What is the charge?
A driver or passenger not properly secured. "Properly" does the work here — it covers wearing a belt incorrectly (behind the back, under the arm, shoulder strap off), not just failing to wear one. As the driver you are responsible for every passenger under 16. Passengers 16 and over are charged individually.
The prosecution has to prove several distinct things, and they are rarely all documented: that a functioning belt was present in that seating position, that it was not being worn or not worn properly, and that the officer could actually see this. Several exemptions also apply — certain delivery and taxi drivers in the course of their work, some emergency personnel, and drivers with a valid medical exemption certificate. On a charge this specific, the gap between what happened and what the officer's notes can establish is often the whole case
Penalties
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$240 fine
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2 demerit points — doubled to 4 if a passenger under 16 is also unbuckled
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On your record for 2 years
Novice drivers (G1, G2, M1, M2): escalating suspensions instead — 30 days, then 90 days, then licence cancellation on a third offence.
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