OAKVILLE, Ontario, Oct. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While progress has been made to implement mandatory alcohol screening (MAS) and roadside oral fluid testing for drugs following their introduction in 2018, more can be done to increase their usage and maximize detection and deterrence of impaired driving, according to a national scan MADD Canada conducted with several police services.
In an effort to assess the usage – and barriers to usage – of the testing measures to detect impaired driving, MADD Canada consulted with police services across the country. The National Scan: An Enforcement Level Review of Bill C-46 and Canada’s Impaired Driving Testing Regime identifies potential shortfalls with usage and implementation of the existing testing regime, provides insights and proposes improvements.
Canada’s impaired driving legislation was overhauled in 2018 with the enactment of Bill C-46. Among other changes, the legislation authorized the use of mandatory alcohol screening (MAS) and roadside oral fluid testing for the detection of impaired drivers. The National Scan was undertaken to assess how these and other detection tools are being used currently, and to suggest improvements that will lead to increased detection and deterrence of impaired driving.
The scan found that police are using these screening tools, however, more can be done to ensure that police have the policies, resources and training to make the most effective and efficient use of these tools. The key conclusions and recommendations resulting from the National Scan are:
- police should work towards an ultimate goal of using MAS at every lawful traffic stop where the officer has an approved screening device (ASD);
- a standardized system to track the use and outcomes of detection tools should be adopted to aid policy makers and police in making decisions and making the most efficient use of resources;
- federal and provincial/territorial government resources must be devoted to providing police with better drug screening equipment and more officer training; and
- steps must be taken to reduce the wait times for having blood samples taken and for laboratory analyses to be completed.
“The suggestions and recommendations in this document require action and resources by police services and the federal, provincial and territorial governments,” said Eric Dumschat, MADD Canada’s Legal Director and author of the National Scan. “MADD Canada is eager to work with all stakeholders on these issues. Ultimately, we want Canada to have the best impaired driving testing regime possible.”
In-depth questionnaires were sent to 62 police services, asking about their usage of MAS, oral fluid testing for drugs, standardized field sobriety testing, drug recognition evaluations and blood testing. Thirty-eight police services completed the questionnaire; their catchment areas cover approximately 70% of the Canadian population. The responding police services were not named to preserve the anonymity of the responses.
The following provides a general overview of some key responses and issues identified in the National Scan specific to MAS and oral fluid testing for drugs. For detailed information on all testing measures and responses, please view the full report. (It should be noted that the Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on the responses provided, which is outlined in the report.)
Mandatory Alcohol Screening
MAS authorizes the police to demand a roadside breath test from any driver whom they have lawfully stopped if they have an ASD with them. Decades of research in numerous countries has established that well-publicized, comprehensive MAS programs result in significant and sustained reductions in alcohol-related crash deaths and injuries. The key to its effectiveness is the number of drivers tested: to achieve significant deterrent effect of MAS, the equivalent of one-third of licenced drivers in the jurisdiction need to be tested annually.
MAS is being used in some form by almost every responding police service, with usage varying from rare occasions to every interaction or traffic stop. Some police services have policies to use MAS at all traffic stops, but in many cases, it is left to the officers’ discretion.
Police forces identified several barriers to using MAS currently, including: the absence of a clear policy among police services about when MAS should be used; insufficient ASD devices; and a lack of awareness about MAS among the Canadian public, leading to a hesitancy among the public to comply with lawful MAS demands.
“The current usage rates of MAS are promising, but there is much room for improvement,” said Mr. Dumschat. “In order to realize the full benefits of MAS, we believe all jurisdictions should work towards implementing the widespread use of MAS by making it standard at all traffic stops. This will require additional resources on the part of police and governments for training and equipment.”
Oral Fluid Testing
Of the 38 responding police services, 22 are currently using roadside oral fluid testing, but only 12 of those tracked information about completed tests in 2019 and 2020. Among those 12 police services, the testing rate increased nearly 200% from 2019 (97 tests) to 2020 (307 tests). Despite that impressive increase, the testing rate is still quite low. The 12 police services had 194 devices between them, representing approximately 1.5 tests per device in 2020.
“The information we received through the scan is in line with what we have been told anecdotally, which is that roadside oral fluid testing is not currently being used in any great capacity,” Mr. Dumschat said.
A great deal more can be done to increase usage of roadside oral fluid testing, but it will depend on addressing several barriers. These include: a lack of trained officers (largely the result of the pandemic); and concerns about the devices themselves, including the ability to only detect a limited number of drugs, the temperature ranges the devices can operate in, and the costs associated with the devices.
MADD Canada believes police services should run pilot projects to assess the role of roadside oral fluid testing in their testing regimes.
Data Collection
Finally, a key issue highlighted in the National Scan is the wide variation in how police are tracking data on the use of MAS and drug testing measures. MADD Canada recommends the adoption of a standard reporting structure to allow for more comprehensive and consistent statistics. This would, in turn, facilitate the identification of jurisdictional trends and inform decision making on resource allotment and distribution.
About MADD Canada
MADD Canada is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in more than 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. To learn more, visit www.madd.ca.
