Being accused of driving under the influence is a serious matter that needs your attention. Whether you are facing charges or just want to be prepared for any situation, you should know how to handle it all from the very beginning. From the moment that you are pulled over until your day in court, what can you expect from DUI charges in Canada? 

If you need to educate yourself on this important topic, here is your crash course to driving under the influence charges:

Being Pulled Over

When you are initially pulled over by an officer, they must make a determination about whether you appear to have been under the influence within the past three hours. If they have any reason to suspect that you might not be totally sober, they can request a breath sample. Reasons to request a breath sample include erratic or reckless driving, the smell of alcohol, or finding actual alcohol in your vehicle. 

From here, you may be required to give even more information to the officer. They may progress to requesting a blood sample or urine sample to prove that you are sober. Failure to comply with any or all of these requests can result in a suspension of your license. 

The Charges

Driving under the influence or DUI charges have been considered a federal criminal offence since the early 1900s. This term implies that you have operated a motor vehicle while under the influence of either drugs or alcohol. Under the criminal code, you may be faced with charges for driving under the influence if your blood alcohol level is greater than 80 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. 

You may be more familiar with the decimal version of this number, 0.08%. 

What if your blood alcohol level is not at 0.08 but is still quite high? It is possible that you might still face fines and charges as well as a suspension of your license. However, the particular details of what you might be facing will vary from province to province. 

Every province in Canada has its own system for setting punishments and fines. You may be required to pay a fine, spend some time with your license suspended, or you may be required to take a rehabilitative course. In general, most provinces support a fine for the first offence and jail time for the second and subsequent offences. The information also gets added into your background check.

Avoid Driving Under the Influence

Unfortunately, too many people take the risk and get behind the wheel of their car when they are not sober. It puts your life and the lives of those around you in jeopardy. This is why Canadian officials take DUI charges so incredibly seriously – and so should you! If you need a DUI lawyer in Winnipeg, be sure to call the very best. Matthew Gould is ready and willing to help you minimize the charges that are brought against you.