Saskatchewan RCMP will now administer a breathalyzer test at every traffic stop in their jurisdiction.
RCMP began the program on April 1 and say they will continue the practice on an ongoing basis.
The campaign is the result of powers given to police in 2018 changes to The Criminal Code. Those changes introduced a section allowing for mandatory alcohol screenings to be conducted on any driver of a motor vehicle without the need for reasonable suspicion.
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People asked to provide a breathalyzer test are legally obligated to do so, said Kyla Lee, a lawyer with the Acumen Law Corporation in Vancouver, who specializes in impaired driving cases.
“You do not have the right to speak to a lawyer before blowing into the breathalyzer, so if you’re asked to blow, the best advice is to just blow,” said Lee.
If a person says they are not going to provide a sample they can an be charged with a criminal offence that carries penalties that are the same or even greater than an impaired driving conviction.
According to the SGI, that can include an immediate roadside licence suspension and an immediate 30-day vehicle impoundment. If convicted, punishment can also include a minimum $2,000 fine and a one-year requirement for an ignition interlock device.
