Impaired driving remains a grave concern in Saskatchewan, but it's possible new federal legislation could mitigate that.

The federal government's Bill C-46 comes into effect Tuesday and will affect the ability of police services to detect and enforce alcohol- and drug-impaired driving. Police offers will no longer need to have a specific reason for demanding a roadside breath sample from drivers they pull over. They simply need a legal reason to stop that vehicle and can proceed from there.

Chief of Police in Moose Jaw Rick Bourassa, says they still can't just pull over anyone they choose.

"It still requires reasonable suspicion. We have people that are trained in both standardized field sobriety training, and drug recognition expert training. Depending on those tests if they then develop reasonable grounds to believe that the person is impaired then they can move on to the next step which is either demanding a breath test or in the case of drugs a blood sample."

Lawmakers suggest the changes are a way to detect drivers who feel it's acceptable to have a couple of drinks and still get behind the wheel. Opponents suggest the new rules go too far and many expect the changes will be challenged before the courts very quickly.

"The reasonable suspicion thing is what I think people are a little bit concerned about. When a police officer forms a reasonable suspicion that someone's doing something - opposed to reasonable grounds to believe, that can be a bit troublesome. The threshold for suspicion is lower than the threshold for reasonable grounds to believe."

Bourassa goes on to say just because someone is driving impaired, doesn't mean they are over the legal limit...and debatably – vice versa.

"Someone's ability to drive a vehicle is impaired by an alcohol or drug. There's a second component to that where the amount of alcohol or drug in their body exceeds the legal limit. Anyone who refuses to take the breath test, they would then would be subject to be charged with refusing the demand of a police officer to take those tests."

Mandatory minimum sentences are also increasing for impaired driving and refusal-to-provide-a-sample convictions.

"The charge under the criminal code is 'refusing the demand,' so it's not the same as being charged with exceeding the legal limit," says Chief Bourassa, "but it is still a criminal charge that goes to court now that would generally coincide with a charge of impaired driving."