So about a week ago, I was driving home from a friends, and on one of the corners, about 2km from home, I gave it a bit too much gas, and my tail got out from behind me. (Essentially, I drifted around a corner). Unfortunately, there was an officer who had just pulled onto the road behind me just before I made said turn, and, as you can probably figure from my posting here, was not pleased with how I controlled my car. He gave me a summons for the end of the month, suspended my licence and impounded my baby for 7 days. I am being charged under 172(1): perform stunt/cause tire to lose traction. I was very respectful while talking to the officer, and he suggested that I contest the ticket.

I am a first year college student, and the car is in my name, G2 driver . That being said, the whole charge is out of my budget. The fines alone are not feesible, and it hurts to think of how my insurance would inflate with that on my driving record. What should my next steps be, and what are the odds that I can have the fine reduced to something more manageable? I have looked into a few paralegals (points, xcopper), and they all look like they're in the price range of ~700-800$, so if possible, I'd like to represent myself in court, is this a bad idea? Please share experiences with the same or similar charges, how the court proceedings went, and what will likely happen to me

Much appreciated guys, every reply helps me figure out what's best for me in this situation.

You'll have to make an appearance for your summons. Some jurisdictions will have disclosure ready for you at the summons; you can also separately request for additional disclosure once the trial date is available.

If the officer is present and his notes are good, then you'll have to plea-bargain. There are a number of alternate charges available to the crown: careless driving, unsafe lane change, improper right turn.

Keep in mind that as a novice class driver your license will be suspended if you collect 4pts within a two year window. It's in your best interest to book your full-G test at the earliest available date.

If you're found guilty for any of the less serious charges, then you'll simply lose your "conviction free" discounts, and possibly earn +10 to 20% bump per minor conviction. If you're found guilty for Careless or Stunt Driving, your insurer may cancel your policy.

If you don't feel comfortable going about this on your own, seek legal counsel and see what they can do.

ok, good call, I can take my road test before the summons, ill be sure to do that as soon as I can. Do plea bargains take place in this situation 100% of the time? Or can I go in expecting to plea for a lesser charge, and then not have it offered? For the summons, it seems like I can do it myself, I'm thinking that I should go myself until that point, and if I end up taking it to court, then hire some kind of representative? Thanks for the reply!

These charges aren't something to take lightly. You can hurt your future for a good while if this isn't taken care of right. I know a friend whose policy got cancelled and due to this, he can't get a proper job due to distance and owning a car was way too much.. he's 24 with a g2.

(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway in a race or contest, while performing a stunt or on a bet or wager. 2007, c. 13, s. 21.

how did he bust you under 172(1) if that is a different action? sorry if this is a dumb question im new to this stuff.

@QuaidStur, see ON Reg 455/07 to see how the legislature defined stunt driving: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/regs/e ... Definition, "stunt"

For the purposes of section 172 of the Act, "stunt" includes any activity where one or more persons engage in any of the following driving behaviours:

Driving a motor vehicle in a manner that indicates an intention to cause some or all of its tires to lose traction with the surface of the highway while turning.[/quote]