CASE LAW - R v Wong
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One way of preparing for a traffic ticket dispute is to request disclosure from the officer who issued it. It was relatively rare to receive such a request but when one did appear the disputant often asked for everything, including the tread depth of the right rear tire on the police car. It was fairly clear that the request was based on advice found on the internet rather than obtained from a lawyer. Disclosing less than what was requested (but still reasonable in the circumstances) resulted in complaints to the justice at the hearing.
To brief you in the story: was driving my car without a front license plate. Was stopped at the roadblock and had a conversation with an officer, who mentioned that I don't have a front license plate number and asked me to install it asap and wished me a good way. Next officer which was in 2 meters down the road stopped me too and asked me why don't a have a license plate number and issued my a ticket. I decided to dispute the allegation.
Are you guilty of the offence shown on the traffic ticket but unable to pay the fine? In many cases you can apply to lower the fine so that it is more appropriate for your circumstances without having to set foot in traffic court. When the fine cannot be reduced or you need both a reduction and time to pay, that can be accomplished as well.
The driver reaction to traffic tickets has always puzzled me. Arrest someone, fight with them, throw them in jail and see them through to penalty in criminal court seems to be business as usual for the police, but write someone a traffic ticket and it's like you've called their mother a bad name.
Are collection agencies involved in collecting unpaid traffic tickets issued in BC? The collection agency that contacted me has been sending correspondence to an address in Delta. I have not had a drivers licence in BC or lived in BC for a long time. Now 7 years later they want me to pay the fine or risk having it effect my credit rating.
"This is nothing but a tax grab!" These words were often spoken by drivers during or just after signing to acknowledge the receipt of a violation ticket. I can understand being the target of an expression of frustration in these circumstances, but I wish that the expressing had a little thought behind it rather than just parroting something inappropriate to the circumstances.
I was recently issued a ticket for failure to stop at a yellow light at an intersection. I am a class 2 bus operator and given the total stopping time of my class 2 vehicle (perception/reaction/actual braking time) and the fact I had a elderly person seated at the front on my bus, I thought it would be unsafe to either try and make a smooth controlled stop (which would have left the bus past the stop line) or make a sudden stop (possibly causing the elderly passenger to leave her seat).
One of the recurring themes among DriveSmartBC correspondents involves avoiding penalty points after a driver has received a traffic ticket for committing a hazardous moving violation. Often the driver realizes that they have erred and are willing to pay the fine but want to avoid having penalty points assessed for the transgression.