Types of traffic tickets, and what you should do when you get one

What are traffic tickets in Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta Province of Canada? What are the types of traffic tickets issued? What you must NOT do when you are handed over a traffic ticket?

A traffic ticket is handed over by a police officer on duty to the driver of a vehicle for a traffic offence. Traffic tickets are issued under different statutory laws; you may be issued the traffic ticket for a traffic offence under the Motor Vehicles Act, the Highway Traffic Act or the local laws of Edmonton city roads.

Traffic tickets are of the following four types:

1. Traffic Tag: A traffic tag is issued under the local laws governing the use of Edmonton city roads. The city has authority to make and enforce laws for their own traffic control and parking. This traffic tag is most often issued for a parking offence or parking your vehicle on the road, causing hindrance to the smooth flow of traffic.
2. Traffic Ticket specifying the amount of penalty to be paid : This type of traffic ticket makes you liable to pay the specified amount of fine mentioned in the ticket, within a specified time period for a traffic offence mentioned in the ticket. If you pay that fine, then you need not appear in the area court. But if you do not pay the fine by the specified date, then you are required to attend the court on the date provided. If you want to dispute the Traffic Ticket in the court, you must attend the area court and pray for a trial date.
3. Multi-Nova Speeding Ticket: It is a notice sent to your registered address through post or courier. It is a legal notice to inform you that your vehicle was photographed at a particular place on a particular road on the day, date and time mentioned, while someone in your vehicle was over speeding your vehicle. You are liable to pay for the specified monetary fine within the specified time, as the registered owner of the vehicle, though someone else may be driving your vehicle. In case you fail to pay the monetary fine by the specified date, then the traffic police official may serve you with the traffic summons to make it mandatory to attend the area court to answer the charge.
4. Traffic Ticket for Summons: Traffic summons are issued for traffic violations that are serious in nature. For example, this serious traffic offence may be for: Careless Driving, Changing the lane on the road in an unsafe manner, Driving without a valid driving license, Driving the vehicle without a valid insurance policy, Exceeding the speed limits, Failing to stop at a stop sign or red light, Hit and run accidents, Personal injury to another person on the road, property damage, Speeding, etc.

YOU MUST APPEAR IN THE AREA COURT. If you wish to plead NOT GUILTTY; even then you must appear in the area court on the date and time indicated on the traffic ticket, and pray for a trial date. If it is proved that the traffic offence was committed, then the court may impose penalty of fine upto Canadian $1,000 or 6 months in jail and the honourable judge may also decide to suspend your driving license in case of any traffic violation, which is serious as mentioned above. Fine is imposed in case of less-serious traffic offences and demerit points are added on the driving license.

YOU MUST NOT DO: In the event of a traffic ticket being handed to you by a police officer on duty, you MUST NOT:

• Start an argument with the police officer concerned as to why you are being issued the traffic ticket.
• Make the concerned police officer angry by your provoking attitude, bad manners and poor behaviour.

WHAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO DO: When you happen to receive a traffic ticket, YOU ARE EXPECTED TO:

• Make detailed notes in your personal diary on the spot, at the earliest possible, after the ticket has been issued to you, as to what made the police officer concerned to issue you the traffic ticket.
• Write sincerely in an unbiased manner as to what had actually happened. (This would help you a lot legally in case you wish to dispute the ticket issued through a legal process).
• Polite ask for the contact information (Full Name, Address, Mobile Number, and email address) from the person who may be the witness at that particular time of incident.
• The exact location of the place of traffic signals or the crossing where the incident took place.
• The other vehicles and their position in relation to your vehicle.
• The weather conditions at that specific time.
• The weather condition of the road at that specific time (Whether the same was slippery or having pot hole in the road)
• Any other detail that you may think that could go in your favour in case you decide to contest against the traffic ticket.