In addition to driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs or medication, other offences in connection with driving a road vehicle are criminal offences.
List of driving-related Criminal Code offences other than impaired driving
- Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle
- Dangerous operation causing bodily harm
- Dangerous operation causing death
- Dangerous operation of a motor vehicle (street racing)
- Dangerous operation causing bodily harm (street racing)
- Dangerous operation causing death (street racing)
- Causing bodily harm by criminal negligence (street racing)
- Causing death by criminal negligence (street racing)
- Causing bodily harm by criminal negligence
- Causing death by criminal negligence
- Manslaughter
- Failure to stop when pursued by police
- Causing bodily harm or death by failure to stop when pursued by police
- Failure to stop after being involved in an accident
- Failure to stop after being involved in an accident causing bodily harm
- Failure to stop after being involved in an accident causing bodily harm or death
Penalties provided by the Criminal Code and the Highway Safety Code
These offences result in penalties under both the Highway Safety Code and the Criminal Code, such as:
- driving prohibition and licence revocation
- a fine or a prison sentence
- a criminal record
These offences are criminal both in Québec and elsewhere!
If one of these offences is committed elsewhere in Canada or in an American state with which Québec has entered into a reciprocity agreement, it is entered in the driver's record and results in the same penalties as if the offence had been committed in Québec.
Conviction
If you are found guilty of an offence under the Criminal Code, your licence will be revoked and you will be prohibited from driving anywhere in Canada and in the American states with which Québec has entered into an agreement.
You will also be prohibited from obtaining a licence for the entire length of the driving prohibition period.
Revoked licence = cancelled licence
You will have to undertake the procedure to reacquire a licence. In most cases, you will be required to pass a reinstatement knowledge test.
Driving with a revoked licence: very stiff penalties
Driving with a licence that was revoked as a result of a Criminal Code conviction can lead to very severe penalties, such as:
- additional criminal charges
- a fine of $1,500.00 to $3,000.00, in addition to legal and administrative costs
- seizure and impoundment of the vehicle you are driving for 7, 30 or 90 days, depending on the situation. The vehicle is towed and impounded at the owner's expense
Length of the driving prohibition
The penalty usually comes into effect on the day the court has rendered a guilty verdict. The length of the penalty period is determined on the basis of:
- the nature of the offence
- the driving prohibition period ordered by the court
- the number of criminal convictions you have received over the 10 previous years
Driving prohibition: 1st offence
- 1 year
- 4 years for failure to stop after being involved in an accident (hit-and-run) or when pursued by police
Driving prohibition: 2nd offence
- 3 years
- 5 years for failure to stop after being involved in an accident (hit-and-run) or when pursued by police
Driving prohibition: 3rd offence
- 5 years
