Saskatchewan RCMP will begin conducting Mandatory Alcohol Screenings (MAS) on all lawful traffic stops within Saskatchewan RCMP jurisdiction on an ongoing basis, starting on April 1, 2024.

This follows the Regina Police Service Traffic Safety Unit's traffic safety spotlight which fully utilizes the 2018 Criminal Code Section 320.27(2), which allows a lawful demand of a breath sample from any driver of a motor vehicle, without the need for reasonable suspicion. 

This does not mean that drivers will be pulled over for the sole purpose of completing a MAS, the MAS will only be requested if a driver is pulled over for traffic violations, such as speeding, reckless driving, brake lights not working, and various other traffic violations. 

The decision was to conduct Mandatory Alcohol Screenings was made due to the more than 1700 individuals charged with impaired driving in the year 2023, and the link between impaired driving and fatal collisions.

If a driver is over the alcohol legal limit it can result in the following, but is not limited to:

  • Criminal Code conviction for impaired driving
  • Impounded vehicle
  • Suspended driver's license
  • Initial $2,250 penalty
  • An immediate drop to -20 demerit points on your license.

Refusal to comply with providing a breath sample or failure to provide a suitable breath sample is considered a "failure to, or refusal to comply with demand" which can incur the same penalties as driving over the legal limit.

The aim of the program is to discourage impaired driving through the certainty of providing a breath sample during a traffic stop.