Hand-Held Devices
About This Charge
Distracted driving under section 78.1 of the Highway Traffic Act is now one of Ontario's most aggressively enforced offences. A first conviction brings three demerit points, a substantial fine, and a short licence suspension, and the penalties escalate sharply with every conviction after that. Novice drivers risk losing their licence entirely. These cases usually come down to one question: what an officer says they saw inside a moving vehicle, in the few seconds you passed. Whether the device was genuinely in use, and whether the stop itself was lawful, are the points R.S. Walia examines before any client pleads to a distracted driving charge.
Potential Consequences
- 3 demerit points
- First offence: $615–$1,000 fine
- Second offence: $1,000–$2,000 fine
- Third+ offence: $2,000–$3,000 fine
- Novice drivers: immediate licence suspension
Why Representation Matters
A traffic charge is not proven simply because it was laid. The prosecution has to satisfy a number of technical requirements — accurate officer notes, properly calibrated equipment, a stop conducted the way the law requires. Where one of those is missing or flawed, a charge can be reduced or dropped. Mr. Walia goes through the disclosure on every file precisely to find that ground before the case is ever called.
Licensed paralegals are fully entitled to act for drivers in Provincial Offences Act matters. It means you can have an experienced advocate in your corner without paying what a lawyer would cost.
Talk It Over, Free of Charge
Describe what you are facing and Mr. Walia will give you a clear, honest read on your options. There is no fee for the conversation and no obligation afterward.
Send a Message (905) 454-2112A second opinion never hurts.
Before you decide how to handle this charge, let Mr. Walia look at it. He will lay out the realistic outcomes and tell you exactly what he can do — and you owe nothing for the asking.