Got a Speeding Ticket on the 401? Here's What to Do

Highway 401 runs 828 km across Ontario and sees some of the heaviest speeding enforcement in the country. OPP officers and local police regularly patrol with laser and radar, particularly in construction zones where fines double.

Fines by Speed

• 1 to 15 km/h over: $2.50 per km, 0 demerit points
• 16 to 29 km/h over: $3.75 per km, 3 demerit points
• 30 to 49 km/h over: $6.00 per km, 4 demerit points
• 50+ km/h over: stunt driving charge under s.172, vehicle impoundment, immediate licence suspension

How OPP Officers Measure Speed

OPP officers on the 401 primarily use laser (lidar). Unlike radar which measures everything in a beam, lidar targets a specific vehicle with a narrow beam. Both devices require regular calibration, and those calibration records are disclosable to your defence.

• Lidar calibration logs, both internal and external
• Officer's notes on targeting distance and angle
• Whether the device was within its operating temperature range
• In-car dashcam footage from the officer's vehicle

Why These Tickets Are Worth Contesting

Even a 20 km/h over ticket at $75 has a long tail. Three demerit points plus the insurer's surcharge over three years adds $800 to $1,500 in premium increases for a typical driver. A paralegal fee of $200 to $350 pays for itself in insurance savings on most 401 speeding charges.

Getting the charge reduced from a 3-point to a 0-point offence is the most common outcome of early resolution meetings for 401 speeding tickets, especially for drivers with clean records.