Saskatchewan police will be stopping drivers at various check stops throughout the province to check for impaired driving and request quick breathalysers during the holiday season.
“Check stops are an important enforcement tool and a highly visual reminder to drivers about the importance of planning a safe ride home. Impaired driving is a persistent and deadly problem in Saskatchewan, and it requires creative solutions and ongoing enforcement,” said Don Morgan, Minister Responsible for SGI. SGI is providing additional funding to police agencies to conduct more than 40 check stops this December to keep our roads safe.”
Check stops can happen on highways, municipal streets, cities or in towns. The public is encouraged to call 9-1-1 to report any motorist driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Police will also use less conspicuous tactics to catch impaired drivers.
The bottom line is: Anyone who is driving impaired, will be caught, arrested and charged anywhere in Saskatchewan.
Police can legally stop anyone and ask for alcohol breath tests under federal legislation Bill C-46 which took effect in 2018. A trained officer does not require a reasonable suspicion to make a formal demand that someone provide a breath sample into an approved screening device. Refuse to comply with Police demands for breath tests can be charged with a Criminal Code offence, with penalties that are the same or greater than those for impaired driving convictions. The breath test takes a matter of seconds to give its analysis, and the tested driver will be on their way quickly if they are not driving in impaired conditions.
“We appreciate the cooperation of drivers who may be pulled over for out check stops. Please be assured that a demand for a breath sample is not an accusation; it’s a standard procedure to help ensure that people drive sober. We use all the tools we have at our disposal to try to keep our roads safe-roadside breath tests being one of them,” said Supt. Grant St. Germaine, Officer in Charge of the Saskatchewan RCMP’s Traffic Services Division.
Drivers are reminded to only drive in sober conditions and to find a safe ride home when they are impaired.
