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Impaired Driving Lawyers Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
If you were charged with impaired driving in the Greater Toronto Area, contact a GTA criminal defence lawyer immediately.
Defending You Against the Impaired Driving Charge in the GTA
If you were arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs in the Greater Toronto Area, the impaired driving charge could put your freedom and reputation at risk.
Since DUI charges are punishable by hefty fines and lengthy jail sentences, you should speak with a GTA impaired driving lawyer as soon as possible to provide you with diligent representation.
Here at Lawyers From The Six, our skilled and knowledgeable criminal lawyers are committed to zealously representing your interests in and out of court to defend you against the DUI charges.
What is the impaired driving charge?
Under Section 320.14 of the Criminal Code, you can be charged with impaired driving if you operate or have the care and control of a motor vehicle while your ability to operate the vehicle is impaired by alcohol or drugs.
A police officer can make an arrest for impaired driving if they see you exhibiting signs of impairment or driving erratically (slurred speech, watery or bloodshot eyes, weaving across lane lines, and others).
When someone is facing impaired driving charges, the Crown must demonstrate evidence to prove that the defendant’s ability to operate a motor vehicle was impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Types of impaired driving charges
There are several types of DUI charges in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
- Over 80. While you can be charged with impaired driving in the absence of blood or breath test results, the charge can be elevated to an “over 80” charge if the breathalyzer or blood test shows that your blood alcohol content (BAC) level exceeds 80 milligrams (mg) of alcohol for every 100 mL of blood.
- Failure to provide a sample. If you refuse or fail to comply with the officer’s request to give a blood or breath sample, you can be charged with failure to comply with the officer’s demand.
- Care and control. You could be charged with this type of impaired driving offence even if you were not operating a motor vehicle.
- Underage impaired driving. In the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and elsewhere in Ontario, there is a zero-tolerance policy for underage impaired driving.
What are the penalties for impaired driving?
- A $1,000.00 fine (first offence), 30 days in jail (two offences), or 120 days’ imprisonment (third and subsequent offences);
- A suspension of the driver’s licence for a year, three years, or ten years to lifetime; and
- Enrolment in ignition interlock program for a year, three years, or lifetime.
Punishment for impaired driving charges under federal law depends on the number of DUI convictions on your criminal record. Minimum penalties include:
You may face additional penalties for impaired driving under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, including vehicle impoundment, administrative penalties, and an additional term of driver’s licence suspension.
Contact our GTA impaired driving lawyers at Lawyers From The Six if you were charged with DUI in the Greater Toronto Area.
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