Quebec Liberals wants penalties from a blood alcohol level of 0.05

A police hand-held breathalyzer is shown in Vancouver, B.C. Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011. Lawyer Paul Doroshenko is questioning the accuracy of the police hand held breathalyzers that are being used by police in the Vancouver area. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

The Quebec Liberal party (PLQ) feels the province should impose administrative penalties on motorists with a blood alcohol content of 0.05 instead of 0.08.

House Leader Monsef Derraji tabled a motion on Wednesday to force the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government to take a stand on this road safety issue.

"I'm offering the CAQ a golden opportunity to follow the science, (...) the coroner's recommendations, but also the CAA-Quebec's suggestions," said Derraji at a news briefing at the national assembly.

All Canadian provinces except the Yukon impose penalties starting at 0.05. In British Columbia, there has been a 52% drop in fatal accidents thanks to this measure, he pointed out.

Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault is currently piloting Bill 48 to improve Quebec's road safety record, and, so far, she has shown no intention of emulating other provinces.

Derraji calls it an "inexplicable" position, recalling the respect Premier François Legault had for public health experts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Mr. Legault (...) followed all the recommendations made by public health (...) Today, public health is in favour of lowering the threshold to 0.05. (...) So Mr. Legault is not in favour of lowering the threshold.(...) So Mr. Legault is faced with his own contradictions," he said.

For him, not lowering the blood alcohol level in Quebec is tantamount to a lack of "courage" and "empathy."

Last week, Derraji accompanied Antoine Bittar and Elizabeth Rivera to a press briefing to call for Quebec to impose administrative penalties from 0.05 onwards.

The couple lost a child to a recidivist drunk driver.

Bittar and Rivera caused a stir during their appearance at the national assembly when they said they had to pay $200 to the CAQ to talk to Guilbault for two minutes about drinking and driving.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 14, 2024.