A Prince Albert sergeant said officers won’t be demanding road-side tests, just because they soon can.
Later this month, police across the country will be allowed to conduct mandatory breath tests on any driver – without reasonable suspicion they’re impaired.
Sgt. Jesse Barlow is teaching officers throughout the province about the new laws coming into effect.
He said he’s encouraging them to use discretion and common sense.
“There’s going to be signs. There’s going to be symptoms. Those are the people that we’re probably going to be administering those tests too still – just like we did before,” Barlow said.
The road-side test is a preliminary tool which shows whether a driver has alcohol in their system. If a driver fails the test, an officer would arrest the driver, and take them to the police station for a breathalyzer test.
The Saskatoon Police Service said last week they too don’t plan on using the new power very often.
Saskatchewan RCMP said although the changes will make it easier for an officer to demand a test, drivers won’t necessarily see more officers requesting them.
The new law also states, if you are above 0.8 within two hours of driving it’s presumed you were over the limit at the time of driving. In the past, officers would need to bring in an expert to prove the driver was impaired while in the vehicle.
The rules come into effect Dec. 18.
