Yes, all drivers are required to stop for R.I.D.E. programs. Under Canadian law, the police are allowed to stop drivers at random to check for sobriety. Police use R.I.D.E. programs to check whether they have reasonable grounds to believe a driver has been consuming or is impaired by alcohol and/or drugs.
If you are stopped in a R.I.D.E. program, the officer will likely ask you if you’ve been drinking. Answering yes to that question or any other indications that you’ve been drinking (such as the scent of alcohol on your breath or slurred speech) gives the officer sufficient grounds to reasonably suspect you have been drinking. Once police have these grounds, they are permitted to ask you for a roadside sample or to complete other roadside sobriety testing. While you are completing this process, your right to counsel is effectively suspended.
If you fail the roadside testing, you will be arrested and should be read your rights to counsel at this time. You could be arrested for impaired operation of a motor vehicle, driving with a blood alcohol level over 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, or both. You will be transported to the police station to undergo a more intensive screening procedure such as a breathalyzer or the Drug Recognition Evaluation.
If you have been charged with an impaired driving offence following a R.I.D.E. program or otherwise, you should seek assistance from experienced counsel. Call DeMelo Law for a free consultation.