By Jon Cohen, Partner at NextLaw — Ontario's stunt driving defence firm

Yes — for a stunt driving charge in Ontario you should have a lawyer, and the worry that a busy firm won't give your case personal attention doesn't match how these cases actually work. A stunt driving charge under section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act is resolved in a private, one-on-one conversation with the prosecutor about your file, and only your file. Cases are never bundled together in that discussion — so whether a firm is handling one file or a thousand, in that room it is only your case, with its complete attention. Individual attention isn't a favour a firm does you; on a stunt driving charge, it's built into how the case is resolved.

If you or your son or daughter has been charged, the fear is real and immediate: a licence suspended on the spot, a car towed away, and penalties that read like a criminal sentence. It's natural to look at a firm that handles a high volume of these cases and wonder whether your file becomes just one more in the pile. This article explains, plainly, why the opposite is true — by walking through exactly how a stunt driving case is handled from the charge to the resolution.

Will my case get personal attention at a busy stunt driving firm?


It will — and not just because a firm promises it. The reason is structural.


A stunt driving charge in Ontario is almost never decided by a dramatic trial. The vast majority of these charges are resolved through negotiation with the prosecutor. And that negotiation happens one file at a time: your case is discussed privately, on its own facts, in its own conversation. Cases are not "bunched" together and pushed through as a group. There is no version of the process where ten files are resolved in one breath.


That means the size of a firm's caseload simply cannot dilute the attention your case gets in the moment that matters. Whether the firm is handling a single stunt file that month or a thousand of them over the year, when your case comes up with the prosecutor, it has undivided attention. Volume doesn't split it, because the process itself doesn't allow it to.

How is a stunt driving charge actually resolved in Ontario?


Here is the process, start to finish, so you can see where the attention goes.


First, disclosure. Before anyone talks strategy or numbers, we order and review the disclosure for your case specifically — the officer's notes, how the speed was measured, the exact circumstances of the charge. This is the difference between advice built on your evidence and advice that's a rubber-stamp. We don't tell you what your case is worth before we've read what the case actually is.


Then, the one-on-one resolution discussion. A stunt driving charge is a Part 3 summons, not a simple ticket, so it is dealt with through the court and the prosecutor's office. The resolution is worked out in a direct, one-on-one discussion with the prosecutor about your file — your driving record, your speed, the road you were on, the specific facts of your charge. Not a template. Not a stack of files pushed through together.


Finally, the outcome. Because most stunt driving charges resolve by negotiation rather than trial, how carefully that single file is prepared, and how it is presented in that one conversation, is everything. That is the whole game — and it is done for your file alone.

How serious is a stunt driving charge in Ontario?


Serious enough that the stakes are exactly why no file can be treated as a number. Stunt driving carries two separate sets of penalties, and it helps to understand them apart from each other.


Roadside penalties — the day you are charged, before any conviction:

- A 30-day driver's licence suspension, issued on the spot.


- A 14-day vehicle impound — and you pay the towing and storage costs regardless of how the case eventually ends.

On-conviction penalties:

- A fine between $2,000 and $10,000.


- A licence suspension of up to three years for a first conviction (longer for subsequent convictions).


- Up to six months in jail.


- Six demerit points.

A stunt driving conviction is also one of the most severe hits a driver's insurance can take, and it may affect premiums for years. It is a provincial offence with criminal-grade penalties — not, in most cases, a criminal charge or a criminal record, but stakes that are heavy enough to change a life. That severity is the reason each file deserves, and gets, individual preparation.

What counts as stunt driving? The speed thresholds


You are charged with stunt driving at specific speeds:

- 40 km/h or more over the limit on a road posted under 80 km/h.


- 50 km/h or more over the limit on a road posted 80 km/h or higher.


- 150 km/h or more, anywhere in the province, regardless of the limit.

Speed is the most common trigger, though the regulation also covers other behaviours. Knowing exactly which threshold applies to your charge — and which penalties are in play — is part of preparing your file properly.

Can you fight a stunt driving charge in Ontario?


Yes. And this is where the worry about a busy firm falls apart entirely. "Fighting" a stunt driving charge rarely means a courtroom showdown; it means the disciplined, informed negotiation described above — disclosure ordered and reviewed, then a resolution worked out with the prosecutor on the strength of your specific file. Historically, many section 172 charges have resolved well for drivers who had representation, precisely because that one conversation was prepared with care. What no honest firm can tell you is a guaranteed result — every case turns on its own facts. What we can tell you is that your case will get the individual attention that makes the best possible resolution achievable.

If it's your son or daughter who has been charged


For a parent, a stunt driving charge is often more frightening than it is for the driver. You are picturing a suspended licence, a lost car, and a young person facing thousands of dollars in fines and a mark that follows them.


Here is the reassurance, and it is an honest one: because a stunt driving case is negotiated on its own, one file at a time, your child's case cannot get "lost in the shuffle" of a larger caseload. It is one file, one conversation, full attention — every time. When you call, we will walk you through exactly what their case looks like, on its own facts.

Talk to NextLaw


If you or your son or daughter is facing a stunt driving charge in Ontario, call NextLaw. We will explain exactly where your case stands and how it will be handled — yours, specifically.

Frequently asked questions


Will my case get personal attention at a busy stunt driving firm?


Yes. Because a stunt driving charge is negotiated with the prosecutor one file at a time, on its own facts, your case gets undivided attention in that discussion regardless of how many files the firm handles. Individual attention is built into how these cases are resolved, not added on top.


Are stunt driving cases handled one at a time or bundled together?


One at a time. The resolution discussion with the prosecutor covers a single file, so cases are never bundled — each is discussed privately on its own facts after its own disclosure review.


Do most stunt driving charges go to trial?


No — the vast majority are resolved through negotiation with the prosecutor rather than a trial, which is why how carefully that single negotiation is prepared matters so much.


How serious is a stunt driving charge in Ontario?


It carries a 30-day roadside licence suspension and 14-day vehicle impound the day you are charged, and on conviction a $2,000–$10,000 fine, up to a three-year suspension, up to six months in jail, and six demerit points.


Is stunt driving a criminal charge in Ontario?


In most cases, no. It is a provincial offence under section 172 of the Highway Traffic Act with criminal-grade penalties, prosecuted as a Part 3 summons — serious, but not usually a Criminal Code charge or a criminal record.


Do you need a lawyer for a stunt driving charge, or can a paralegal handle it?


A stunt driving charge is serious enough that you should have experienced representation. What matters most is that whoever handles your file reviews the disclosure before advising you and negotiates your case individually with the prosecutor — rather than pushing you toward the first offer without reading the evidence. https://www.nextlaw.ca/2026/08/21/stunt-driving-lawyer-personal-attention-ontario/