Hello again everyone and thank you for stopping by the InsuranceHotline.com blog. My name is Dwight and I'm a Certified Ontario Driving Instructor.
In this week's blog entry I'm going to address speed limits. Seems simple enough right?. This is one area,believe it or not, many drivers just don't seem to understand. As you probably are aware, legal speed limit signs themselves are black (numbers) on a white (background) and are rectangular in shape. This is significant. Any road sign that is black on white is a called a "Regulatory Sign" simply meaning it's the law 24/7. So, for example, if the speed limit sign says "50 Km/h" then that's the speed limit for that area 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No exceptions. Easy enough right?. So what does a 40 Km/h speed limit mean in a designated school zone? If you said 40 Km/h you'd be correct. And if it was a weekend, summer months, holidays or any other day it would make no difference. Because the sign is black on white, and therefore it means every minute of every day or night. This is where drivers can get themselves into trouble by forgetting it's a Regulatory Sign and that makes it legal and enforced at all times. The same applies to speed limits of 100 Km/h on any highway. It's only the maximum speed a driver can travel under normal driving conditions. Keep this in mind as well; if no speed limit signs are posted, and you're within the city limits, the speed limit by default is 50 Km/h. All speed limits are applicable 24/7 under normal driving conditions if the posted limit sign is black with a white background. Any amount over the posted speed limit is considered a violation of the law and you now subject to a fine and demerit points stopped by police. This now becomes a part of your driving record, and that's what most insurance companies check each time you apply for insurance or renew an existing policy. Demerit points stay on your record for 2 full years from the date of conviction, not the date you actually received the summons remember. It's when you have pleaded guilty and paid the fine that counts with the Ministry of Transportation.
Slow down - obey the speed limits and pay LESS for car insurance and save on gas while you're at it! A simple and easy plan to keep MORE of YOUR hard earned money in your pocket and "arrive alive". Until next week drive safely. The life you save may be your own.
If you have any driving-related questions, please send them to: [email protected]
*Please be advised that this blog only refers to The Ontario Highway Traffic Act. As each Canadian Province has it's own set of rules and regulations when dealing with vehicles, you should check with the local government agency in the Province or Territory applicable.
