‘Be prepared’: OPP mandating breath samples during all GTA traffic stops in effort to prevent drunk driving

Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are warning drivers to “be prepared” to give a breath sample if you’re pulled over for any reason in the Greater Toronto Area, even if they don’t suspect you’ve been drinking.

In a release Wednesday, the OPP said they’re now conducing Mandatory Alcohol Screening (MAS) “as part of every traffic stop.”

“As impaired driving occurrences continue to increase in Ontario Provincial Police jurisdictions, the OPP is taking its strongest measures yet to detect, investigate and remove impaired drivers from our roads.”

The OPP says the move comes as impaired driving collisions and charges are up close to 30 per cent over the previous five-year average.

“Motorists are again reminded to be prepared to provide a breath sample during a traffic stop,” an OPP release states.

The OPP says under Canada’s Mandatory Alcohol Screening law, drivers must immediately comply with a police officer’s demand for a breath sample, “even in the absence of any suspicion that they have consumed alcohol.”

“Drivers who do not comply with a breath demand could be charged for failure or refusal to comply under the Criminal Code.”