Can you get a speeding ticket without getting pulled over

I was just wondering. I was on the highway all the way on the left lane going about 130, when I saw a cop all the way on the right lane come all the way to the lane I was at and tailgated for about a minute and at that point I was already going about less than 110, next thing I know he was back to the right lane.

Not sure if it was because of the pandemic he didn’t want to pull me over but instead maybe he took my plates and will issue me a ticket by mail. I guess it’s just a waiting game at this point, unless anyone can confirm.

Probably just checking your license plate on CPIC.

WOULD SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

tranquility922 Deal Expert

Sep 21, 2010 15185 posts 4635 upvotes Montréal

Dec 13th, 2020 2:53 pm

I'm guessing you'll be alright, since don't they have to ID the person driving for this offence (supposedly speeding)?

Anyway, I was lucky in a more extreme situation, cop pulled me over, took my docs but then handed them back to me in a few secs standing by my car, threatening that the ticket will be in the mail while walking back to his car...it never came. I always assume they gotta take the docs back to their car to do whatever they need to do so since he didn't, no ticket.

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You're fine. They have to ID you because otherwise how do they know who was driving? Speeding tickets, demerit points etc. always go against the driver, not the owner of the car.

If I had to guess, they were reminding you to GTFO the left lane unless you're actively passing (i.e. not just cruising at a high speed).

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. Appreciate it. Makes me feel less anxious now.

Manatus wrote: ↑ You're fine. They have to ID you because otherwise how do they know who was driving? Speeding tickets, demerit points etc. always go against the driver, not the owner of the car.

If I had to guess, they were reminding you to GTFO the left lane unless you're actively passing (i.e. not just cruising at a high speed).

This isn't the case (at least in the province of Quebec where we have photoradar). With photoradar, speeding tickets go against the owner of the car but the owner doesn't lose any demerit points as there is no proof who was driving the car.

Not sure if photoradar is around in Quebec with this judgment since I generally don't drive past any photoradars but my route does take me past one red light camera and I still see those.

Probably pulled over by an Auxiliary, they can't issue tickets. Or maybe they 208 you.

tranquility922 wrote: ↑ I'm guessing you'll be alright, since don't they have to ID the person driving for this offence (supposedly speeding)?

Anyway, I was lucky in a more extreme situation, cop pulled me over, took my docs but then handed them back to me in a few secs standing by my car, threatening that the ticket will be in the mail while walking back to his car...it never came. I always assume they gotta take the docs back to their car to do whatever they need to do so since he didn't, no ticket.

WOULD SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!

Ontario must be a driver's paradise if it's not possible to get a speeding ticket in the mail. You guys don't have red light/speed cams, radars on side of road??

tranquility922 Deal Expert

Sep 21, 2010 15185 posts 4635 upvotes Montréal

Dec 13th, 2020 5:20 pm

Cheapo-Findo wrote: ↑ Probably pulled over by an Auxiliary, they can't issue tickets. Or maybe they 208 you.

No, he's a full cop but I mentioned I have the alleged incident on my carcam and I guess that made him hightail it outta there lol.

What's 208?

Hard work, inheritance, interest on interest accumulating, and stock and real estate speculation. It's all good.

tranquility922 Deal Expert

Sep 21, 2010 15185 posts 4635 upvotes Montréal

Dec 13th, 2020 5:25 pm

lmcjipo wrote: ↑ This isn't the case (at least in the province of Quebec where we have photoradar). With photoradar, speeding tickets go against the owner of the car but the owner doesn't lose any demerit points as there is no proof who was driving the car.

Not sure if photoradar is around in Quebec with this judgment since I generally don't drive past any photoradars but my route does take me past one red light camera and I still see those.

Ya, gd pt. There's this area on the highway I see the radar cam flash every. single. time, it's like ppl have amnesia haha. Man, if a guy's income was solely based on ticket penalties gotten from that box, that man would be richer than Bill Gates lol.

Which reminds me, someone made an erroneous and snide comment that one must be a moron to be pulled over by a cop. Naw, at least in QC, it applies when one gets caught by radar cam since there are literally at least 3 set of warning signs before it comes up, vs the cop could be hiding anywhere.

Hard work, inheritance, interest on interest accumulating, and stock and real estate speculation. It's all good.

tranquility922 wrote: ↑ Ya, gd pt. There's this area on the highway I see the radar cam flash every. single. time, it's like ppl have amnesia haha.

