What are the escalated sanctions for novice drivers in Ontario?

QUESTION: My teen has a G2 driver’s licence and got a ticket for careless driving. Will he lose his licence?

Any traffic ticket as a novice driver or a new driver is a big deal because there may be additional escalated sanction penalties registered against your driving record upon conviction.

Novice drivers are classified as having a G1, G2, M1, M2-L or M2-M licence, while a new driver is classified as anyone under the age of 21.

New or novice drivers with more than nine demerit points registered against them will face a 60-day licence suspension. Demerit points remain on your driving record for two years from the date of offence.

Novice drivers who are convicted of a Highway Traffic Act offence that carries a penalty of four or more demerit points will face these escalated sanction penalties. Careless driving is an example of one of these offences.

These escalated penalty sanctions are in addition to the usual fine for the driving offence and can include a 30-day licence suspension for a first offence, a 90-day licence suspension for a second offence and, in some cases, a licence cancellation requiring the individual to reapply and restart the graduated licensing process.

There are some exemptions to these escalating sanctions and potential options available to novice and new drivers facing conviction for a driving offence.

This article was originally published in The Hamilton Spectator