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Here are 5-things you need to know when you drive with a suspended license in Ontario.

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https://suspension.nextlaw.ca

1/  You're breaking the law

Generally, the law states that you need to be appropriately licensed when driving a vehicle.

The reason why we have laws about being properly licensed is about public safety.



- A car weighs 4,000 pounds. It's like a weapon on wheels that can cause property damage, hurt or even kill people.

- To protect the public from these "weapons on wheels," laws were created to ensure that people are properly licensed.

- Advances in technology make it easier for the Police to find people driving with a suspended license. And there are severe penalties if you're convicted of driving with a suspended license.



2/ If charged by the Police, the wording of the charge matters a lot



- There is a significant difference between a charge on a driving suspension vs a driving prohibition vs a driving disqualification.

- The wording - suspension, prohibition and disqualification - may be similar, but they are not. They are very different with different impacts.

- Generally, the word "suspension" is applicable in the context of provincial law. So in Ontario, one of the laws that matter is the Highway Traffic Act.

- The words "prohibition" or "disqualification" is the language that is used under the Criminal Code of Canada.  

- So, charges using the words "prohibition" or "disqualification" we're dealing with a criminal charge.

- Charges that use the word "suspension" are not criminal charges but a serious traffic offences.



3/ Important to know why you're suspended so you can fix it



- When charged with Driving While Under Suspension under the Highway Traffic Act, it's important to find out why your license is suspended so you can fix the problem

- Generally, your license can be suspended for 5 reasons.

1 - Unpaid fines

- The most common reason for the suspension is unpaid fines.

- For example, you didn't pay a traffic ticket within a certain period; the laws allow the province to suspend your license until you pay the ticket in full.

2 - Suspension by a Court



- You've been found guilty of a charge in the past, and the penalty allows the Judge to impose a driving license suspension.

3 - Suspension by the MTO (the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario)



- The most common suspension by the MTO are points escalation

- For example, if you're a G2 driver and get a 4-point ticket, you get an automatic 30-day suspension

- Or, if you are convicted of Driving While Under Suspension, MTO will give you a mandatory 6-month driving suspension https://www.nextlaw.ca/2021/04/06/what-happens-when-you-drive-with-a-suspended-license-in-ontario/

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