Will a speed camera ticket in Ontario impact my car insurance?

Speed cameras (also known as Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) cameras) are photographic devices installed to capture images of any vehicles (including their licence plates) that pass by at speeds faster than the posted speed limit. If you've ever noticed a tall grey box positioned by the side of the road, you may have been looking at a speed camera.

Municipalities across Ontario strategically place speed cameras around schools and in community safety zones as a way to constantly monitor these high- foot-traffic, low-speed-limit areas.

Remember: driving around schools and buses requires extra caution — even if you're running late. No matter your reason, speeding is against the law and you should always be practicing safe driving.

If you're speeding, the camera takes a photo of your car's licence plate. This photo captures details like the date and time, the car's make and model, its license plate number, and most importantly, the speed the driver was going. The image is reviewed by a provincial offences officer, and a ticket showing the image plus an enlarged image of the licence plate is sent to the registered owner of the licence plate via mail.²

Let's say you were going 15 kms over the speed limit and a red-light camera caught you in the act.  

In our example, the speeding fine would be $5 X 15 km/hr, which equals $75. Checking the table here, you see that a $75 speeding fine means a victims' justice fund surcharge of $15.

So, your total fine for the speed camera ticket would be:

$75 + $8.25 + 15 km/hr = $98.25

No, if you're issued a speed camera ticket in Ontario, it won't appear in your driving record. Unlike a regular speeding ticket, speed camera tickets are issued to the registered owner of the licence plate captured by the speed camera image, and not to the individual driving the car at the time of the incident (who may or may not be the registered owner). 

A speed camera ticket won't impact your car insurance premium. As mentioned above, speed camera tickets are issued to registered owners of the licence plates captured rather than individual drivers, so they won't show up on your driving record — and your driving record is one of the factors that insurers use to help them determine the cost of your insurance premium.

So, since a speed camera ticket doesn't appear on your record, it won't impact your car insurance costs. But this isn't a reason to drive recklessly, of course: It's crucial to practice safe driving behaviours to help keep communities safe and reduce any unnecessary risk.

While the only penalty for a speed camera ticket is the fine, there are consequences if you fail to pay the ticket on time:

• Your licence plate won't be automatically renewed, and you won't be able to renew it (or order a new licence plate) until you've paid off all outstanding fines and fees.⁵
• Late payment fees will be added to your fine. 
• Your outstanding payment might be sent to a collection agency, which could affect your credit score.⁶

Unlike a speed camera ticket, the penalty for a regular speeding ticket issued by a police officer in Ontario includes not only a fine for speeding but also demerit points (the number of demerit points you receive will depend on how many kms above the speed limit you were going at the time of the offence).7 And the ticket is issued to the driver of the vehicle, rather than the registered plate holder, so it will show up on your driving record — so you'll likely also see an increase in the cost of your insurance premium.

While a red-light camera and a speed camera are both automated traffic enforcement devices, they're used for different purposes. Instead of capturing photos of speeding vehicles, a red light camera catches images of vehicles that fail to stop at an intersection after a traffic light turns red. Similar to a speed camera ticket, however, a red light camera ticket is issued to the registered owner of the licence plate of the offending vehicle, so it won't have an impact on your insurance premium.

If you get a speed camera ticket, you can either pay the fine or you can dispute the ticket. You might also be able to request an extension of time to pay the fine. Whichever option you choose, make sure that you do so by the stated deadlines on your ticket. Otherwise, additional fees may be added to your fine. You also might not be able to renew your vehicle registration until you've paid all fines.⁸

If you’re a TD Insurance customer, consider enrolling in our TD MyAdvantage program, a usage-based insurance program that uses telematics to assess your driving behaviour and assign a driving score. In addition to helping you personalize your premium, TD MyAdvantage also provides insights into your driving habits and tips to help you be more aware of how you’re driving.*

Follow these simple steps to join:

1. Download the TD Insurance app and activate the TD MyAdvantage program.  You can join if you are the primary or secondary account holder on your TD auto insurance policy in Ontario and Quebec.
2. The safer you drive the higher your driving score, while risky driving can lower your driving score.
3. Make sure your driving score reflects how you drive. You have 7 days to review and remove any trips where you were not the driver.

 Have questions about the program? Check out our FAQs for more information.

Not yet a TD Insurance customer but looking for some extra savings? At TD Insurance, we make it easy for you to get a quote in just minutes and buy insurance online.