4-Point Offences in Ontario

Which offences carry 4 points

Two common Ontario convictions carry 4 demerit points: speeding 30–49 km/h over the posted limit, and following too closely (commonly known as tailgating). Both involve an elevated, ongoing collision risk rather than an isolated momentary error, which is part of why they sit above the 3-point bracket.

Speeding 30–49 km/h over the limit

As the gap between a driver’s speed and the posted limit grows, so does the point penalty attached to a conviction. Where 16–29 km/h over carries 3 points, 30–49 km/h over jumps to 4. Speeding penalties in Ontario continue to escalate from there — 50 km/h or more over the limit is treated as a 6-point offence and can also trigger stunt-driving provisions, covered on our 6-point offences page.

Following too closely

Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act requires drivers to maintain a following distance that allows them to stop safely if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly. A conviction for following too closely reflects a driver who didn’t maintain that buffer, a pattern strongly associated with rear-end collisions, particularly in highway traffic or sudden-stop scenarios.

Why this bracket matters more for novice drivers

A single conviction’s point value matters more for novice drivers than for fully licensed ones, because the escalation thresholds are steeper for G1, G2, M1, and M2 licence holders. A fully licensed driver generally needs 9 or more points before facing an interview or more serious warning, while a novice driver reaches that same escalation at just 6 points. A single 4-point conviction can therefore represent a much larger share of a novice driver’s available room before the next threshold — especially if it’s combined with even a smaller prior conviction still active on the record. See our page on novice-driver escalation rules for the full threshold comparison.

As with every bracket on this scale, the point value is separate from the fine amount and any other consequences (such as insurance impact) that may follow a conviction. For the complete list of Ontario offences by point value, see the demerit-point chart.

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