Drivers in Saskatoon will face a significant change during traffic stops beginning in the new year. The Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) has announced it will implement Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) starting January 1, 2026.
What Mandatory Alcohol Screening Means for Drivers
Under the new policy, officers from the SPS traffic unit will be required to request a breath sample from every driver they pull over for a traffic violation. This represents a shift from the previous practice, where officers had the discretion to demand a test based on suspicion of impairment.
Sergeant Raymond Robertson, who leads the SPS traffic unit, explained the change. "We've always been able to use it, now it's just being mandated," he stated. Robertson emphasized that the legal authority for this procedure has existed since 2018, when changes to the Criminal Code permitted police to conduct MAS tests without needing specific grounds for suspicion. This law was later upheld in a 2020 legal challenge.
A Deliberate and Educated Rollout
The decision to wait until 2026 to mandate the screening was intentional. Sergeant Robertson said the delay allowed the police service to make a "proper" and "educated" decision and to ensure a smooth transition for the community.
Saskatoon is not the first jurisdiction in Saskatchewan to adopt this approach. The Saskatchewan RCMP began mandatory screening of drivers in April 2024, and police in Regina have been using the law at roadside check stops.
Robertson pointed to international examples, such as Australia and New Zealand, where MAS has led to more impaired drivers being caught and, subsequently, declines in traffic fatalities. "The statistics show that there's more and more people being held accountable for impaired driving through mandatory alcohol screening," he noted.
The Goal: Safety and Education
The primary motivation behind the policy is public safety. Data from Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) reveals a sobering statistic: 37 per cent of fatal collisions in the province from 2018 to 2022 involved alcohol or drug impairment.
Beyond enforcement, Robertson sees an educational benefit. He believes some people who drive impaired do not fully grasp how alcohol impacts their driving ability, and the screening process can serve as a critical reminder.
Initially, the mandate applies only to officers within the dedicated traffic unit. However, Robertson indicated the policy could expand. "I can see it being mandated for any uniformed officer performing any lawful traffic stop in the city of Saskatoon," he said.
This move by the Saskatoon Police Service marks a new phase in the fight against impaired driving, shifting towards a proactive, zero-tolerance stance at routine traffic stops in an effort to make the city's roads safer.
