Ontario · Distracted Driving · London
Handheld Device Ticket in London
Charged on Highbury, Veterans Memorial Parkway, or the 401 through London? A distracted driving conviction suspends your licence starting with the first offence, even though it's a Part I ticket. Know what's actually at stake before you pay it.
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Distracted Driving in London — how it actually works
London Police Service patrols the city's arterials — Wonderland Road, Wharncliffe Road, Highbury Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway — while the OPP covers Highway 401 and Highway 402 through the city. A s.78.1 Highway Traffic Act charge for a hand-held device can come from either, and either way the file is prosecuted at 824 Dundas Street East.
It's a Part I ticket, but the consequence isn't typical of one: a conviction suspends your licence from the first offence — 3 days, then 7, then 30 — stacked on a fine starting at $500 and 3 demerit points (6 for an offence committed within five years of an earlier handheld or display-screen conviction). How distracted driving charges are defended in Ontario covers the full penalty tiers.
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Distracted Driving in London
My London ticket reads "HANDHELD COMMUNICATION DEVICE" — is that distracted driving?
Yes. That's the exact wording Ontario officers write on the ticket for a s.78.1 Highway Traffic Act charge, commonly called distracted driving. If your ticket reads that way, this is your charge.
Does a London distracted driving conviction suspend my licence the same as elsewhere?
Yes — the Highway Traffic Act sets the suspension province-wide. A first conviction carries a 3-day suspension in addition to the fine and 3 demerit points (6 for an offence committed within five years of an earlier handheld or display-screen conviction), rising to 7 days on a second and 30 on a third, regardless of which court hears it.
Where is a London distracted driving ticket heard?
London Provincial Offences Court at 824 Dundas Street East — every Highway Traffic Act charge laid within the City of London, whether by the OPP or London Police Service, is prosecuted from that single court.
Related pages
This may not be the whole picture — here's how we handle other charges in London, and how Distracted Driving plays out in other Ontario cities.
Other charges in London
Distracted Driving elsewhere in Ontario
Legal information, not legal advice. Laws, fines and demerit points change; check the current Highway Traffic Act and the Ontario Court of Justice set-fine schedule before relying on a figure. Using this site or sending a form does not create a paralegal-client relationship.