This week on Driving Law, Kyla Lee and Paul Doroshenko tackle the strange collision of judicial bias, electric one-wheeled skateboards, and one of the most absurd highway videos you’ll ever see. From questions of fairness in Vancouver traffic court to a Mississauga driver balancing a staircase on her car, Episode 418 delivers both legal insight and laughs.
The episode opens with a traffic ticket trial in Vancouver. A man riding an electric one-wheel skateboard was fined nearly $600 for operating without insurance, even though ICBC doesn’t insure such devices. The case took a stranger turn when it emerged that the judicial justice had previously recused himself from similar matters—after admitting bias against skateboarders due to past injuries.
Despite this, he pressed forward and convicted the rider. On appeal, the higher court ruled that denying the accused a chance to address the bias issue was a breach of procedural fairness. The conviction was set aside, and the case was sent back for a new hearing.
Kyla and Paul explore why these electric one-wheeled devices fall into a legal grey zone: defined as “motor vehicles” under the law, but impossible to insure—leaving riders criminalized for using products sold in stores.
Finally, the Ridiculous Driver of the Week comes from Mississauga, Ontario, where a young driver was filmed cruising the highway with a full staircase strapped to her car roof. The viral video drew instant comparisons to Arrested Development’s stair car, but police weren’t laughing. The woman now faces charges for transporting an unsecured load, and Kyla and Paul discuss what charges could apply.
As always, the episode blends legal analysis with levity—showing how Canada’s driving laws can be as unpredictable as the people testing them.
