Quebec couple speaking up about tougher drunk driving laws after political controversy
Days after being thrust into a political controversy at the national assembly, Quebec couple Antoine Bittar and Élizabeth Rivera are speaking out — not about being asked to pay $200 to meet the transport minister but to advocate for safer road laws.
Last week, the husband and wife who lost their daughter, Jessica, to a drunk driver in 2017 revealed to a parliamentary committee that they paid $100 each to speak for a total of four minutes with Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault last fall at a cocktail after receiving an invitation from her office.
They had desperately wanted to talk about changing Quebec's blood-alcohol limit so they agreed to pay the fee. But amid the Coalition Avenir Quebec's (CAQ) wider fundraising controversy, the party offered to reimburse the couple.
Bittar and Rivera are now trying to turn everyone's attention to what they were fighting for in the first place — having Quebec introduce administrative sanctions for drivers caught behind the wheel with a blood-alcohol level of 0.05. Right now, sanctions are only considered under the Criminal Code when someone reaches a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or higher.
"We're trying to save lives and we're trying to avoid other families to pass through what we passed," Bittar said in an interview with CTV News. "It's impossible to explain to people what it is [like] to lose a child."
They want to see changes to Quebec's Highway Safety Code to set administrative penalties, such as fines and temporary licence suspensions, for people caught driving in the warn range, which would be between 0.05 and 0.079.
What drives the couple in their advocacy is their daughter's memory, which they are hoping to honour by making changes they say could have prevented the tragic crash that ended her life.
"It's not extreme. It's just a warning. Once you get caught with this and you have to pay $1,000, the next time you're going to think about it. You'll say, 'What? $1,000? I could have paid $50 for a taxi.'"
Ontario, like other provinces, has sanctions for the warn range starting at 0.05. For a first offence, a driver who fails the roadside test must pay a $250 penalty and have their licences suspended for three days. They also have to pay for a licence reinstatement fee.
All provinces and territories, except Quebec and Yukon, have administrative sanctions for blood-alcohol limits below the 0.08 threshold, according to a petition tabled in the Quebec legislature last November calling for the new law.
Marianne Dessurealt, the head of legal affairs at the Association pour la santé publique du Québec (ASPQ), supports the proposed legislation. She said there is data showing that the possibility of a fatal collision increases four to six times at the 0.05 level or higher and that most impaired driving collisions involve first-time offenders, rather than recidivists.
An administrative sanction is not a criminal one, she says, comparing it to a speeding ticket.
"At 0.05 it's really a statement and a warning range so we need to understand that as a population, as a community. It's a warning range, between which you could understand what is it, exactly, because 0.08 you don't exactly know how many drinks you could have. But if you pass that point you have a criminal record possibly. And before that, it's a warning so it's a chance to gauge yourself," she said.
M.A.D.D. Montreal spokesperson Theresa-Anne Krame is also in favour of changing the road safety laws in Quebec.
"It works. in B.C., it lowered the death rate dramatically and we want to have that same effect here in Quebec, and yet we're being denied it," she said.
Guilbault's office did not respond to CTV News' request for comment by publication time on Saturday.
Rivera and Bittar say they can't understand why the minister refuses to lower the limit.
"That's what we're asking all the time: can you please tell us why?" said Bittar. "Let's talk about it."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Israeli attack on Rafah tent camp kills 45, prompts global outcry
An Israeli airstrike triggered a massive blaze killing 45 people in a tent camp in the Gaza city of Rafah, officials said on Monday, prompting an outcry from global leaders who urged the implementation of a World Court ruling to halt Israel's assault.
A cross-country look at beer and wine in convenience stores
By Labour Day weekend, Ontarians of legal drinking age could snag a six-pack at their local convenience store on the way to the cottage. But what are alcohol sales like across the country? Here's what we know.
Former 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor fatally shot in Los Angeles
Former 'General Hospital' actor Johnny Wactor was fatally shot in downtown Los Angeles while interrupting thieves Saturday, according to his agent and CNN affiliate KABC.
Kingston, Ont. tenants fed up with lack of action from landlord over broken floor tiles
Joel Felder and Misti Pitcher have been living in their apartment in Kingston, Ont. for over two years, but the past 12 months have been miserable.
Are you a loud snorer? You could have sleep apnea
You'll have a lot more energy throughout the day if you get a good night's sleep, but not everyone does due to a medical condition.
U of T protesters don't plan to pack up, will hold rally at eviction deadline
Pro-Palestinian protesters who have been camped out at the University of Toronto for weeks say they have no plans to honour the terms of a trespass notice issued by the school and clear the demonstration site by 8 a.m. today.
She developed a passion for genealogy while finding her roots. Now she helps others find their own
Lauren Robilliard always knew she was adopted. As the B.C. native grew older, she developed a passion for genealogy, tracing her roots and paving the way for a career to help others find their own.
The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
Papua New Guinea says landslide buried more than 2,000 people
A Papua New Guinea government official has told the United Nations more than 2,000 people were believed to have been buried alive by Friday's landslide and has formally asked for international help.