Summons to Appear

Where the police charge a driver with fail to remain, they will usually issue them a summons to appear in court, there is no out of court fine for this charge.

The summons commands the driver or their agent (paralegal or lawyer) to appear in court before a Justice of the Peace (JP) on a date specified on the summons.

Where the driver or their legal representative does not appear the judge may issue a warrant (bench summons) for their arrest.

The judge decides the amount of the fine.

The fine for failing to remain at the scene of an accident is:

• fine of not less than $400.00
  • not more than $2,000.00
• jail up to 6 months
  • or both
• licence suspension up to 2 years

What is the Victim Fine Surcharge?

• The provincial government adds a victim fine surcharge (VFS) to every fine imposed under the Provincial Offences Act.
  • It is deposited into a special fund to help victims of crime.
• The amount of the VFS is usually 20 per cent of the imposed fine.
  • For example, a $100 fine would result in a $20 surcharge.
  • Fines over $1,000 carry a surcharge of 25 per cent.

Fail to remain has the following penalties:

• fine of not less than $400.00
  • not more than $2,000.00
• jail up to 6 months
  • or both
• Class G drivers
  • possible licence suspension up to 2 years
• Class G1 and G2 Drivers
  • minimum 30 day suspension
  • maximum 2 year suspension
• 6 demerit points
• conviction appears on driving abstract for 3 years
• permit for vehicle maybe suspended for 2 years
• dramatically increased insurance rates

Fail to remain tickets have 6 demerit points.

• G1 drivers are suspended for
  • any 4 ticket with 4 demerit points
  • accumulating 6 demerit points
• G2 drivers are suspended for
  • any 4 ticket with 4 demerit points
  • accumulating 6 demerit points
• G drivers are suspended for
  • accumulating 15 demerit points
  • at 8 points G1 drivers may be required to attend a Demerit Point Interview

Demerit Point Interviews

If you have to attend an interview, you will get a letter (Notice of Interview) to notify you of the time, date and location of the meeting. If you do not attend, your licence could be suspended.

The fee for a demerit point interview is $50 and must be paid in person at any ServiceOntario Centre.

You can pay the fee when you receive the Notice of Interview or within 10 business days of attending the interview.

Failure to pay the interview fee will result in the cancellation of your driver’s licence.

Fail to Remain Suspensions

Where convicted and the driver is a:

• Novice driver,
• Class G1 or
• Class G2 driver

There is a mandatory licence suspension for exceeding the demerit points limitations (fail to remain has 6 demerits).

The accumulation of demerit points can also result in a licence suspension.

• Class G1 are suspended for accumulating 6 demerit points
• Class G2 are suspended for accumulating 6 demerit points
• Class G licences receive a drivers licence interview at 8 points
• Class G licences are suspended at 15 demerits

Court Ordered Suspensions

For all drivers once a conviction for fail to remain is registered by a Justice of the Peace, the prosecution can ask that the judge impose a licence suspension up to 2 years.

Unpaid Fine Suspensions

Where a fine has been imposed and the driver does not pay that fine, the licence will be suspended.  Where the licence is suspended for an unpaid fine, the licence will be suspended until the payment is made to the court.

Duty of person in charge of vehicle in case of accident

Highway Traffic Act section 200

Where an accident occurs on a highway, every person in charge of a vehicle or street car that is directly or indirectly involved in the accident shall,
(a) remain at or immediately return to the scene of the accident;

(b) render all possible assistance; and

(c) upon request, give in writing to anyone sustaining loss or injury or to any police officer or to any witness his or her name, address, driver’s licence number and jurisdiction of issuance, motor vehicle liability insurance policy insurer and policy number, name and address of the registered owner of the vehicle and the vehicle permit number.

Penalty

(2) Every person who contravenes this section is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not less than $400 and not more than $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than six months, or to both, and in addition the person’s licence or permit may be suspended for a period of not more than two years.

Notification of damage to trees, fences, etc.

201 Every person who, as a result of an accident or otherwise, operates or drives a vehicle or leads, rides or drives an animal upon a highway and thereby damages any shrub, tree, pole, light, sign, sod or other property on the highway or a fence bordering the highway shall forthwith report the damage to a police officer.

R. v. O’Dowd, 2015 ONCJ 716 (CanLII)
2015-11-10 | 29 pages | cited by 1 document
motor vehicle — careless driving — scene of the accident — actus reus — beyond a reasonable doubt
[…] 2. that he on or about the 24th day of November, 2013 at the City of Burlington, in the Region of Halton, being in charge of a motor vehicle and directly or indirectly involved in an accident did fail to remain at the scene of the accident, contrary to section 200(1) (a) of the Highway Traffic Act . […] [4] The defendant is charged with the offence of “careless driving”, contrary to section 130 of the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8 , as amended, hereinafter referred to as “the H.T.A.” and the with the offence of “fail to remain at the scene of the accident”, contrary to paragraph 200(1)(a) of the H.T.A. […] Div.), the accused was charged with the offence of “fail to remain”, contrary to paragraph 174(1) (a) of the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8 , (the predecessor to paragraph 200(1)(a) of the H.T.A.), and the related offence of “fail to stop at the scene of the accident, with intent to escape criminal or civil […]

Toronto (City) v. Ennis, 2019 ONCJ 758 (CanLII)
2019-10-02 | 21 pages
motor vehicle — driver — parking lot — ibid — damage
[…] change lane not in safety, contrary to s.142(1) of the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, c.H.8 (“HTA “); fail to remain, contrary to s.200(1) (a) of the HTA ; fail to report, contrary to s.199(1) of the HTA ; fail to provide required information, contrary to s.200(1) (c) of the HTA ; and fail to disclose particulars of […] [31] On June 7, 2017, he was assigned to investigate a Toronto police report of failing to remain at a collision, which had been reported by Mr. Inacio (Exhibit 1: “Self-Reporting Collision Report” and “Fail to Remain Collision Form”). […] -Fail to Remain: [116] Based on the evidence I have heard, I am persuaded beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Ennis failed to remain at the scene of an accident. […]

R. v. DeAmorim, 2009 ONCJ 274 (CanLII)
2009-02-27 | 25 pages
vehicle — boyfriend — license — paper — accident
[…] commit the offenses of Careless Driving contrary to section 130 of the Highway Traffic Act , as well as the offenses of Failing to Remain at the scene of an accident contrary to section 200 (1) (a) of the Highway Traffic Act , as well as Failing to Report an Accident contrary to section 199 (1) of the Highway Traffic Act . […] Officer Higginss simply told him that it was an investigation for a Fail to Remain accident which occurred the day before, and that they had received information which said it was probably the defendant driving. […] The issue on the charge of ‘fail to remain’ is whether the defendant being a person in charge of a vehicle on a highway he was directly or indirectly involved in an accident and did remain at or immediately returned to the scene of the accident, and upon request give in writing to the owner of the other vehicle upon request […]