impaired driving

Today's episode is a special one. I am sharing an episode of Ben Perrin's podcast, Indictment: the Criminal Justice System on Trial which can be found here: https://indictment.simplecast.com/ In the most recent episode of Indictment, Ben shares Harold Johnson's final public talk - and what a gift it is to listen to Harold one more time. 

For more info on the Justice as Trauma Conference, please check out: www.justiceastrauma.ca 

Below is a copy of Ben's show notes from the original Indictment episode: 

Powerful. Unflinching. Visionary. Hear Indigenous lawyer and author Harold Johnson (1957-2022) deliver his final public lecture powerfully indicting the Canadian criminal justice system and making an impassioned case for Indigenous justice. A member of the Montreal Lake Cree Nation, Harold was a Harvard-trained Crown prosecutor and criminal defence lawyer who quit practising law because of the harm it was causing Indigenous people. Instead, he devoted the rest of his life to advocating for Indigenous justice and developing and implementing initiatives to bring healing and restoration in Indigenous communities. This special episode was recorded live on November 8, 2021 at the UBC Peter A. Allard School of Law in Vancouver as Harold spoke to the entire first year class. Harold Johnson passed away three months later on February 9, 2022. His legacy and words live on.

Content Note: discussion of trauma, intimate partner violence, violence, suicide, death by impaired driving, substance use, colonial violence against Indigenous people including residential schools and incarceration. There is also mention of sexual violence. Click here for mental health support resources if you need support. 

Harold's book include:

Harold Johnson, Peace and Good Order: The Case for Indigenous Justice in Canada 

Harold Johnson, Firewater: How Alcohol Is Killing My People (and Yours)

Order your copy of Indictment: The Criminal Justice System on Trial  (Aevo UTP, 2023). Visit www.benjaminperrin.ca for the latest news and upcoming events. Thank you to Joan Johnson for permission to share this lecture. 

Join us for a special episode of Red White and Boo. 

We are proud to interview Christine Bottom.  Christine is the spouse of a retired Soldier, Mother of 2, and proud Mimi of 3. Her son Zachary was tragically killed in a drunk driving accident on March 1st, 2020. Zachary served our country in the Army and was a proud father of 2 and unaware of number 3 on the way at the time of his death.

We are humbled to have Christine share her story and to continue to be an advocate for this important message. We invite you to listen, engage, and share her story so others may never know this heartache.

Mother's Against Drunk Driving's purpose is to end drunk driving, hep fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking. To learn more, visit their website.

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If you do not like scary stories, please do not listen to this podcast. Wait for another, less terrifying one. There will be others, I swear. I pinky swear. If, however, you are bold and courageous, I invite you to travel with me for another half hour on an  Adventure in Law and Life.

John gives a thorough going-over of Alberta legislation that abolishes a foundational legal principle of the free society: the presumption of innocence. Though this new law deals with traffic violations and seems inconsequential, the implications are enormous. It's a very dangerous move down the slippery slope, on a slide towards tyranny.

CTV News, Jan 12, 2022: Quebec wants to tax the unvaccinated, but experts say it could backfire

Bloomberg, Jan 14, 2022: Trudeau Plays Dangerous Game Demanding U.S. Truckers Have Shots

Daily Mail, Jan 12, 2022: Unvaccinated Canadian parents and their four-year-old son with leukemia are being evicted from a Ronald McDonald house because they've not had COVID shot

Alex Berenson's Substack Unreported Truths, Jan 15, 2022: The government of Alberta says you are not allowed to see dis information

Alberta Queen's Printer: The (Alberta) Provincial Administrative Penalties Act (PDF)

Bill Kaufman in the Fort Saskatchewan Record, Jan 14, 2022: Charter challenges against impending traffic ticket system possible: lawyers

Licia Corbella in the Calgary Sun,  Jan 15, 2022: Kenney chooses pragmatism over principle with new traffic court law

CPAC on Youtube, Jan 13, 2022: Alberta update on COVID-19 – January 13, 2022

CanLII, Jul 8, 2016: Trial R. v. Jordan, 2016 SCC 27 [2016] 1 SCR 631

Toronto Sun Editorial, Jul 31, 2021: Huge public debt risks Canada's future

Courthouse Libraries BC, Dec 31, 2022: Charter Section 11(b) - Constitutional Remedy for Traffic Violations

Theme Music "Carpay Diem" by Dave Stevens

Every day, roughly 100 people in the United States are killed in road crashes. Globally, that number is approximately Ten to 15% of those deaths are directly attributable to distracted driving. 

Driving distracted increases the chances of a motor vehicle crash by at least 23 times. Statistically, distracted driving is as dangerous as driving while impaired by drugs or alcohol. 

