The Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) system and the Carrier Safety Rating (CSR) program were developed by the Ministry of Transportation as part of Ontario’s ongoing commitment to road safety. Together they promote the safe operation of trucks and buses on Ontario’s roadways for operators of commercial motor vehicles.

This includes trucks that have a registered gross weight of over 4,500 kilograms, and buses that can carry ten or more passengers. Owners/operators of these vehicles must apply for, obtain and renew a CVOR certificate.

Every carrier is responsible for monitoring its CVOR record and the performance information it provides, including violation rates, thresholds, audit scores and resulting carrier safety rating. As a result, it is important that you identify and address problem areas in order to improve your commercial motor vehicle safety performance.

The CVOR system is part of the carrier safety rating program. The Ministry of Transportation monitors carriers and assigns each a safety rating based on several factors including: collisions, inspections, and convictions, as well as the results of facility audits.

To operate in Ontario, carriers must follow the laws and regulations that apply to the operation of trucks and buses, which includes, but is not limited to:

  • The Highway Traffic Act
  • Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act
  • Public Vehicles Act
  • Motor Vehicle Transport Act
  • Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act
  • Fuel Tax Act
  • The CVOR system is the monitoring mechanism used by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) to track the safety performance of commercial vehicle operators. This point system is cumulative and can have a snowball effect, which could cause you serious problems, ranging from warning letters, to audits, to sanctions, and even the cancellation of your operating privileges.
  • CVOR-related infractions, accidents and incidents where your vehicle is detained for mechanical defects, generate points on your record. When enough points have accumulated, a warning letter is issued, indicating that should the accumulation of points continue, further intervention by MTO will result. MTO officials can then conduct a facility audit, whereby an auditor will attend your premises to examine records pertaining to log books, driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance, trip inspections, accidents and more.
  • If you do not pass the facility audit, you will be assigned a conditional safety rating, and could face numerous charges. If further safety-related issues occur, you may be required to attend a show cause hearing with the MTO, where you will have to convince Ministry officials that you and/or your company are capable of operating safely in order to avoid MTO imposed sanctions. Sanctions can range from fleet limitations, plate seizure, to suspension or cancellation of your operating privileges.
  • Your carrier safety rating means business. It is available to the public and provides information about your performance. Insurance companies, financial institutions, and shippers can all access your carrier

Call us for details for your specific case!

  • Speeding tickets
  • Careless driving tickets
  • Racing or stunt driving
  • Red light tickets
  • Stop sign traffic tickets
  • Driving under suspension
  • Insurance violations

Speeding

Before you pay any speeding ticket, you should be educated and know exactly what you’re getting into. The moment you pay any speeding ticket you are instantly pleading guilty to that speeding charge. Not only do speeding tickets carry a fine amount, but any speeding ticket in excess of 15 km/h over the posted speed limit will carry demerit points that may drastically increase your insurance rates. Some speeding tickets and related offences can even carry an automatic licence suspensions if you are found guilty.

There are two main types of speeding tickets: speeding tickets less than 50 km/hr over the speed limit and speeding tickets greater than 50 km/hr over the speed limit.

Speeding less than 50 km/h over the speeding limit

Speeding tickets less than 50 km/h over the posted speed limit will have the total payable fine written on the ticket. You have 3 options when you receive these speeding tickets:

  1. Pleading guilty
  2. Pleading guilty with an explanation
  3. Trial / not guilty

A plea of guilt with an explanation is not a trial and your speeding ticket will not be eliminated off of your record with this option. At most, the speeding ticket may be slightly reduced, but this usually only includes the fine amount and not the demerit points. The trial option is the only way to fight for dismissal of a speeding ticket or for a drastic reduction in the fine or demerit points.

Speeding more than 50 km over the speeding limit

Speeding tickets 50 km/hr and over the speeding limit do not have a fine amount listed on them and are an automatic summons to court. This means that you do not have the option of pleading guilty by paying the fine and must go to the court to answer to your charges.

Demerit Points for Speeding Tickets

0 – 15 km/h over = 0 points (minor infraction)
16 – 29 km/h over = 3 points (minor infraction)
30 – 49 km/h over = 4 points (major infraction)
50+ km/hr over = 6 points

Fines for Speeding Tickets

Speeding ticket fines are based on km/h over the posted speeding limit.

1-19 km/h The amount of km over times $2.50 = fine
20-29 km/h The amount of km over times $3.75 = fine
30-49 km/h The amount of km over times $6.00 = fine
50 km/h+ The amount over times 9.75 times 1.25 = fine