Drivers could face mandatory alcohol screening during traffic stops in Ottawa, police warn
Ottawa police warn drivers pulled over for a traffic stop may be asked to provide a breath sample, as the service continues to see a rise in impaired drivers on the roads.
Newly released statistics show 260 drivers were charged with impaired-driving related offences on Ottawa roads in the first four months of this year. A total of 885 people were charged with impaired driving in 2023.
Police say officers will continue to "proactively patrol" Ottawa's roads, and officers may ask drivers to participate in mandatory alcohol screening during traffic stops.
"If you are pulled over for a traffic stop, an officer may ask you to provide a sample into an approved screening device," Acting Sgt. Amy Gagnon said in a media release.
"Under Canada’s Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) law, drivers must comply with a police officer’s demand for a sample, even in the absence of any suspicion that they have consumed alcohol. Officers are also trained to request drivers to submit to a series of roadside tests if they suspect that the driver is impaired by drugs."
Gagnon told Newstalk 580 CFRA's Ottawa Now with Kristy Cameron that the type of traffic stop that would trigger a mandatory alcohol screening would be determined by traffic officers at the start of each shift.
"They could say, 'Today, every person I pull over for speeding 30 over, the mandatory alcohol screening will be made.' Or it could be every person that's going through a stop sign. We're giving the officers the freedom to make that decision," she said.
Gagnon said the decision to screen will not be made on a stop-by-stop basis.
"We're going to ask for some consistency. It helps everyone, it helps officers get comfortable with the mandatory screening demand and how it all works."
Last week, the Ontario Provincial Police announced the implementation of the mandatory alcohol screening in all traffic stops in the Greater Toronto Area, following a nearly 30 per cent increase in impaired-driving related collisions.
The OPP said that if drivers refuse to provide a breath sample, they will be criminally charged.
Previously, officers only requested alcohol testing when they had reason to suspect a driver was under the influence.
Ottawa police are reminding drivers not to get behind the wheel if they are impaired.
"Driving while impaired, more commonly known as 'drinking and driving', also includes driving under the influence of any drugs," police said.
"While cannabis is legal in Canada, consuming it and driving remains illegal. There is no circumstance where it is acceptable to consume cannabis or other drugs and get behind the wheel. Decisions like these not only endanger yourself as a driver, but everyone around you, including other drivers, pedestrians, cyclists and more."
The mandatory alcohol screening is used around the world and have proven results, according to police.
With files from CTV News Toronto's Brooklyn Connolly
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
BREAKING Jury deliberations begin in Donald Trump's hush money criminal case
Jury deliberations began Wednesday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, putting the outcome of the historic case in the hands of a dozen New Yorkers who have vowed to be fair and impartial in the face of their unprecedented task.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'Scandals and secrets': On board the world's most exclusive private residential ship
It’s a floating city exclusively home to the 1 per cent, a playground for multimillionaires and billionaires that circumnavigates the world's oceans.
What weather experts say to expect this summer in Canada
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
Canada announces $11B for military aircraft training
Canada has announced an $11.2-billion contract to improve training platforms for the military, including the purchase of 70 training aircraft for the Future Aircrew Training program.
CNN exclusive: A federal grand jury may soon hear from Sean 'Diddy' Combs' accusers
Federal investigators are preparing to bring accusers of music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs before a federal grand jury, two sources familiar with the probe tell CNN — signaling the U.S. Justice Department is moving toward potentially seeking an indictment of Combs.
In bizarre provocation, North Korea flies trash, manure balloons over the South
North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.