Immediate Roadside Sanction

  • The True Cost of a DUI in Alberta

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    A DUI in Alberta has major financial, legal, and personal consequences. You may face vehicle impoundment, loss of income, fines, legal fees, increased insurance rates, and long-term impacts on your family and future. Understanding these costs can help you make informed decisions and protect your rights. Being charged with impaired driving in Alberta is more than just an inconvenience; it can affect nearly every part of your life. You may be facing immediate penalties, financial strain, and lasting consequences that will follow you for years. If you are dealing with a Notice of Administrative Penalty or a DUI charge, you should understand what lies ahead and how these costs can add up quickly. 1. Immediate Consequences: Vehicle Impoundment Once you receive a Notice of Administrative…

  • 5 Things to Know If You’re Pulled Over for a DUI

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    If you get pulled over for a suspected DUI, stay calm. You should record the interaction if it is safe to do so, give the police your required identification, use your right to remain silent for any other questions, answer honestly about your last drink, and take the roadside breath test. These steps help protect you until you can speak with a lawyer. Being pulled over for a Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is stressful and intimidating. If this happens, you may not know what to say or how to act. Understanding your rights and responsibilities can keep a difficult situation from becoming much worse. Here is what you should do and what you should avoid during a DUI stop in Alberta. 1. Start Recording…

  • What to Expect After a DUI Charge in Alberta

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    If you are charged with impaired driving in Alberta, you may face both criminal charges and administrative penalties. You have only seven days to respond to an administrative penalty, so acting quickly with the help of an experienced lawyer is crucial. Facing a DUI in Alberta Alberta’s impaired driving system is complicated and knowing what to expect is key to protecting both your rights and your future. Criminal Charge or Administrative Penalty? The first step is figuring out whether you received a criminal charge, an administrative penalty, or both. Many first-time DUI cases now result in administrative penalties only, but it is possible to face both systems at once. Act Fast—You May Have Only Seven Days to Respond If you received an administrative penalty, you…

  • IRS NetLetter Alberta – Legal Insights on Impaired Driving

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    IRS NetLetter Alberta – Legal Insights on Impaired Driving Gunn Law Group has found a unique way to ring in the new year. Starting in January 2025, once a month, the lawyers at Gunn Law Group will be collaborating to offer the public an IRS NetLetter addressing the evolution of impaired driving law in Alberta. An IRS refers to an Immediate Roadside Sanction, also known as a Notice of Administrative Penalty (NAP). As most of you know, in Alberta, a driver who is stopped for the first time on an allegation of an alcohol-related driving offence will not normally receive criminal charges unless there was an accident or some other significant aggravating circumstance. Usually, the person will receive an administrative sanction which can be appealed….

  • How to Run (and Hopefully Win) Your IRS Version 2.0

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    For all of you who may be facing a Notice of Administrative Penalty (NAP) for an Immediate Roadside Sanction (IRS), Gunn Law Group has an exciting announcement! We’re beginning a four-part series called, “How to Run (and Hopefully Win]) Your IRS 2.0”. We had created a podcast by the same name in 2022 but, of course, a lot has changed since then. We also realized that some people may only need assistance or want to know more about one particular aspect of SafeRoads litigation. On September 29th, 2024, the first episode of how to navigate the SafeRoads portal will be published. There are a number of reasons why you may want or need to go to the SafeRoads portal. First, all the police disclosure is…

  • SafeRoads Alberta: a guide to Immediate Roadside Sanctions (IRS)

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    What is SafeRoads Alberta? SafeRoads Alberta is a provincial administrative system and was introduced in December 2020 as part of the Safe Roads Initiative in Alberta. It was designed to manage appeals related to Notices of Administrative Penalties (NAP) under the province’s impaired driving enforcement program. This system represents a significant shift from traditional criminal court proceedings to an administrative model, streamlining processes and reducing strain on Alberta’s legal system. Why was SafeRoads Alberta created? SafeRoads Alberta was established alongside a major overhaul of Alberta’s DUI laws, with the following primary objectives: Through this system, police officers can immediately impose penalties such as licence suspensions, vehicle seizures, and fines under the Immediate Roadside Sanction (IRS) program. However, severe or repeat offences may still lead to…

  • What My Husband Bought Me For Christmas

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    Christmas is over but some gifts keep on giving. Last Christmas, I asked my husband for an important gift. I wanted a dash cam for my vehicle. If you have listened to our podcast entitled, “Why SafeRoads Does Not Make Me Feel Safe,” you might be able to guess why. If a person is stopped by a police officer, especially if it is in RCMP territory, chances are that there is an audio and video recording going on the whole time. Many of our clients often express their desire to review the video evidence in their case, as they believe it could substantiate key aspects such as: instances of potential police misconduct, challenges in providing a breath sample, discrepancies between recorded results and officer reports,…

  • Outside the 7-day appeal for the impaired charge? Here is hope!

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    Getting stopped for a DUI never happens at a good moment. However, sometimes, it happens at a time when you just aren’t able to deal with it. Unfortunately, the IRS scheme waits for no one. If you got an Immediate Roadside Sanction for impaired driving (by alcohol or a drug), refusal, or failure to provide samples, you are expected to start your appeal within seven days. If you don’t, you will have to make an application to apply for late review. When the SafeRoads regime first came into being, my assumption was that those late reviews were going to be easy to get. It would enhance the look of fairness, apart from actually being fair. And I feel like that was the case, but then…

  • SafeRoads Alberta – A User-Friendly System? Think Again!

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    When they introduced the new SafeRoads Alberta system, the government put a lot of emphasis on how the new system would be so simple and easy to access: If passed, Alberta will create a simplified, accessible and swift system for resolving matters involving most first-time impaired driving and other traffic safety offences. By removing these matters from the court system, we will save thousands of hours of police and court time per year, ensuring Alberta’s prosecutors and courts are able focus on the most serious justice matters and more police are patrolling the streets.[1] Well, the legislation passed, and it is not that simple or accessible. It is swift, though. Ever hear the expression by Sun Tzu, “the wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind…

  • SafeRoads Alberta – Not a Simple System

    ByShannon Gunn Emery Hours

    If you were stopped for impaired driving, failing to provide a sample, or blowing over, you were likely given a Notice of Administrative Penalty. It’s also known as an N-A-P, also known as a NAP, also known as an Immediate Roadside Sanction, also known as an IRS… and the confusion doesn’t stop there. We’re here to give you tips and tricks for how to deal with this situation. Most importantly, do not pay the fine, if you pay the fine you will be cancelling any hearing that was already set up for you or it will preclude you from setting up the hearing. Don’t sit on it – you only have seven days to appeal! You can sometimes apply for an extension, but they’re not…

Contact Gunn Law

Contact Gunn Law Group today to discuss your legal needs and explore your options. Our team of experienced lawyers is here to provide you with the guidance and representation you require.

Edmonton Office: (780) 488-4460
Hinton Office: (587) 467-0731
After Hours: (780) 801-8095 (for people in custody or for urgent matters)

Your future deserves the dedication of Gunn Law Group. Let us help you navigate through whatever legal challenges you are facing.

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