So, what is being done to tackle distracted driving?

In this latest episode of Global Road Safety, we’re joined by two special guests: Paul Ripley, founder of Distraction 999 and the 2020 winner of the Prince Michael of Kent Special Road Safety Award:

“A lack of skill is the problem. Youngsters’ attitude is 25% of the safety equation, but it's never spoken about, it's never mentioned. So this is why I've gone into the attitudinal stuff and studied that for 28 years. This is the golden nugget of driver safety — it's a mindset, not necessarily a skill set.” Paul Ripley 

Ted Chen, entrepreneur, and co-founder of LifeSaver Mobile, a company offering a fleet safety solution focused on preventing distracted driving and speeding shares his thoughts on distracted driving.

“Science tells us that our brains are programmed by this chemical called dopamine to be addicted to the smartphone. Smartphones have provided us with a virtually unlimited supply of social stimuli, both positive and negative.” Ted Chen

To find out how we can all tackle distracted driving and keep our roads safer, download and listen today. 

On today’s podcast:

• The lack of skill in driving
• A lackadaisical attitude towards safety
• The effect of the pandemic on the quality of driving
• How phone usage increases the risk of a crash by 23%

Links:

• https://lifesaver-app.com/
• www.distraction999.com

With safer vehicle designed driver assistance, technology and mountains of data available from monitoring devices, why is it that vehicle crashes and deaths continue to rise? 

With the decades of research, public awareness and marketing that has happened around the world with regards to impaired driving, there's data to suggest that 45 to 50% of all fatal crashes involve a driver under the influence of one or more substances. 

“When we look at drugs, people may not be aware or perceive that they've got a negative performance impact on their driving… they just are unaware of the fact that they are impaired, they think that they've got it and they express a level of confidence.”

Given the pace at which cannabis legalisation and use is growing, we spoke with Dr. Timothy Brown, research scientist and director of drug driving research at the University of Iowa College of Engineering, about the impact of cannabis and other drugs on impaired driving. 

He shares how he became involved in drug driving research, the groundbreaking antihistamine research in the 90s, why it’s complicated to say how much cannabis makes you impaired, at what point does a drug require a driving study from the FDA for approval, and why we aren’t identifying impaired driving as a significant contributor to the upward trends in crash statistics.

“If we can't document what the problem is, then people believe there's not a problem. That’s the challenge. Distraction wasn't an issue until we started getting stats that showed that there were concerns [about] an increase in folks who were using their cell phones and getting involved in crashes.”

To find out more about how we can keep our roads safer, download and listen today. 

On today’s podcast:

• How he got into drug driving research
• Antihistamine research in the 90s
• The risk of using cannabis and driving
• Why it’s tough to say how much cannabis makes you impaired
• The challenge of prescription meds and driving

Links:

• National Academies Of Sciences Research Board On Impairment In Transportation
• ICADTS

In the U.S. over 36,000 people are killed each year in motor vehicles accidents.  In our conversation with Cathy Chase, President of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, we highlight 3 preventable ways that YOU can help reduce vehicle collisions and fatalities.   Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety’s mission is to push for the establishment of federal and state laws, policies and programs that prevent crashes and save lives.  

In Control Family Foundation Executive Director (Dan Strollo) and Director of Operations (Jeremy Randall) focus on the first hands-on lesson with your new driver.  What they should know before you even start the engine.

You can learn more about In Control by visiting www.DriveInControl.org

You can follow along in the Parent Supervised Driver Training Program guide for Massachusetts by downloading here

DO NOT SKIP THIS PODCAST!

In Control Family Foundation Executive Director (Dan Strollo) and Director of Operations (Jeremy Randall) talk with Emily Stein from Safe Roads Alliance about Distracted Driving, Drunk Driving, Driving Under the Influence and Drugs and Drowsy Driving.

You can learn more information about In Control's training at www.DriveInControl.org

You can learn more about Safe Roads Alliance at www.SafeRoadsAlliance.org

In studio today, Bert is joined by criminal defence lawyer, Sarah Leamon. In 2017, she was invited to speak before the House of Commons Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, providing legal testimony on the changes to Canada’s impaired driving laws in light of cannabis legalization, and has since then continued her advisory role with the federal government, submitting frequent briefs, pertaining to issues from hate speech to human trafficking. In 2018, she founded her own law firm, located in downtown Vancouver, with a focus on impaired driving, cannabis regulation, and criminal defence. Along with supporting a number of local non-profit organizations, she is currently the Board Chair for PACE Society, which offers low-barrier programming, and support, for Vancouver’s marginalized sex workers.

License to Chill with Bert Hick is recorded live at Studio 710, in downtown Vancouver, and produced by JadeMaple. For more information, check out RisingTideConsultants.ca