having fought numerous times (in person & via attorney), I fully disagree with your statement. It has been worth it each & every time.

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The entirety of my statement was IF there is no communication based on the OPs post. The remainder of the paragraph notes that is a gamble I would not take.
[/QUOTE]

How would it be 'worth it' in this case? Can you break down the cost / benefit for me?

me too please since OP was technically doing excessive speeding under section 148(1) and the fine was written down and it is within the authority of the judge to increase the fine. so fine could possibly double.

i hate to say it be the days of the technical outs of tickets are gone...what we do not have is the abilitiy like i am sure OP knows ot negotiate down a speeding ticket to an infraction like parking in front of a hydrant in which case the local prosecutor will know that the money from this lesser offence that MIGHT be more in $$$ goes locally versus the speeding fine that does not. so in the USA there appears to be more interesting options but not in BC and not in Ontario. [and may not attract points to increase insurance costs...i am sure this attorney is going to espouse this benefit]

I can see how it'd be worth it if the driver already has a ticket or two on his/her record and knows BC tickets will post to the insurance company.

What's it cost for a lawyer to fix a ticket in BC? Grab the local alternative newspaper, turn to the back page, and check the ads... ;)

We could guess at the numbers:

(604) 1EX COPS
(604) DONT PAY
etc etc!

Let me count the ways.

1) thrown out, cop did not appear
2) I've had fines reduced from hundred's to $50 or less. (last example I have was using cell phone in Chicago, reduced to $20 from I forget how many exact hundreds they wanted if I had just paid the ticket)
3) Pay the fine but am granted supervision (so essentially dropped if I have a clean driving record for 3-6 months)
4) Pay the fine but violation dropped to a non-moving one.
(I can't provide cost saved by insurance premium not going up for the last two points)

Also, let's not forget if one has a company car, having a severe speeding ticket or other traffic violation come to the attention of one's employer is not worth it no matter the financial cost to fight it.

so yes for me and my many experiences, it has ALWAYS been to my benefit to go to court or to have someone appear for me.

Sure, but in this case most of these examples don't apply, or aren't relevant under British Columbia law.

oh don't get so fussed about the fact that there is a border in the way ruin Sweet Willie's delusions that the way this is dealt with in BC is the same as it is in the old u, s of a....

by all means, OP follow Sweet Willie's advice. Puts money, not only into the gov's pockets, but into the pocket of my fellow collegues of the bar in BC.

I didn't say that, are you delusional or just trying to be the smug smartarse?

I pointed out what I've done in the US.
If this approach isn't an option in BC, then fine, but to just pay a fine w/o doing research is foolish.
The OP wasn't aware of his options, I think you've made it clear that apparently that it isn't worthwhile to go, or have someone appear for you, in BC court.

There is also the hassle factor - I recevied a parking ticket... for parking at my own address. Isn't a cat in hell's chance that had I shown up with my ID showing my residence on it, the ticket would have stuck. No doubt in my mind. But to do so, I would have had to go into the city, spend my time waiting to see someone (within a fixed time period of x days, between 9 and 4, meaning I couldn't just do so when I was around there anyway) and take time out of work to do so. So I just paid it.

Gglave is right on. Police officers are no longer required to appear. They can submit their statement by affidavit. This was changed a few years ago to cut down on the opportunists who knew they were guilty but disputed tickets and wasted the court's time just in the hopes the officer wouldn't show. And no such thing as supervision here.

The only part I agree might be worthwhile is that the judge has the discretion to alter the fine depending on the circumstances, i.e. defendant is a student with limited funds etc. but I can't see it happening in this case as the speed was so far above the posted limit. But I have personally also seen judges raise the fine amount for various reasons, although rarely. This could be one of those cases, IMO, as it really should have been an Excessive violation and it might p.o. the judge that he had the nerve to try and get out of even the lesser fine instead of being grateful for the break he was given. The judge has the discretion to raise or lower the fine and he ight decide a bigger deterrent/punishment is warranted in certain circumstances.

As far as I know this only applies to violations assessed against the vehicle, such as speed cameras and parking violations. A speeding citation assessed against the driver by a police officer pulling them over does not become a liability of the owner.

Does anyone remember a similiar discussion but it was a European girl who got a speeding tix in the US and it ended up causing huge travel problems. The tix escalated with fines to hundreds and hundreds of dollars and hers didn't start at 196 and finally a warrant for her arrest. Then she had trouble renting a car again and was worried about travel to certain states. Just pay the fine and be done with it.

Not paying is not a good idea - there might be issues later when you enter Canada at a land crossing or get pull over for a moving violation.

Paying is not a good idea - without understanding the full implication of a paying the fine which in many places equals a guilty plead and the ramification on your driving record and insurance rates. Especially for a 50kph over infraction.

Look up Traffic ticket paralegals in BC/Vancouver who will know the consequences and fight the ticket to get the damages of the charges and the record minimized.