Stiffer penalties set for speeding, drunk driving in Quebec
Speeders and drunk drivers are facing stiffer penalties in Quebec as changes to the province's Highway Safety Code went into effect on Sunday.
But the president of the group that advises the government on road safety said Sunday the new measures still don't go far enough.
"Speeding and drunk driving account for 50 per cent of the fatalities on Quebec roads," said Jean-Marie de Koninck, president of the province's Road Safety Experts Group.
Quebec remains the only province in Canada that hasn't lowered its blood-alcohol limit from .08 to .05 ml of alcohol per 100 ml of blood, he said.
"Europe is going to be, in 2010, at .02. So, I hope in the short term we get to those measures of .05," De Koninck said.
In Ontario, de Koninck said, the lower limit has cut the number of deaths on the roads blamed on drunk driving to 25 per cent, compared with 32 per cent in Quebec.
Under the new rules, drivers with more than .16 per cent alcohol in their blood, or who refuse to take a breathalyzer test or have their blood tested, will have their cars seized for 30 days.
For a first offence, drunk drivers already have their licences revoked for 30 days. That suspension has been increased to 90 days.
The penalties also have been toughened for excessive speeding.
Speeding drivers can have their licences revoked for up to 60 days and their vehicles seized for up to 30 days.
The road safety group will present a second series of recommendations to the government in the spring.
The deadline is also fast approaching for Quebec drivers to equip their vehicles with winter tires.
Quebec is the first province to enact a winter tire law. From Dec. 15 to March 15, all registered vehicles must have snow tires.
Motorists stopped without them could face a fine of up to $300, and be assessed demerit points.
Finding the tires could be a challenge, however. A spokesperson for Bridgestone says Quebec retailers underestimated the demand, and they're drawing on stock from other parts of the country.
Manufacturers say they're running out of popular sizes, and that's causing some shortages in provinces as far away as B.C.