MADD Canada Reiterates Call for Administrative Sanctions at .05% - .08% BAC in Quebec
/EIN News/ -- MONTREAL, May 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MADD Canada is renewing its call for the Quebec Government to introduce administrative sanctions for drivers with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) between .05% and .08%. Every other jurisdiction in Canada has implemented this proven road safety measure. Yukon, which had previously also lacked such sanctions, passed legislation last year, leaving Quebec as the only province or territory without this critical tool to help prevent impaired driving.
“We hear from victims and families across Quebec who are devastated and frustrated,” said Tanya Hansen Pratt, National President of MADD Canada, whose mother, Beryl, was killed by an impaired driver in 1999. “Impaired driving tragedies are preventable. We are calling on the Quebec Government to act.”
Research has consistently shown that essential driving skills—such as reaction time, coordination, and decision-making—are impaired at a .05% BAC. Drivers in this range have a much higher risk of being involved in fatal crashes than drivers at .00% BAC. Administrative sanctions offer police a fast, effective way to remove unsafe drivers from the road before tragedy occurs.
Éric Ducharme, CEO of La Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) had commissioned an analysis – at the request of the coroner's office – which concluded that "the introduction of penalties for blood alcohol levels of 50 mg or more would prevent 3 to 9 deaths and about 10 serious injuries due to drinking and driving annually in Quebec," and that this decrease would reduce compensation by $2.2 million to $3 million per year for victims.
Coroners, public health experts, and the SAAQ agree that lowering the BAC limit in Quebec would save lives. Public support is growing, with 61% of Quebecers now in favour of lowering the limit and imposing administrative sanctions, up from 54% in March 2024.
MADD Canada is calling for the creation of strong administrative sanctions for drivers in the .05% to .08% BAC range. By doing so, we can create a culture of responsibility on our roads and ensure impaired driving is met with swift and appropriate consequences. We created a microsite with information and resources to help Quebecers take action.
Join us in calling for the Government of Quebec to adopt this life-saving measure, like other jurisdictions in Canada. To learn more and sign our petition, click here: https://qcroadsidesanctions.ca/
About MADD Canada
MADD Canada (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) is a national, charitable organization that is committed to stopping impaired driving and supporting the victims of this violent crime. With volunteer-driven groups in close to 100 communities across Canada, MADD Canada aims to offer support services to victims, heighten awareness of the dangers of impaired driving and save lives and prevent injuries on our roads. For more information, visit www.madd.ca.
For more information, contact:
Arielle Nkongmeneck, MADD Canada Communications Manager, 1-800-665-6233 ext. 240 or ankongmeneck@madd.ca
References:
https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/05/22/quebecers-favour-lowering-alcohol-limit/
https://montreal.citynews.ca/2025/04/22/quebec-coroner-drunk-driving-penalties/
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