Dangerous Operation of a Vehicle or Boat | Criminal Lawyer

Dangerous operation of a vehicle means driving a motor vehicle in a way that is dangerous to the public. It can include drunk driving but also includes many other dangerous driving practices. Also, you may be charged with this offence if you were driving any motor vehicle dangerously, including a boat, aircraft, off-road vehicles, and snowmobiles. A criminal lawyer can help you minimize the penalties for these charges or raise a strong defence.

Dangerous Operation of a Vehicle

Examples of dangerous driving may include falling asleep at the wheel. It may be combined with a number of other charges, depending on what you were alleged to do, including failure to yield or impaired driving.

Dangerous operation of a vehicle is a hybrid offence, which means the Crown prosecutor has a choice to pursue your case as a summary offence with light penalties or an indictable offence with harsher penalties. You may face:

  • Maximum fine of $5,000 and/or six months in jail (summary offence)
  • Maximum of five years in jail (indictable offence)

If you are charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing bodily harm or causing death, the penalties will be higher. There must have been an accident for these charges to be laid. However, one needs to be near the roadway for you to be charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle.

What to Do If You’re Charged With Dangerous Operation of a Vehicle

What is considered dangerous driving depends on the circumstance you were facing as a driver. Therefore, there are many potential defences your criminal lawyer can raise to better demonstrate the circumstances you were faced with and to explain that your driving choices were reasonable.

When forming a case, the police have a lot of discretion to decide what counts as dangerous operation of a boat or vehicle. They may attempt to gather information that could prove you should have known your decisions were dangerous. For example, they could seek to prove you knew or should have known there was a real chance you would fall asleep at the wheel.

If you are charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle, you should use your right to remain silent and then contact a criminal lawyer. You should not make a statement to the police. If you have already done so, the experienced lawyers at What The Law may be able to get your statement excluded from court. The earlier you contact us, the better.

647-295-6499info@whatthelaw.com