Nova Scotia Buzz
Throughout the month of May, Halifax Regional RCMP, along with the RCMP Southeast Traffic Services, will be conducting mandatory alcohol screenings during traffic stops across communities within the Halifax Regional Municipality. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to curb impaired driving, which remains a leading cause of serious and fatal accidents on the roads.
Introduced to the Criminal Code in 2018, mandatory alcohol screening allows police to request a breath sample from any driver without needing reasonable suspicion of impairment. Drivers will not be stopped exclusively for a screening; it will only be conducted when a driver has been pulled over for other traffic violations such as speeding or malfunctioning brake lights.
The screenings will be carried out using an approved device, and the process takes approximately 90 seconds. If a driver is found to have a blood alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08, consequences can include a Criminal Code conviction for impaired driving, vehicle impoundment, and an immediate suspension of the driver’s license.
Cpl. Chuck Simm of the RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment Traffic Unit emphasized the effectiveness of the screening in preventing impaired driving: “The certainty of a Mandatory Alcohol Screening is to help discourage those consuming alcohol from getting behind the wheel. This is part of our work to help keep our roads and highways safer.”
Refusal to comply with a mandatory alcohol screening demand can lead to penalties, including a Criminal Code conviction and further legal repercussions.
