RCMP in B.C. can now set up road checks at certain spots in the province to prevent people from travelling for non-essential reasons outside of their zones.
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If you are stopped at a road check between regions, Farnworth says police are only allowed to ask:
- a driver’s name, address and driver’s license
- any available documentation regarding driver’s name and address (for example, secondary identification that confirms a driver’s residential address if recently moved)
- the purpose of the driver’s travel (documentation regarding travel is not required)
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Lawyer Kyla Lee notes that while police may ask questions beyond the three listed above, people are not compelled to answer them.
She’s pleased to hear that people won’t have to show documentation on the purpose of their travel or provide details beyond the reasons they are travelling.
“Asking people to get into too many details … could put a much more onerous burden on individuals,” Lee said. “I had initially been concerned that the way the inquiries were going to take place roadside would mean that people of colour, Indigenous people, Black people who were travelling would be subjected to more questioning and more scrutiny.”
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