September 2018

As we covered in one of the first posts, the preliminary examination and first pulse are an important step in the manipulation of the Drug Recognition Program results to support impairment. The first pulse is discussed here. But this week, we look at the second pulse that has to be taken, along with blood pressure and the subject’s temperature. After these assessments are complete, the DRE officer will move on to more eye examinations, which we discuss next weeks.

So read on to find out why vital signs are important, and why a second pulse is taken.

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, our dreams of two kids in a trench coat doing something shifty finally come true. Only to be squashed again by the oppressive state of Russia. But lighten up, at least you’re not the guy in the post who is facing a mischief charge for destroying a breathalyzer, right? Right? Read on to find out more!

This week on the Driving Law podcast, I speak with Emma Wilson my articled-student-turned-lawyer about poverty and social justice, and where that fits in the driving law context. She and I bounce around some ideas for how to make driving law more accessible in the social justice sphere, but there’s very little to hope for.

You can listen on PlayerFM, SoundCloud, or subscribe on iTunes.

After the eye examinations have been completed, the DRE officer will move on to the next steps in the investigation. Those steps include what are known as “psychophysical tests.” As with last week, this step of the evaluation is actually a series of other steps amalgamated into one.
 
For the psychophysical tests, the goal is to measure impairment of the ability to drive by assessing the individual’s physical and cognitive condition. But rather than a proper cognitive assessment, which you can find here, the test evaluates cognitive ability through trickery. Similarly, as we will see below, the physical aspects of the test are confusing in and of themselves and are extremely difficult for anyone to perform after age 30. You’ll see why as we break them down.
 
The four tests that are preformed at this stage of the evaluation are the Modified Romberg Balance Test, the One Leg Stand, the Walk and Turn, and the Finger to Nose test.

This week, Weird and Wacky Wednesdays kicks off with the case of a man who dived off a BC Ferry and commandeered a life raft. I will give you three guesses as to why. Then, we examine what happens when a drug bust is a lot sweeter than expected. And finally, our attention is turned once again to a fantastic concept known as irony.

All this and more on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays!

In Episode Twenty of the Driving Law with Kyla Lee podcast, I speak with Paul Doroshenko about more information on the Drager DrugTest 5000. We also look at two interesting issues: the increase in deaths of motorcyclists in British Columbia, and examine the potential explanations for that; and the proposal in Alberta to use cameras to enforce vehicle noise laws.

You can subscribe on iTunes, or listen on SoundCloud or PlayerFM.

The Vancouver Sun recently published an op-ed piece, written by Dr. Patrick McGeer. He is an emeritus professor at the UBC School of Medicine and continues to conduct research in the field of neurology. Sounds like a smart guy. In his op-ed, he claims that cannabis legalization is harmful to Canadians. And he is wrong.

Not only has Dr. McGeer overlooked the numerous social benefits that will flow from legalization, but his article stinks of reefer madness. And it’s simply not supported by any scientific research. As a professional researcher and professor, I would expect more from the good doctor. But it appears that he is more interested in fear-mongering and scare tactics than publishing a reasoned and supported opinion.

So let’s break it down.