Majority of Quebecers in favour of lowering legal alcohol limit to 0.05 for drivers: poll

Contrary to the Legault Government’s stance, a new Léger poll shows that a majority of Quebecers support lowering the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.08 to 0.05.

Commissioned by l’Association pour la santé publique du Québec (ASPQ), the poll reveals that 61 per cent want the limit lowered. This is a seven point jump since last year, where approval rate stood at 54 per cent in March 2024.

As the Journal de Montreal reports, lowering the limit to 0.05 per cent would potentially save nine lives per year.

Quebec is the only province that has not established a legal limit lower than the 0.08 — 80 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood — set in the Criminal Code.

A coroner’s report at the end of April was the fourth in the past two years recommending provincial sanctions for drivers above 0.05, and both the provincial police and the automobile insurance board support lowering the limit.

But the Quebec government refuses to budge on the issue — Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault had said that the province is one of the strictest jurisdictions when it comes to impaired driving.

On Wednesday, she reiterated this in the National Assembly.

According to the SAAQ, impaired driving causes an average of 85 deaths and 220 injuries in Quebec every year.

As for the number of pedestrian deaths in 2024, that was at 80 — which represents an increase of 18 deaths compared to 2023.

“While 2022 was marked by the worst number of deaths in 15 years, 2024 will be marked by the second worst number in 17 years,” said Sandrine Cabana-Degani, Executive Director of Piétons Québec. “Each of these collisions is a preventable tragedy that compels us to reaffirm our collective duty to act to prevent them.”

“Given this disastrous toll on pedestrians, we are saddened to see that implementation of the Road Safety Action Plan appears to be slowing down,” she added.

“Several actions, sometimes very simple, have still not been implemented, such as the establishment of a Concerted Action Table on Road Safety.”

The poll suggests that 87 per cent of Quebecers are concerned about accidents and injuries caused by drinking and driving.

Meanwhile, it found that nearly three out of 10 Quebecers admit to having driven while suspecting or knowing they were over the limit.

This is at 35 per cent among men and people aged 55 and over.

Currently, Quebec is the only Canadian province to refuse to adopt the 0.05 per cent limit.

The poll was conducted between May 2-4, among 1,008 respondents aged 18 or older on behalf of the Association de la santé publique du Québec (ASPQ). A probability sample of this size would yield a margin of error of ±3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

—With files from The Canadian Press