Case Law

Driving related decisions by the courts.

CASE LAW - R v Dickson

BC Courts Coat of ArmsThis Supreme Court case from 2003 is useful to illustrate two topics: lane splitting by motorcyclists is illegal in BC and traffic court justices may prohibit drivers based on a bad driving record and have the prohibition upheld by the higher courts.

Ignoring a Driving Prohibition Notice

BC Courts Coat of Arms imageWhen you receive mail from the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles (aka: RoadSafetyBC) it is never a good idea to ignore it. Garret Cole received a driving prohibition notice and did not open the envelope. Shortly after that he was found driving by police and charged. At trial he tried to convince the court that he did not know that he was a prohibited driver.

CASE LAW - R v Rhone

BC Courts Coat of ArmsKelly Rae Rhone was charged for operating a motor vehicle without proper insurance while driving on the Trans Canada Highway at Mill Bay, B.C. Ms. Rhone disputed the traffic ticket on the basis that keeping the insurance current was her husband's job and that she did not know the insurance was expired.

CASE LAW - R v Rei

BC Courts Coat of ArmsIs it a Motor Assisted Cycle (MAC) or a Limited Speed Motorcycle (LSM)? In the case of R v Rei it all comes down to whether there are pedals installed so that the driver may physically propel the device or not.

CASE LAW - Sivia v British Columbia (Superintendent of Motor Vehicles)

BC Courts Coat of ArmsThe reasons for judgment of Mr. Justice Sigurdson (in chambers) continues from the case where he found that British Columbia's Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) where a driver provided a fail breath sample was contrary to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms because it did not provide for sufficient grounds for review of a prohibition.

CASE LAW - R v Soriano

BC Courts Coat of ArmsMr. Soriano was convicted of speeding and fined $138 on April 6, 2010. He subsequently appealed his conviction to the Supreme Court of BC claiming that the verdict was unreasonable because he was not exceeding the speed limit. There was a miscarriage of justice because his hearing was not fair. The Justice showed an attitude toward him that offended and intimidated him.

Green Light: Look Before You Go

image of a green lightA green light doesn't always mean go unless you've had a good look to make sure that there are no hazards present before you proceed. Jennifer Biggers learned this when the vehicle she was driving collided with Carol Murdoch, who was crossing quickly in a marked crosswalk against a red light at the intersection of Blanshard Street and Saanich Road in Victoria.

CASE LAW - Ormiston v ICBC

BC Courts Coat of ArmsDixon Ormiston fell from his bicycle and sustained serious injury after being forced against a concrete abutment by a vehicle that veered into his path while he was passing it on the right side. Of interest in deciding the liability in this case is the examination of passing on the right, both by a vehicle driver and a cyclist.