When I used to go to Brossard regularly, I used to drive on Decarie southbound and follow the route to the (old) Champlain bridge and remember the photoradar that used to be there. There were plenty of warnings on the highway prior to reaching the spot where the camera was located and people would slow down as they approached it and go back up to their regular speed once they passed that photoradar station.

tranquility922 Deal Expert

Sep 21, 2010 15185 posts 4635 upvotes Montréal

Dec 13th, 2020 5:42 pm

lmcjipo wrote: ↑ When I used to go to Brossard regularly, I used to drive on Decarie southbound and follow the route to the (old) Champlain bridge and remember the photoradar that used to be there. There were plenty of warnings on the highway prior to reaching the spot where the camera was located and people would slow down as they approached it and go back up to their regular speed once they passed that photoradar station.

Ya, it's a real pita as it is disruptive to traffic flow, but it still works to catch some (lots) morons. They should really crack down on reckless drivers instead of just a cash grab.

Hard work, inheritance, interest on interest accumulating, and stock and real estate speculation. It's all good.

aleks wrote: ↑ Ontario must be a driver's paradise if it's not possible to get a speeding ticket in the mail. You guys don't have red light/speed cams, radars on side of road??

We have all of the above in Ontario. It is mostly used in residential areas though. I don’t think we have any on the 400 series highway.

The vehicle owner gets dinged rather than the driver

What probably happened is that he couldn't get a decent radar fix on you with all the traffic or his gear wasn't positioned in such a way to get a reading from the side so he went behind you to get it. Luckily for you, you dropped your speed way down before he could get you at 130km.

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Frankie3s wrote: ↑ What probably happened is that he couldn't get a decent radar fix on you with all the traffic or his gear wasn't positioned in such a way to get a reading from the side so he went behind you to get it. Luckily for you, you dropped your speed way down before he could get you at 130km.

Down to 110km/h, which is still over the limit, so he can still ding the OP if he felt like it for 10km/h over.

Also, OP doesn't have to be ID'd to be issued a speeding ticket. Could issue it in the same fashion as a speed camera. Generic against the vehicle.

kenchau wrote: ↑ Down to 110km/h, which is still over the limit, so he can still ding the OP if he felt like it for 10km/h over.

Also, OP doesn't have to be ID'd to be issued a speeding ticket. Could issue it in the same fashion as a speed camera. Generic against the vehicle.

If the police officer wanted to ticket OP he would have pulled him over. Either the cop couldn't get a good reading on his radar/laser gun or he was just running OP's plates to see if the car was stolen.. Either way if OP was not pulled over there's a 0% chance of him getting a ticket in the mail from this incident.

Even if somehow it worked how you said, the ticket would then not be to the OP it would be for the license plate/vehicle.

joshmxpx Deal Fanatic

May 8, 2002 5653 posts 2339 upvotes

Dec 14th, 2020 2:40 pm

kenchau wrote: ↑ Down to 110km/h, which is still over the limit, so he can still ding the OP if he felt like it for 10km/h over.

Also, OP doesn't have to be ID'd to be issued a speeding ticket. Could issue it in the same fashion as a speed camera. Generic against the vehicle.

Doesn't work like that in Ontario. Police can't issue tickets to vehicles in the same fashion as a red-light camera or photo radar.

And back to OPs question, reason tickets can't be issued without stopping the vehicle is that in Ontario, the officer must sign his portion of the ticket, indicating that he actually served it on the person named on the ticket. Impossible to do if the person wasn't pulled over.

Only other way to serve an offence notice on someone is to issue a long-form summons, which must then be served on the offender (mail, in-person, etc). Not to mention, the police must be able to identify the driver, which would be hard if he wasn't pulled over... This will never happen for a speeding ticket...

Ecsta wrote: ↑ If the police officer wanted to ticket OP he would have pulled him over. Either the cop couldn't get a good reading on his radar/laser gun or he was just running OP's plates to see if the car was stolen.. Either way if OP was not pulled over there's a 0% chance of him getting a ticket in the mail from this incident.

Even if somehow it worked how you said, the ticket would then not be to the OP it would be for the license plate/vehicle.

I didn't mean literally OP, I meant generic to the vehicle (as in owner), which I did state. In the same way speeding camera tickets are issued to the vehicle owner. Whether that is OP or not, who knows.

joshmxpx wrote: ↑ Doesn't work like that in Ontario. Police can't issue tickets to vehicles in the same fashion as a red-light camera or photo radar.

And back to OPs question, reason tickets can't be issued without stopping the vehicle is that in Ontario, the officer must sign his portion of the ticket, indicating that he actually served it on the person named on the ticket. Impossible to do if the person wasn't pulled over.

Only other way to serve an offence notice on someone is to issue a long-form summons, which must then be served on the offender (mail, in-person, etc). Not to mention, the police must be able to identify the driver, which would be hard if he wasn't pulled over... This will never happen for a speeding ticket...

Theoretically, they could go to the house for which the vehicle belongs.

Anyways, I know it's practically 100% the OP is not getting a speeding ticket from this incident, I'm just saying there is a theoretically a possible way that OP can, albeit, practically unlikely.