Failing to Stop at a Red Light
About This Charge
Section 144 of the Highway Traffic Act requires a driver facing a red light to come to a complete stop at the marked location — the stop line, or the nearest crosswalk or intersection edge if there is no line. A conviction carries a total fine of roughly $325 once the victim surcharge and costs are added, plus three demerit points and the insurance impact that follows a moving conviction. Because the offence has no room for excuse once proven, the real fight is almost always over what the evidence actually shows: whether the light was genuinely red, and whether the driver identified is the one who was driving. R.S. Walia tests both points before a client accepts the charge as accurate.
Potential Consequences
- Total fine of approximately $325 including surcharge
- 3 demerit points on conviction
- Absolute liability offence — no excuse defence once proven
- Insurance rate impact from a conviction
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.