I Can’t Believe I Got a Red Light Ticket!

…but I did stop, and then I turned right…. You can do that on a red light!

That’s a statement we hear all the time from people who call in about their Calgary red light ticket.  That, however, is not what the police officer saw and he handed you a $405.00 ticket worth 3 demerits as a reward for your “perfect stop”.

 So How Do Red Light Tickets Work?

 What the police officer looks for is that your wheels fully lock up when you stop. If they don’t, you haven’t really come to a complete stop… and that red light  ticket is all yours. You don’t need to stop for two seconds (a common belief) but be very deliberate when you make that stop and you can legally go about your way.

Does a Red Light Ticket Affect Insurance in Alberta? 

If that red light ticket is the only thing on your Alberta driving record in the last three years you should be safe, as you’re allowed one minor violation on your record before you see a change in your rates. The problem begins when you start adding up those little minor tickets… things like lower speeding tickets, u-turn tickets, lane change violations and the sort.

Here’s how that red light ticket insurance increase works when you have other tickets: 

  • 2 minor violations in 3 years: 25% - 50% increase

  • 3 minor violations: 35% – 100% increase

  • 4 minor violations: 50% – 200% increase

  • 5 minor violations: 75% – 400% increase

  • 6 minor violations: 100% – 800% increase

  • 7 or more minor violations in 3 years: for each additional conviction, double the immediately preceeding percentage.

Can You Fight a Red Light Ticket? 

We can if it’s not a red light camera ticket. If you you got one of those in the mail you’ll want to read our camera ticket page for more accurate information about dealing with your situation. 

If that red light ticket is like the right turn situation mentioned above, and you were handed that ticket by a police officer, we can often get that violation changed to a lighter weight ticket with a smaller fine and only 2 demerits. Now… if you get a red light ticket that results in an accident… that’s another story. 

We Know How to Fight a Red Light Ticket from an Accident 

This may sound weird, but it’s one of our favourite violations to defend. Why? So often there are many witnesses all giving different versions of what they truly believe happened. We admire people who do their civic duty to offer their statement to police in any circumstance, including red light accidents, but it’s amazing how often those stories conflict from statement to statement. We review all those statements as part of our defense strategy and when we make submissions to the trial judge or prosecutor in a pre-trial meeting, very often these varied statements get the red light ticket withdrawn or significantly downgraded without even needing to go to trial. 

So if you find yourself facing a red light ticket after you’ve been in an accident, it’s definitely a good decision to contact us for a free consultation.