UNITS 7

Some of the 14 Units below contain facts that are subject to change.

DIRECTIONS: Read each Unit on this webpage:

> If you understand everything in a Unit, circle Unit's # on worksheet.

> If you don't understand everything in a Unit, underline Unit's #.

> If you find a "silly error", write it on a piece of scrap paper.

For this example, you would write "your dog" and "on the roof".

Example Unit: Before driving a vehicle, check the insurance papers to ensure they are valid and there are no restrictions excluding you or your dog from driving the vehicle. Before parking, hide valuables in the trunk or under a seat or on the roof.

Unit 701: Even though 80% of driving is visual, listening is important. Driving with a window at least slightly open on both sides of the vehicle helps you hear noises from your vehicle, trains, emergency vehicles, and vehicles in your blind spots; however, ensure the top edge of a partially opened window is at a height that won't injure vehicle occupants during a crash.

Unit 702: GLP drivers may not use a hands-free communication or electronic device (except for a 911 call to report an emergency), but they can listen to music through a vehicle's sound system from a portable player if it's not hand-held or operated. In the case of R. v. Skull (2013), the judge ruled that the crown doesn't need to prove that a hand-held cell phone is capable of transmitting or receiving.

Unit 703: Grzelak v. BC (2019): The driver had earbuds in his ears and a dead phone in the dashboard's cubbyhole; therefore, the driver was holding part of an electronic device (the earbuds) in a position (in his ears) in which it could be used and it's irrelevant that the battery was dead. There was a $368 fine, 4 penalty points, and an ICBC penalty fee of $210 for using an electronic device while driving.

Unit 704: R. v. Sangha (2020): The driver was seen holding a cell phone in his hand on his thigh after picking it up from the floor after a sudden stop. The driver said he had to pick it up due to safety concerns; however, the "Defence of Necessity" and due diligence do not apply in this case. R. v. Dagelman (2018): A driver who is stopped at a stop sign with the vehicle in "P" and a cell phone in their hand is "driving on a highway".

Unit 705: Some police forces use high resolution cameras with low light capabilities and ultra-long range lenses to catch distracted drivers from more than 1 km away. These cameras can be operated by remote control. First time offenders receive a $368 ticket and 4 penalty points for a total fine of $543.

Unit 706: Impaired driving is the leading cause of criminal death and injury in Canada. Since April 2017, police can take a breathalyzer sample from any driver they stop. Before that date, the police needed reasonable suspicion of alcohol impairment. A person who is unable to trigger a breathalyzer (due to Bell's palsy, bronchitis, etc.) can be penalized as if they were impaired.

Unit 707: One drink (12 oz of beer or cooler, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of 80 proof spirits) will result in a 0.02 to 0.05 BAC (blood alcohol concentration) that will return to a 0 BAC in 1.5 to 3 hours (subject to health, body type, gender, fatigue, food eaten, age, type of alcohol). Only the passage of time will reduce a person's BAC. A cold shower, exercise, coffee, or food will not reduce a person's BAC.

Unit 708: If a host/hostess serves alcohol to a guest, the host/hostess may be liable if the guest drives and crashes. Here are some physiological effects of alcohol: increased reaction time, eyes blinded by glare, loss of depth perception and peripheral vision. Criminal Code of Canada Section 253: Even if a vehicle is not moving, a drug or alcohol impaired person with care or control of the vehicle (near the vehicle with its keys in their possession) commits an offence.

Unit 709: Soto v. Peel (2013): A vehicle's owner normally shared his car with his roommate and the keys were left on a hook. One day the owner learned his roommate was drinking, but the owner didn't remove the keys from the hook; therefore, the vehicle's owner didn't revoke his consent for his roommate to use the vehicle. The owner is liable for his roommate's crash and bad breath.

Unit 710: Raj v. British Columbia (2019): When a peace officer requests the driver's licence of someone who is being accused of driving while impaired and the accused presents the wrong card to the peace officer, this error may be used as circumstantial evidence of the driver's impairment and the weight of this evidence will depend on the circumstances.

Unit 711: If the police believe a driver has taken drugs, they can require physical coordination testing at the roadside. If the driver fails this roadside testing, the police can require a drug recognition evaluation at the police station where blood, urine, and/or saliva samples can be collected. A refusal to comply with a drug recognition evaluation is a criminal offence.

Unit 712: Roadside drug testing can detect opiates, amphetamines, methamphetamines (ecstasy, MDMA), cocaine, benzodiazepines, ketamine, and cannabis. THC (found in cannabis) collects in the body's fatty tissues over time and someone who isn't impaired may test positive for THC. There's up to a $1,000 fine and 10 years in jail if there are 5 ng of THC per ml of blood and alcohol is also detected.

Unit 713: Because the US doesn't recognize cannabis as a legal industry, anyone who is even tangentially involved with cannabis can be charged with "living off the avails of crime". This is a violation of federal law and can result in a lifetime ban from entering the US. Even admitting to using cannabis can lead to a lifetime ban. Online cannabis purchases with credit cards leave a data trail.

Unit 714: Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odorless and colorless gas. It's a result of combustion and it's found in car exhaust. CO poisoning can resemble fatigue and it is sometimes accompanied by dizziness, nausea, breathlessness, headache, and a cherry red color of the mucous tissues. Victims of CO poisoning need immediate access to fresh air and a candy cane.