No matter how much people complain, once an officer writes you up for a speeding ticket, you have to pay it -- no matter what you do with the ticket itself.
On Tuesday, Manitoba RCMP showed dash cam video of a female driver crumpling up their speeding ticket and throwing it out their window -- all in front of the RCMP officer who issued it.
The RCMPâs warned drivers if theyâre caught throwing garbage, or a ticket in this case, out their car window, it could cost them $174 for littering under the Highway Traffic Act.
In all his 17 years of traffic policing, RCMP Sgt. Kyle McFadyen said itâs pretty rare to see a person chucking their speeding ticket out of their window in front of the issuing officer.
âNot everybody is happy to get a ticket, thatâs clear. But most people accept responsibility for their actions and thatâs what we like to see, â he told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview.
âMost people have the restraint to not do it,â he chuckled.
The incident involving a 30-year-old woman happened back on Dec. 12, 2018. But because McFadyen wasnât the officer who pulled the motorist over, he wasnât sure if she was then given a warning or if they ended up actually receiving a littering ticket.
But even if she had thrown out the ticket at home, McFadyen warned that it wouldnât have absolved her of the ticketâs penalty.
âAll theyâre doing is putting themselves at a disadvantage because when theyâll have to deal with it, theyâll have to manually search it up,â he explained. âIt inconveniences the person because the charges carry on, regardless of what they do with it.â
To make matters worse, a discarded ticket has a driverâs personal information, like their licence plate number.
Manitoba outlines the specific fine amounts in an online guide, including violations against the provinceâs Highway Traffic Act.
But littering fines vary depending on what province or specific area the ticket is issued.
For example, littering fines in Newfoundland and Labrador can range from $125 up to $600 for anyone caught throwing out garbage on highways. In British Columbia, littering on the highway could cost either $45 or $81.
DYK? If you throw your speeding ticket out the window, you can also be fined an additional $174 for littering under the Highway Traffic Act? Please slow down & drive safe. If you have questions about your ticket, please speak to the officer.
â RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb)