For the sake of other road users as well as themselves, cyclists should adhere to the traffic laws. Stop signals and red lights are not just for drivers. Additionally, cyclists need to be aware of them. A biker who disregards a stop sign may be fined up to $110 for the offense. A $325 punishment for running a red light could be imposed, and if careless driving is involved, the fine could be as high as $490. (Atuso, 2016). I saw a cyclist ignore a stop sign, and further inquiry revealed that he had committed the same error three times in one month. It is inevitable to place a charge against such a cyclist.
After I establish the reasonable grounds on which the offence was committed, I will complete a Provincial Offence Notice which usually contain a fine out of court (Canadian Cycling Association, 2015). The penalty assigned is general and there is no need for separate information. A copy of the Provincial Offence Notice which may also be referred to as ticket is sent to the courts who complete the information. The defendant at this point may plead guilty and pay the fine, or plead guilty with an explanation which requests for a court date or plead innocent and arrange a court date. Using this method, I can only charge the defendant for a maximum of thirty days after which I have to use a mail service to contact him. I can only use the mail method for six months.
In the event that the defendant does not respond to the certificate of offence method, I will use another alternative such as the conventional summon (Man, 2017). In this process, the case will only be solved in court. The Justice of Peace signs the standard summon when reasonable grounds for an offence have been identified. It is then served to the defendant who must appear in court. The two methods will allow me to ensure that the offender understands the implications of ignoring road signs.
References
Atuso, A. (2016, June 26). Rules of the Road- For Cyclists. Retrieved from Toronto Sun:
http://www.torontosun.com/2016/06/26/rules-of-the-road--for-cyclists
Canadian Cycling Association. (2015, December 17). Cycling Skills: Ontario's Guide to Safe Cycling. Retrieved from www.mto.gov.on.ca: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/safety/pdfs/cycling-skills.pdf
Man, M. (2017, January 1). Traffic Offences. Retrieved from Traffic Services: http://www.traffic-services.ca/traffic-offences.shtml
