Speeding

Although “speeding” is not defined in the HTA, a commonly accepted definition is “driving a motor vehicle at a rate of speed in excess of that permitted on the specified highway” Section 128 of the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) sets out the rules pertaining to the offence of speeding.

Speeding is easily defined as driving a motor vehicle at a rate of speed in excess of that permitted by statute, which can be municipal, provincial, or in some cases even federal.  Speeding under provincial traffic legislation is a regulatory offence, and it should not be considered.  It seems inevitable that , at some point, all drivers will speed, but as Manraj and Haines observe,

Some get caught and some don not and there is nothing in a speeding conviction that in any way compromises a citizen’s honesty and integrity and uprightness or renders him less worthy in society’s eyes.

Of course, if in a given instance, speeding indicates something more, such as negligence or recklessness, the driving may support more serious charges such as careless driving, or even dangerous driving under the Criminal Code

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