More Ottawa drivers taking the chance to drive without insurance, OPP say

Police on provincial highways say they’re seeing more people driving without insurance. As CTV’s Austin Lee reports, if you’re caught, you face a hefty fine.

Hundreds of Ottawa drivers have received a costly reminder to have insurance for their vehicles, as police continue to see a rise in uninsured motorists on highways in the national capital region.

Ontario Provincial Police say since Jan. 1, officers in Ottawa have issued 336 charges to drivers for operating a vehicle without insurance. Twenty-five charges were issued to drivers without insurance on Ottawa highways during the August long weekend.

The fine for driving without insurance is a minimum of $5,000.

OPP Const. Michael Fathi tells CTV News Ottawa that if you cannot afford insurance for your vehicle, you shouldn’t drive.

“We’re seeing, definitely, an increase in drivers driving without insurance,” Fathi said Wednesday.

“A lot of them, it’s cost of living. Some of them have just thought it would be cheaper to take the chance and not insure their vehicle, even though once they’re caught it’s a $5,000 fine minimum.”

OPP cruisers are equipped with automated license plate recognition (ALPR) system cameras, that scan licence plates to flag vehicles without insurance, suspended licences, expired registrations, and stolen vehicles.

Fathi has a message to drivers thinking they can drive without insurance.

“The odds are not in their favour anymore, especially with our ALPR cameras,” Fathi said. “Our ALPR cameras will pick up their licence plates, the licence plates will show as being expired. Everybody seems to think their licence plate will automatically renew on their birth date, but it won’t if you don’t have proper insurance.”

On Tuesday, a driver was stopped twice on Highway 417 for not having insurance.

Police said an ALPR detected a vehicle’s plate permit was expired on Highway 417 at Carling Avenue Tuesday morning. Around 2 p.m., the same driver was stopped near Anderson Road.

The driver is facing 10 charges and $10,000 in fines for driving without insurance.

Since Jan. 1, 2024, the Ottawa OPP has charged 697 drivers for driving a motor vehicle without insurance.

Fathi says it’s dangerous to be driving without insurance.

“We have one officer here who himself since January has laid 70 charges on his own,” Fathi said.