DUI/Impaired & Dangerous Driving Charges Alberta

DUI stands for “driving under the influence.” This means that you are driving while affected by alcohol or drugs. In Canada, this is the same as driving while impaired.Since these two terms are interchangeable, the charges are the same for both.

A DUI charge can be dropped for two main reasons. First, if your defence lawyer can expose major flaws in the Crown Prosecutor’s case, it may deem the case inappropriate to prosecute.

Secondly, the Crown may be agreeable to a plea bargain in which you plead guilty to a careless driving charge. However, this depends entirely on the overall facts of the case.

Dangerous driving charges are laid when the accused had the intention of driving in a location that is accessible and available to the public. These charges can be laid in the absence of alcohol and drugs.

While the police and Crown Prosecutor have to prove that you planned on driving dangerously around the public, they do not have to prove there was an accident as a result of the dangerous driving.

While there are no limits on travelling between provinces with a DUI on your criminal record, whether or not you can enter another country depends on their laws as well as the circumstances of your offence.

When traveling to the U.S. from Canada, border agents will be able to access certain details surrounding your charges. They can then make a determination if you are allowed into their country.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that refusing a breath test eliminates any proof that you were driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Even if you refuse to give a breath sample, you can be charged with failing or refusing to provide one.
The consequences of these charges can be just as severe as a DUI.