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In this week’s episode of the Driving Law podcast, I speak with Paul Doroshenko of Acumen Law Corporation about a few issues we have previously covered. We start with an update on red light speed cameras in British Columbia, as well as a discussion of the fallout surrounding Edmonton’s use of noise detection cameras and devices. Then, we recap Talk Like a Pirate Day. Finally, Paul and I talk about Bill C-75, which we had discussed in Episode 1.

You can follow us on iTunes, PlayerFM, or on SoundCloud.

As I mentioned in an earlier post about the Drug Recognition Evaluation Program, there are a series of steps related to assessing an individual’s eyes. As we’ve already seen, the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus and the Vertical Gaze Nystagmus tests are two such examinations, and each with their own set of flaws and reliability concerns. But there is more than meets the eye to the eye examinations in the DRE.

The next stage involves the assessment of the behaviour of a person’s pupils in response to various lighting conditions. I find this to be one of the more problematic aspects of the test, for reasons that will become clear in this post and in the coming weeks. So without further ado, here’s what happens when you and the officer go into a dark room together.

This week on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays, a hodgepodge of assorted absurdities. Beginning with the case of a woman who foreshadowed her own crimes. Then, a costumed man is kicked off a plane. And he’s not even from Florida! Finally, we analyze the case of a very honest man who made a series of very bad decisions that you should never ever repeat.

All that and more! (okay, not more) on Weird and Wacky Wednesdays.

This week on the Driving Law Podcast, I speak with the famed and outspoken cannabis activist, Dana Larsen. We begin our discussion about cannabis impaired driving laws and the science behind them. Then, we move into the area of Dana’s own concerns approaching the issue. But we also have a more wide-ranging discussion about other issues surrounding legalization generally.

You can listen to our very interesting discussion on SoundCloud or PlayerFM. And like always, you can subscribe on iTunes so you never miss an episode.

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.