Motor vehicle offences include offences under the Motor Vehicle Act in Nova Scotia such as speeding, and more serious offences under the Criminal Code such as Dangerous Driving or Dangerous Driving Causing Bodily Harm or Death.

Charges under the Nova Scotia Motor Vehicle Act can range from simple speeding offences to more serious charges such as Careless and Imprudent Driving or Dangerous Driving. Most offences under the Motor Vehicle Act involve the payment of a fine and the accumulation of the merit points which could see your driver’s licence revoked. Some offences under the Motor Vehicle Act will result in driving suspensions sometimes for as long as a year or more in addition to the payment of a fine. Most persons charged with offences under the Motor Vehicle Act simply pay the fine or otherwise plead “Guilty” not understanding the very serious consequences which may follow. A conviction for various offences under the Motor Vehicle Act may cause your insurance company to place you in a higher risk category and raise your insurance significantly or cancel your insurance altogether.

At Singleton & Associates we routinely defend persons charged with offences under the Motor Vehicle Act. Our intervention frequently results in the charges being dismissed, reduced or with the accused person found “Not Guilty” if there is a trial.

We attach a copy of the Demerit Point System Table for the Province of Nova Scotia for offences under the Motor Vehicle Act. You should consult this table before making any decision to enter a plea of “Guilty” to any offence under the Motor Vehicle Act.

The Criminal Code has a number of offences which relate to the operation of a motor vehicle which includes Dangerous Driving, Driving while a Licence is Suspended, and Hit and Run charges. These criminal charges are sometimes laid in the context of arrests for Impaired Driving but are frequently laid by the police in cases where alcohol has not been involved at all.

A Dangerous Driving charge may be laid by the police where the operation of a motor vehicle is considered a danger to the public or property. The police consider various factors in laying such a charge such as location, time of day, traffic conditions and the nature of the incident itself. A charge of Dangerous Driving is very serious and could result in a criminal record, a driving suspension and possibly a period of time in jail. If a person is injured or killed and the prosecution can prove that the injury or death occurred as a result of dangerous driving by the accused, the maximum sentence could be as high as fourteen years in prison.

In addition to the severe criminal penalties for Dangerous Driving and other Criminal Code motor vehicle offences, a person facing a Dangerous Driving charge will face skyrocketing insurance rates or even the possibility of an insurance policy being cancelled altogether.

If you are charged with Dangerous Driving or any other motor vehicle offence under the Criminal Code you should contact a lawyer immediately. Many such charges are laid as a result of over-reactions by police officers and an experienced criminal defence lawyer can successfully defend against such charges.

If you are being investigated for any offence under the Criminal Code relating to the operation of a motor vehicle you should call Thomas J. Singleton before making any statement to the police. Mr. Singleton can be reached at (902) 492-7000 or (902) 483-3080 (after hours).