Getting a traffic ticket can be expensive and affect your driving record, but fortunately, there are ways to beat a traffic ticket calgary in Alberta.
With the right evidence, you can show there were inconsistencies in the officer’s observations, prove your innocence with video, or demonstrate that you had a valid reason for whatever offence you’ve been accused of.
At We Defend, we have decades of experience helping drivers beat traffic tickets in Alberta. Read on to discover some of the common types of evidence that can help you out if you get a traffic ticket.
Key Takeaways
- Always fight tickets – fines, demerit points, suspensions, and higher insurance make it worthwhile.
- Speeding – challenge errors on ticket, radar calibration, or obscured signage; dashcam footage helps.
- Hit & run – defenses include valid reasons for leaving, dashcam proof, or witness testimony.
- Careless driving – use witness statements, video footage, or evidence of poor road conditions.
- Stop sign/red light – intersection cameras and dashcam can show you complied.
- Suspended license – provide proof of reinstatement or lack of notification from registry.
- We Defend offers decades of experience reviewing evidence and fighting tickets to reduce or dismiss charges.
Why Oppose a Traffic Ticket in Alberta?
In almost every situation, drivers in Alberta should fight traffic tickets. Why? Because the costs of traffic tickets in Alberta go way beyond the fine you’ll have to pay if you’re found guilty.
Additionally, demerit points can result in a suspended license, and you will also face substantial increases in insurance premiums. There are also many ways to beat a traffic ticket in Calgary, so you should never simply accept the consequences and pay your fine. It’s always worth fighting.
Evidence to Beat a Traffic Ticket (By Ticket Type)
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for how to beat a traffic ticket in Calgary. Every ticket is different and will require evidence. Depending on what you’ve been charged with, here are some of the most effective types of evidence that can help you beat a traffic ticket in Calgary.
Speeding Tickets
Speeding tickets are among the most common types of traffic tickets in Alberta, but they are worth fighting in most cases. It may seem like you can just pay the fine and move on, but speeding tickets come with demerit points that can add up quickly. There are, fortunately, some effective ways to beat a speeding ticket.
- Inconsistencies and errors on the ticket: Something as simple as your license plate being wrong can lead to a speeding ticket being dismissed outright.
- Radar calibration errors: If the radar gun the police used was miscalibrated or not used properly, your speeding ticket will likely be invalid.
- Signage was obscured: If the signage indicating what speed you were supposed to be going was not clearly visible, you would have had no way of knowing you were speeding. Dash-cam footage can be useful in these situations.
Hit and Run Tickets
Hit and run tickets are the most serious type of violation under Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act. You’re required to stop your vehicle, provide your name and address, and offer assistance to anyone who requires it. Getting a hit and run ticket comes with seven demerit points, a mandatory court appearance, and fines of up to $2,300.
There are ways to beat this type of traffic ticket in Calgary, though.
- You had a viable reason for leaving the scene: Traffic accidents can be scary, and if you were injured or concerned for your safety, you may have had a legitimate reason for leaving the scene.
- Dashcam footage: Dashcam footage can provide video evidence that you didn’t realize a collision had happened.
- Witnesses: There may be people who witnessed the collision and can verify that you weren’t involved or that you did attempt to stop and exchange information.
Careless Driving Tickets
One of the challenging aspects of careless driving tickets is that there are no clear metrics for determining whether a charge is merited. However, fines of up to $2,000 and a maximum of six demerit points accompany the inevitable increase in insurance premiums if you’re found guilty.
Fortunately, though, We Defend has a long history of successfully defending drivers in Calgary who are charged with careless driving. The charge comes with a mandatory court appearance, so it’s always worth fighting.
- Witness statements: Careless driving charges require that the driver put the safety of other people at risk, so witness statements that prove you were not presenting a danger to anyone can be a powerful tool.
- Dashcam or surveillance footage: If there’s video showing that you were not driving carelessly and were, in fact, being safe, that can be very effective in beating a careless driving charge.
- Road conditions: What appeared to a police officer like careless driving may, in fact, have been the result of dangerous road conditions that caused a safe driver to lose control.
Failure to Obey a Stop Sign or Red Light
A ticket for failing to obey a stop sign or red light carries three demerit points, which can impact your driving record and insurance premiums. Traffic ticket video evidence can show that you did, in fact, stop when required and that the ticket itself is invalid.
Intersection camera records and dashcam footage are both useful tools for how to beat a traffic ticket in Calgary, particularly when it comes to tickets for failing to obey a stop sign or red light.
Suspended License Tickets
Your driver’s license can be suspended for several reasons in Alberta, including driving under the influence and accumulating demerit points. If you’re caught driving with a suspended license, you could face fines of up to $2,000, your vehicle will be impounded for 30 days, and your insurance premiums will increase.
There are a few key ways to beat a suspended license ticket:
- Proof of reinstatement: If your license was reinstated but the police officer didn’t see it, you can prove that you were allowed to be driving.
- Lack of correspondence: The Alberta Registry may not have provided you with documentation to prove that your license was reinstated or even indicated that your license was suspended in the first place.
Choose We Defend to Fight Your Traffic Ticket
There are lots of different types of evidence that can help you beat a traffic ticket in Calgary, and it’s always worth it to fight a charge. Having We Defend in your corner gives you the best chances to beat a traffic ticket in Calgary, though.
With over 80 combined years of experience helping Alberta drivers, our team will review the evidence and present your case in the most compelling, convincing way possible, and give you the best chance to reduce or even eliminate charges entirely.
Contact us today for a free consultation.
FAQ
How do you argue a speeding ticket successfully?
There are lots of ways to beat a speeding ticket. You can look for inconsistencies on the ticket itself. Can you ask for evidence of speeding? Yes, you can, although video evidence is not required for you to be found guilty.
How to plead not guilty to a traffic ticket in Alberta?
Your ticket will have a “respond by” date listed, and you can either attend the provincial courthouse or, in some cases, submit a not guilty plea through the Alberta Courts website.