Blood alcohol limit in Quebec Alcohol and driving bans in Montreal

Quebec’s blood alcohol limit has been a point of contention in Montreal and across the province for years, with debates over what the limit should be in recent years.

The Quebec government announced in 2009 that it would lower the blood alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05 to conform with Canada’s strict stance on drunk driving. But by the end of 2010, the government withdrew. Then-Quebec Transportation Minister Sam Hamad claimed residents were not “ready” for such a change. “We want to do it, but not now,” he told The Globe and Mail.

Intensive lobbying by restaurant and bar owners, who opposed lowering the limit to 0.05, probably played a role in the decision. And yet the debate rages not only at the provincial but also at the federal level. Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould publicly stated in August 2017 that the idea of ​​lowering the blood alcohol limit to 0.05 across Canada was being seriously considered.

See also: Quebec’s legal drinking age

Quebec’s Blood Alcohol Limit: The Current Law

As with the rest of Canada, the province of Quebec has a legal maximum blood alcohol content of 0.08, a comparable limit to that in the United States and most of the United Kingdom.

However, almost all provinces in Canada generally impose sanctions if a driver’s blood alcohol limit exceeds 0.05. Exceptions apply.

Quebec’s Blood Alcohol Limit: Exceptions and Zero Tolerance Rule

While everyday drivers are subject to a blood alcohol limit of 0.08, permissible blood alcohol concentration limits for heavy vehicle drivers drop to 0.05 and a zero alcohol tolerance rule applies to taxi drivers, bus drivers, minibus drivers, drivers under the age of 22, and learner drivers Driver with probationary license.

Quebec’s blood alcohol limit: There’s a reason

Did you know that drunk driving is the leading cause of felony deaths in Canada?

One of the leading causes of road deaths in the province of Quebec, drinking and driving is not only risky but deadly: Of the total number of motorists who died on the road, about a third had blood alcohol levels above the legal limit. From 2002 to 2013, the total number of drug-related fatalities as a percentage went from just 29% in 2006 to 38% in 2009.

Calculate how much you can safely drink

If you intend to drive after drinking, you’ll save yourself some doubts and worries.

Get a rough idea of ​​how much it’s safe to drink using this alcohol night planner from Educ’Alcool.

Just enter your gender, weight, and the type of drinks you’d like to eat (including number of courses), and the planner will estimate your blood alcohol content and indicate if it’s safe (and legal!) to drive.

But remember that the evening planner only provides a general idea. MADD Canada, for example, actively discourages motorists from assuming the evening planner is an accurate tool, since concerned people might rely on its rough guidelines as if it were gospel, inadvertently putting lives at risk. Of course, for far more accurate results, a breathalyzer is the best tool for calculating blood alcohol concentration.

When in doubt, call for help from a designated driver. Or call a taxi.

Quellen: Quebec Automobile Insurance Company, Montreal Police Department, Educ’Alcool

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