 12 to 15 km over. And others have fines pro-rated for every kilometer you’re north of the posted limit.

But there are other costs to consider – from legal fees to insurance premiums.

In this week’s Just Explain It, we look at the true cost of getting a speeding ticket.