Montreal, Quebec – Quebec can improve its road safety by introducing proven impaired driving laws, said Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Canada. MADD has issued a three-prong legislative agenda to focus the next Quebec Assembly on safe and sober driving, and a reduction of deaths and injuries on the province’s road.

MADD cited three specific initiatives: a seven-day administrative roadside license suspension for drivers with greater than .05 per cent BAC; a zero per cent BAC for drivers age 21 and under as part of the graduated license program or for all new drivers for a period of five years; and a mandatory alcohol ignition interlock program for all convicted impaired drivers.

“We can do better in making our roads and streets safe from impaired drivers,” said Marie Claude Morin, Quebec manager for MADD Canada. “The objective needs to be immediately remove an impaired driver from harm’s way and to better guard against those most likely to drink and drive. We can do this by suspending impaired drivers’ licenses at .05 per cent, by ensuring young drivers form good habits related to sober driving, and by reducing the risk of a person reoffending with a mandatory alcohol ignition interlock program. Combined, this policy agenda will significantly reduce the incidents of impaired driving and the needless deaths and human carnage on our roads.”

MADD Canada produces detailed research documents through its Rating the Provinces initiative, which routinely reviews and compares the advances of provinces’ respective impaired driving laws. In the most recent annual review, MADD Canada’s best practice status report indicates that Quebec lags behind other provinces with respect to its graduated license program and administrative license suspensions.