Manitoba RCMP traffic services will be conducting mandatory roadside alcohol screenings over the May long weekend to deter impaired driving, the Mounties said on Thursday.
People who are pulled over at an alcohol screening checkstop will be asked to blow into a breathalyzer, a tool officers use to detect impaired driving and reduce such high-risk behaviours.
“Please know that when you are pulled over and asked to take a roadside test, we are not trying to inconvenience you, we are not targeting you, we are not showing you our authority — we are trying to keep all Manitobans safe on the road,” Insp. Michael Gagliardi, the officer in charge of Manitoba RCMP traffic services, told reporters at a news conference on Thursday.
Alcohol screenings are permitted under Bill C-46, which came into effect in 2018, RCMP said in a news release. The legislation allows officers to conduct roadside screenings for alcohol without needing to have reasonable grounds to suspect impairment.
Legislators put the bill into effect as a proven traffic safety measure to save lives, as impaired driving continues to be the leading criminal cause of death in Canada, RCMP said.
“It is so easy to think life-altering collisions won’t happen to you, but the fact of the matter is that it can happen to you before you can even blink and recognize it coming,” Gagliardi said.
“It may not be you driving unsafely, but someone else’s choice can affect your life — in fact, it could end it.”
From 2022 to April 30 of this year, officers have seen a total of 3,681 cases of impaired driving, which Gagliardi described as “far too many.” Those statistics exclude cases where a toxicology report is pending.
Gagliardi said there were a total of 42 fatalities and 84 serious injuries confirmed or suspected to involve impairment over that period.
RCMP say they screen everyone they pull over to eliminate the perception of bias.
Officers will also use automated licence plate readers, which are present in many RCMP vehicles, so high-risk drivers, prohibited drivers and stolen vehicles can be identified quickly and efficiently.
The screenings will take place during Canada Road Safety Week, which runs from May 14 to 20.