Introduction

Andrew Captan is an Impaired Driving Lawyer in Toronto and an experienced Toronto Defense Attorney. If you’ve been charged with Impaired Driving or a DWI in Toronto, call (647) 878-6355 or e-mail andrew@captanlaw.com for a FREE consultation today.

December Toronto Police Impaired Driving Enforcement

Due to the holiday season approaching, Toronto Police Services often ramps up their enforcement of Impaired Driving in Toronto.  This is typically done by way of a holiday RIDE program where the police conduct randomized stops on motorists to check on sobriety.

In the first weekend of the program in 2022, the police made 34 arrests for Impaired Driving or DWI Offences in Toronto!

The Ontario Provincial Police also runs programs concurrently with municipal police forces, like the Toronto Police. This year, the OPP’s program started on November 16 and runs until January 1st.

Increase enforcement means:

  • More police conducting spot checks
  • More police located in parking lots in or around liquor stores
  • More police conducting mobile sobriety checks (ie, pulling you over randomly while you are driving)
  • More RIDE spot check locations across the city

DUI Charges in Toronto

Toronto Over 80 Lawyers are often busy during this time of year due to the volume of people being charged with DUI offences.  The easiest way to avoid a DUI / Impaired Driving Charge in Toronto is to simply refrain from drinking alcohol (or consuming drugs) before driving. 

The following are the offences that the Toronto Police Service and OPP can lay in their “blitz” on Impaired Driving this holiday season:

  • Impaired operation
  • Impaired care or control
  • Operate with Excess Blood Alcohol Concentration
  • Care or control with Excess Blood Alcohol Concentration
  • Refusing / Failing to Provide Breath Sample

Police Enforcement Powers

During these blitzes on Impaired Driving in Toronto, the police have a number of powers relating to curbing drinking and driving. Some of these powers include the following:

  • Demanding that you provide a sample of your breath into an Approved Screening Device without cause
  • Arresting you and transporting you to the police station if you register a Fail reading on an Approved Screening Device
  • Impounding your car at the roadside for 7 days if you fail a screening test or are otherwise arrested for Impaired Driving
  • Suspending your licence for 90 days if you are arrested and charged with any DUI offence in Toronto
  • Demanding that you complete field sobriety tests (such as walking in a straight line)

Failure to comply with lawful police demands could give rise to criminal charges, including:

  • Obstruct police
  • Refusal to comply with lawful demand

Are DUIs / DWIs in Toronto Serious Offences

Any criminal offence is serious, and all DUIs or Impaired Driving Charges in Toronto are criminal offences, not traffic tickets.  Not only do they give rise to criminal records that are permanent in nature, they can also have impact the following:

  • Your current insurance policy
  • Your ability to be insured in the future
  • Your ability to maintain a valid licence in Ontario
  • Your ability to drive without restrictions, such as Ignition Interlock Devices

How Much Can You Drink Before Driving

There are legal limits in place that prohibit you from having a blood alcohol concentration of over a certain percentage:

  • For fully licenced drivers, that is 80 mg of alcohol for every 100 ml of blood as the criminal limit
  • For fully licenced drivers, that is 50 mg of alcohol for every 100 ml of blood as a provincial traffic law limit
  • For young or new drivers, the limit is 0 mg of alcohol (no alcohol in your system is permitted), which includes: drivers 21 and younger; G1 drivers; G2 drivers; M1 drivers and M2 drivers.

Depending on your size and weight, only a few alcohol beverages may put you over the criminal law limit of 80.  You will likely need to call a Toronto Over 80 Lawyer if you are charged this holiday season (or at any time) with operating your vehicle in excess of the legal limit

Andrew Captan – Toronto Over 80 Lawyer

If you’ve been charged with a DUI, DWI or Impaired Driving in Toronto, you’ll need the expertise of a DUI Lawyer in Toronto. Andrew Captan is an experienced DUI Lawyer in Toronto who has been practicing for over 12 years in the area of criminal defence and DUI Law. He is relied on by other lawyers to assist with their DUI matters or provide second opinions. Call (647) 878 – 6355 for a FREE initial consultation today.

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