Beginning April 1st, motorists can expect to give a mandatory breathe sample if they get pulled over by an RCMP officer. That’s from Officer in Charge of Saskatchewan RCMP Traffic Services, Superintendent Grant St. Germaine, who says the RCMP will now be doing Mandatory Alcohol Screenings or MAS on routine traffic stops.

MAS became a part of the criminal code in 2018, giving officers the authority to demand a breath sample without the need for reasonable suspicion. In other words, there don’t have to be any signs that would be obvious to the officer. St. Germaine states that drivers will not be pulled over for the sole purpose of being tested, however the screening will be requested once a driver has already been pulled over for a different traffic violation. He adds that if the driver refuses the screening, they could receive a criminal charge, a financial penalty, a drop of up to 20 demerit points, have their license suspended, or have their vehicle impounded.

He says about 30 per cent of fatal collisions in Saskatchewan are a result of impaired drivers, and through this change, he hopes to see that number fall. “Hopefully the person that happens to be at a bar and says, ‘I’m just going to have one drink’, knows that even though they may not exhibit any signs of impairment, they’re going to be asked to blow into an instrument,” he adds. “We’re doing our best to keep the roads safe…what we’re doing is asking drivers to do the same thing. If you’ve been drinking, get a ride home with somebody else.”