‘Dramatic improve’ in drivers with expired licences, police say

Some Ontarians could also be stunned to be taught they’ve been driving round with expired licences, plates and well being playing cards after the Ontario authorities halted most mail reminders final March.

“We have seen an actual dramatic improve in individuals not renewing their licence plates,” stated Sgt. Rob Cairns with the Ottawa Police Service’s site visitors providers unit. 

“We’re additionally seeing a rise in individuals not being appropriately licensed — in the truth that they have not renewed their licence.”

The Ontario authorities has stopped mailing out paper renewal notices for driver’s licences, licence plate stickers, and well being playing cards that expired on or after March 1, 2022, besides to particular teams.

Final yr, the province additionally scrapped charges for licence plate renewals — however individuals nonetheless have to renew their plates.

Final Wednesday, Ottawa police performed the third in a sequence of blitzes to catch drivers with expired licences and plates. In lower than three hours, officers handed out 54 tickets, together with 38 for having expired plates and two for driving with out a legitimate licence. 

Throughout an analogous marketing campaign final month, police ticketed 74 drivers — 52 for expired plates and 4 for missing legitimate licences.

Cairns stated many people who find themselves pulled over by police are stunned to find their licence has expired and plead ignorance as a result of they did not get the reminder. 

That is not a great excuse, he stated.

“It is not the duty of the [Ministry of Transportation] to remind you,” stated Cairns. “It is right down to the person to make sure the automotive is correctly licensed and so they even have a present driving licence.”

Well being playing cards additionally expired

CBC additionally referred to as a number of physician’s places of work throughout Ottawa to get a way of whether or not sufferers had been renewing their well being playing cards.

Some clinics stated the issue is rampant, with as much as 50 per cent of sufferers not realizing their OHIP card is not legitimate.

One receptionist advised CBC workers are taking the brunt of sufferers’ frustration after they discover out their well being card has expired.

Different clinics, nevertheless, stated they have not but seen a rise within the variety of individuals turning up for appointments with expired well being playing cards.

Costly mistake

Each the Ministry of Well being and the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) stated individuals can join electronic mail or textual content reminders. Some individuals may even nonetheless obtain notices by mail, together with anybody over the age of 70.

MTO didn’t present statistics on the variety of expired driver’s licences or licence plates in Ottawa and stated CBC must submit a freedom of knowledge request for that knowledge — which frequently takes weeks if not months to course of.

Forgetting to resume will also be dangerous information for your pockets.

The fantastic for an expired plate is $110 in Ontario, which rises to $325 for an expired licence. For those who’re caught driving with an expired plate throughout the border in Quebec, that fantastic is a whopping $495.

If getting a steep fantastic wasn’t sufficient, insurance coverage premiums may also take successful.

“You can see a rise in your premium in case your licence has expired [or] has been expired for too lengthy,” stated Anne Marie Thomas, director of shopper and trade relations with the Insurance coverage Bureau of Canada.

“For those who’re concerned in an accident, you might have the potential of a declare being denied as a result of your licence is suspended.”